Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-12-25
In fhosa solopo tbe little princess entered

In these salons the little princess entered
at once upon her royalty. Her dancing
was the poetry of motion. She sang, and
the most brilliant men hung over her en-.
rantured. sShe was like Adelina Patti,
they said, "but Of more perfect and deli
cate type of beauty. What wonderful eyes,
with the long thick lashes yelling Oriental
depths of liquid light! How the music
trickled from her fingers, and poured from
her small throat like the delicious MARBLE Of
q nightingale! What loss to art that her
position precluded her from singing in the
operal Not Malibran or Grisi ever had
triumphs that would equal hers." Eminent
painters wished to make study Of her
face Authors who had received the prizes
of the Academy for grave historical works
sent her adulatory verses. May I-firta-
tion-wid you--loavely meess% asked one
of "the immortal forty" displaying his
English
It grew rather annoying. I was impor-
tuned with questions, such as "Wlll you
receive proposals of marriage for Miss ST.
Clair2" What is her dOwry?" Are
YOU entrusted to find husband for her
abroad 2" I was tired of answering, :" Miss
st. Clair will probably marry In her own
country" "Her parents would be very
reluctant to consent to any foreign MARI
ace" ~ cannot tell what MIR. st. Clair
will give his daughter. 1t is not the custom
to give dowries with us, as with you.
One evening we saw at Madame LIE Forts
reception Young man so distinguished in
.nnearance that he was known as "le beau
Verpniaud. He was six feet In height
and well made, with abundant chestnut hair,
dark hazel eyes, clearly cut, regular features,
and a complexion needlessly fine for man.
From that time he was invariably present,
not only at Madame, LIE Forts, but where
ever we went. ~ NAtltft
One day Helen said to me. CT made a
silly speech last evening. / was dancing
with nj. Vergniaud, and we were talking of
that charming Madame de Launay. | said,
Il should think she might be happy, having
an elegant house in Paris, q chateau in the
country. and such handsome husband so
devoted to her. And he reioined instantly,
very low, MY dear Miss St. Clair, can
not give you all this?' 1t was not fair to
take advantage of me in that way.n
r".Mlat' did you say ?"s ~ / ~~~ss
"Oh, l laughed it off. / did not think
he was in earnest, but he spoke to me again
before he went away"
That afternoon Madame lie Fort came into
my room with the look of one who had
something important to communicate. 81
have been wishing to see you," she said.
an. Vergniaud has taken me into, his con-
fidenceg He has formed serious attach
ment to Miss st. Clair, and wishes to make
her his wife. 1t is splendid alliance" she
continued, warming with her theme: " if
he had asked for my daughter would give
her to him blindfold He belongs to one of
our old families. You should see his house
on the Avenue de Montaigne. Have you
never seen him driving with his superb
horses in the Bots de BoulOgne? He has an
estate with a fine old chateau in TOuraine, o
family Inheritance. His character and habits
are unexceptiohable too" she added by way
of parenthesis. cit is not often that you
find all that in q man of twenty-six. So
handsome besidesi" ~ O@kIA q +.
"True," said I, "but you forgot Mr..
Dennaiii.
"On the contrary, remember him too
well to conceive the possibility of his being
rival to Rene Vergniaud." g.
T. but did you mention him to- M. Yer
gniaud2"F - 1875 = ~ ~ ~a@sass
! Eyes, and he was greatly disturbed at
first, but when i told him that he had no
expectation of marrying for two or three
years to come, he laughed and said it was
of no importance. NJ Vergniaud would
Like to be married in few weeks, as is the
custom with us, but suppose it will take
longer to adjust the preliminarieso on account
of her parents being across the Atlantic.
What dowry has my little jewell" CThe
inevitable question, always put with as
much simplicity and directness as if one
were asking the time of day.
81 do not know" l replied. 1T is so con-
tro-- all ,@fso = Il do i'll,
there is a man in America who in asking a
father for the hand of his daughter would
inquire how much money he was to have
with her. It would be considered an in
suit"
perhaps Mr.. st. Clair would prefer to
settle an annuity on his daughter. Is that
the way the thing is managed in your
country"
SIT is not managed at all. A. man gives
his daughter what he likes, or 4he' gives her
nothing but her bridal outfit. It's never q
condition of the marriage.
"How strange all that is! One can
hardly believe it in France. We set by a
sum of money for Clarice's dowry almost as
soon as she was born, and it would be a
hard necessity that could compel Us TO
diminish it by asingle sou. If you would
like it, in couple of days / can give you an
axact inventory of all NJ. Vergniauds pro-
perry and possessions. could guarantee
that twill not vary twenty napOleons from
the fact. We do everything so systemati-
cally here. - D. DAB - TO-
Thanks! I think it will hardly be
necessary. l denot know that Helen likes
him particularlyst A-
:. - Nobody admires that little paragon more
than II should be frantically in love with
her if were man-but she had better
think twice before rejecting such aarti as
Rene Vergniaud, especially if she has no
dOwry. You will surely not permit her to
do SO without comm lmicating with hez
fatherr He will understand her interests
betteEYO f. H8f INV
In this case shall let her do just as she
pleases, as her father would if he were
here" elslT T. uTI1 III UOVT
Madame LIE Forts look Of amazed In
creduIity was truly comical. What ought
to do? queried. One the whole, l de.
cided TO do the easiest thing wait a
The'next day was honored with d call
from NJ Vergniaud He believed that
Madame LIE Fort had spoken to me of his
profound attachment to the lovely Miss st.
Clair-the most passionate, the most devoted.
Might he hope for my influence with hel
was Indifferent to him; his income was
sufficiently large, and, alas he had nc
parents to consult: Would favor him with
Mr.. st. Clairs address and few words OF
introduction to him? He should be under
everlasting obligations to me, and if there
was anything he could do to show his
gratitude, his appreciation ''''''' =.
interrupted these protestations 81
doubt if Mr.. st. Clair would consent to any
marriage which would separate him from
his daughter, however advantageous it
might be in other respects"
- any dear madame, who asks it n have
no business or profession: we could easily
spend part of every year in America, if It