New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-26


collected. She was evidently frightened-I
ielt her hand trembling on my arm-but she
mad one great merit; she made no fuss
about it.
III can sit down for few minutes" she
said IN her pretty foreign accent, II shall
soon be myself again. and l shall not tres
pass any further on your kindness. thank
You very much, sir, for taking care of me"
We sat down on a bench in retired part
OF the gardens, near a little fountain. A
row OF lighted lamps ran round the outer
rim OF the basin. l could see her plainly.
L have spoken OF her as a little lady"
could not have described her more correctly
in three words.
Her figure was slight and SMALL che was
a well made miniature OF woman from
head to foot. Her hair and eyes were both
dark. The hair curled naturally; the ex-
preston of the eyes was quiet and rather
sad; the complexion. as then saw it, very
pale; the little mouth perfectly charming
l was especially attracted, l remember, BY
the carriage of her head: it was strikingly
graceful and spirited; it distinguished her
little as she was, and quiet as she was
among the thousands OF other women in
the gardens, as creature apart. Even the
one marked defect in her--a slight "cast"
in the left eye-seemed to add, in some
strange way, to the quaint attractiveness of
her face. l have already spoken of the
tasteful simplicity of her dress | ought
now to add that it was not made OF auy
costly material and that she wore no Jewels
or ornaments of any sort. My little lady
was not rich; even mans eye could see
that.
She was perfectly unembarrassed and ur-
affected. We tell as easily into talk as il
we had been friends Instead OF strangers
asked bow it was that she had no com.
panion to take care of her. You are 100
young and pretty" l said in my blunt Eng
llsh way, to trust yourself alone in such a
place RS this
She took no notice of the compliment.
She calmly put it away from her as if it had
not reached her ears.
II have no friend to take care of me" she
said simply IL was sad and sorry this
evening, all by myself, and | thought |
would 20 to the gardens and hear the music,
iuot a.nus, iuo. - 20 MOI 1.,uu,,l ~ pa, a,
the gate only shilling"
mo friend TO take care of you?' | re
peated. surely, there must be one happy
man who might have been with you to-
night4'
What man do you meant" she asked
The man." l answered, thoughtlesslv
whom we call IN England sweetheart"
| would have given worlds to have re.
called those foolish words the moment thew
passed my lips. felt that had taken a
vulgar liberty with her Her face saddened:
her eyes dropped to the ground. begged
her pardon.
There is no need to beg my pardon, she
said. If you wish to know. sir-yes, had
once sweetheart, as you call it in Eng
land. He has gone away and left me. No
more of him. if you please. / am rested
now. l will thank you again and go
home"
She rose to leave me.
/ was determined not to part with her in
that way. | begged to be allowed TO see
her safely back to her own door. She
hesltated 1 took mans unfair advantage
Of her l appealed TO her fears said,
suppose the blackguard who ANNOYED you
should be waiting outside the gatesl" That
iecldsd her. She took my arm. We went |
away together by the bank of the Thames,
n the balny summer night.
A walk of half an hour brought us to the |
house in which she lodged-s shabby little |
louse in by-street inhabited evidently by |
7ery poor people. -
she held out her hand at the door and
Wished me gcot night. | was TOO much in
crested in her to consent to leave nv little
french lady without the hope of seeing her
gain. l asked permission to call on her
he next day We were standing under the
lght of the street lamp. She studied nv
ace with grave and steady attention be-
Yes she said at last. II think / do
n w gentleman when / see him. You
nay come, sir, it you lease, and call upon
ne tomorrow"
So we parted So / entered-doubtinp
othing, foreboding nothing-on a scene in
~ life, which l now look back on with IN
elgned repentance and regret.
l am speaking at this later time in the
ositlun OF clergyman and in the charac-
er OF man OF mature age. Remember
hat, and you will understand why | pass
s rapidly as possible over the events of the
ext year OF my lif,, why / say as little as
can OF the errors and delusions OF my
outh.
l called on her the next day. l repeated
~ visits during the days and weeks that
,llowed, until the shabby little house in
ne by street had become a second and III
~ it with shame AID selfreproach) a
carer home to me.
All of herself and her story which she
bought fit 10 contide to me under these
rcumstances may be repeated to you in
w words.
The name by which letters were adj
ressed to her was "MademOisele Jero-
ette" Among the ignorant people of the |
ouse and the small tradesmen of the neigh
found her name not EASY of
by the average English
'ngue-she was known by the friendly
ckname of "the French Miss" When 1
new her she was resigned to her lonely
10 among strangers Some years had
apsed since she had lost her parents aud |
adj left France. Possessing small, very |
nall, income OF her own, she add.u t. il |
7 coloring miniatures for tine Photographic ;
8 She had relatives still living in France.
II she mad long since ceased to co respond
18th them. ''Ask me nothing more about
y family" sh- used o say. Il am as good
dead III my own country anu among my
yn people,"
This was all, literally all, that she told ,
9 of herself. l have never discovered
ore of her sad story from that day to this.
She never mentioned her family name ;
,ver even told me hat part OF France she
'me from. or how long she had lived in
ngiand. That she was by birth and breed
K lady. could entertain DO doubt; her
anners, her accomplishments, her ways of
mixing and speaking, oil proved it, Look .
& below the surface, her character 81 o we'd I
'tlt IN aspects not common among young
omen in these days. In her quiet way she I
as an incurable fatslist and a firm believer
the ghostly reality of apparitions from {
o dead Then again, in the matter Of
oney. she had strange views of her own. a
henever my purse WAS in my hand she I
I'D me resoIutely at distan &c from first
last. She refused to move into better
tments; the shabby little house was 4
AN inside, and the poor people who lived
1t were kind to her, and that was enough. a
10 most expensive present that she ever 4
rmitted mt to offer her was little enam. 4
ed ring, the plsinest and cheapest thing /
the kind in the jewelers. shop. In ali '
r relations with me she was sineerity
elf On all occasions, and under all cir a
instances she spoke her mind, as the