The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-06-18
AZ4LEA.

AZ ALEAs
The story of our heroine commences
years ago with a brilliant reception
given IN Paris during She reign of Ma
poleon /; by Nine. dc Mo11tesoon.
Great statesmen, brave generals, foreign
ministers, With their wives and daugh-
ters, and al Che wealth, hsauty and no.
bility of Paris were, gathered in her
stately palace that night.
Azalea, who came. in late with her
father, was enchanted with the dazzling
scene. The long salon shimmered With
mirrors, all hung with crimson, white
and gold, and richly decorated with
flowers, whose delicious perfume filed
the air. Soft strains of exquisite music
mingled harmoniously with the sounds
of light laughter and happy voices. To
add a charm to the entertainment the
hostess had requested the ladies to
come arrsTed II .c6sttmos. that would
represent their favorite flowers. So
there were rich canellias, pansies, roses
and lilies, modest violets, faring jon
quils, tulips and many others, whose
gauzy and silBen robes sparkled with
diamonds, pearigsnd rabies.
In admiring others Azalea did not
dream that she was one Of the fairest
flowers herself. She was simply at
tired, as suited young girl, in snowy
Grape, with a wreath of white azaleas
trailing from her shoulders and spray
of the same pure blossoms fastened in
her shining hair.
"It is just like fairyland," she NUT
tered to herself, enraptured by the
beauty around her but at that moment
the voice of a Morning glory near by
awoke her from the dream that she was
among fairies,
"What a hortid old dress she has
on p said the young beauty, scornfully,
as she adjusted her sapphire bracelets
and arranged the sweeping folds of her
silver broe 4de more gracefully.
81 wonder who she can be she can
not belong to the 6e0aG-nao1de I am
sure" returned Rose, who was daint-
lily attired in blushiDg silk; frosted with
rare laces:
Azalea now saw that the subject of
these ilI-natured remarks was an elderly
lady, dressed plainly in black, who was
sitting quite alone and deserted at the
farther end of the salon. Her antiquate3
dress and plain ornaments formed a
W GLO 4lC11 ObG41O vi
these gay butterflies of fashion.
"The empress scarcely noticed her,
said a pert little Pink, Struggling her
ieweled shoulders and Azalea saw that
it was true that the Empress Josephine,
usually so kind and gracious, had passed
the unpretending stranger coldly by.
81 wonder what flower she repre-
sents % laughed gorgeous Tulip.
perhaps Mourning bride, " sneered
the Rose.
"No, my dears," said the Morning
glory, " I think she must belong to an
antediluvian fora," which sally was
greeted with merry laughter.
"Merci how can they be so heartless,
so discourteous? exclaimed Azalea IN
der her breath, while her cheeks were
burning with Indignation. All the gen.
erous emotions of her brave young spirit
were awakened.
The empress now joined the merry
circle with many more pretty women
and gay cavaliers, who seemed to take a
malicious pleasure in the evident morti-
fcation of the difide1t and plainly
dressed stranger.
Azalea pressed her lips lightly to-
gether to Keep back the angry thoughts
surging in her heart. Summoning up
all the courage at her command, she left
the group collected around the empress,
and, to the amazement of her co1npah-
ions, bravely crossed the long salon to
where the lonely old lady sat.
"That noble young girl deserves the
ribbon of the Legion of Honor" OBJ
served q gray-headed veteran, who wore
the decorations Of a general. The
naughty bellies to whom this remark was
addressed were for a moment abashed.
Azalea's silent rebuke was felt far deeper
than words.
Now the lady in black, whom we will
call Nine. s., had noticed the con-
temptuoUs glances, if she had not heard
the unkind sarcasms, of these thought
less beauties, and, being of a sensitive
nature, had felt deeply wounded. I'M
agine her surprise, then, to see one of
the fairest of them all, fairy-like crea
ture, with golden hair floating around
her like ripping sunlight, and eyes blue
and timid as wild violets, coming with
airy steps toward her. Nine. s. had
an insight into human nature as quick
as it was keen, and, with one glance of
her brilliant black eyes, she read in the
quivering lips and flushed cheeks of the
lovely young face turned toward her the
honest Indignation and heartfelt sympa
thy of the girls soul. Her heart was as
warm as her wit was ready, and, taking
AZalea's hand in welcome, she said
"You are as good as you are beauti
full, my child p
"In what way, pray, madame?"
asked Azalea, smiling. She was strange
ly attracted to her new friend by her
beautiful eyes. They were so bright
and sparkling, so full of expression and
tender feeling, that Azalea forgot her
plain dress in gazing into their won
drous depths and listening to the rare
music of her voice.
"You ask me why?" returned Nine.
s.. because you crossed this i'm
mense salon to come and sit by me.
Upon my word, you are more cour-
ageous than I should have been.
"And yet" replied Azalea, ''if I were
to tell you my fears and trepidatiops
you would laugh at me, l am sure"
"Laugh at you |" exclaimed Nine
s. with moistened eyes and trem-
bling voice. "Never never [ am your
sister henceforth, my dear young friend.
VIII you tell me your Christian name? ?"
AAdlCd
"AzaleaP What a pretty name am
glad of it, for it will suit my purpose
exactly. You must know, my love, that
I am writing book, and mean it shall
bear your name, and you shall find
in it which shall remind you
of tonight and our acquaintance.
And she kept her word. Azalea had
almost forgotten this little incident
when, one morning, few months later.
a volume of blue and gold was placed
in her hands bearing her own name,
"Azalea." With wonder and delight |
Azalea turned to the title-page and dis
covered that her friend was a we'll
known and distinguished authoress.
She readily guessed nov why Josephine
had sighted her, for it was we'll known
that Napoleon greatly dreaded this
writer's sparkling wit and keen sarcasm.
The tears sprung to Azalea's eyes as,
turning over the illuminated pages, she |
came upon the little incident here por-
trayed. in which Nine. s. had pic
tnred her as an ''angel of goodness and
beauty"
As "Azalea" was really a finely
wrought tale, full of pathos and beauty, |