New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-18
The story of EiGne.

AND Monsoon Will w r for with hlS head.
tors+antInop.e, January TO- lg.3
-Lipplncotts Magazine
The story of Fiiine.
The Hon. Bragg Tonkins, o:-well, let
say Naupum Rapids-did not 60 int
societr and politics until late in life. ST
ciety had not quite got TO Namput
! Rapids at the time we speak OF, and it wa
not until tie Hon. Bragg, who was prett
much the founder of Wampum IA pili
vent to Congress as its Representative, tha
lie saw any thing OF "soc!ety.' The Hon
Bragg was born in Ohio somewhere, an,
his earlier associations are connected witt
pig driving. Somebody owned the pigs
and Tomkins drove them. AS he grew u
| he learned to drive bargains as well as pigs
| and taking Mr. Greeleys advice. wen
West till lie came to WTamprm Rapids
where he settled. married. build IN d lars
factory, a pork packing establishment,
town. and one Of the handscmest fortunes
ever accumulated in the West
| 1t was after these achievements in prac:i
cal life that the Hon. Bragg went int,
politics and had himself returned to Con
gress. Society as he saw it in Washing
| ton Tor the first time. struck the Hon
| Bragg with a delicious awe, it was all 81
| strange to him, so different from pork A,
one OF the first parties to which he was in
vited the Hon. Bragg was SO impressed
! with the inetfable insolence and charmin Q
| grace of manner of a person present that ne
! begged To be introduced to him and after
| an interview of five minutes retired in sort
| of stunned auaZement to ask his host Who
| that was. lie was informed that it was a
foreign diplomat, an attache to ono Of the
| legations.
'Bedamd il J don make diplomatiat ct
my Misty. then" cried the Hon Brarg,
| and the compliment so pleased the diplomat
! when he heard it that he invited hin to
dine with him at the Welcker's OF the day
and taught him TO drink Burgundy
"Misty' was the familiar Authorization of
Themstocles Meginnis Tomkins, only son
and heir of the Hon. Bragg, at that
time a youth of eighteen. pursuing his
college course-at Michigan University
Misty was a good fellow, handsome rattle
pated. with no great amount of brains, but
plenty Of life, and very popular. His col.
lege cateer was nipped in the bud soon
after by some rather obstreperOus skylark
ing, and 1.-The old man" called Misty" to
Washington to prepare himself for a diplo
matte career. Misty" took a French and
Spanish teachera and went into Washington
fast life with a vim. After couple of
years the "old man procured hin Il positi-
ton as secretary OF legation at European
court, and Misty tailed for Paris in gleeful
anticipation. He had pocketful of shekels.
a letter OF credit which made bankers
clerks bow to him till they showed
their back hair and he was not quite
twenty-one years old. There was no ne
cessity to report at the place OF his desti-
nation immediately, and Misty was deter
mined to have q good time.
He succeeded wonderfully we'll Some of
his escapades are vet surviving among the
legend which float around the american
colony" in Pars-tlavorous tales W hich are
told to new. Corners over the second bottle
in the student restaurants OF the Latin quar-
ter. 1t was Misty who tied the se,9t,lt de
gtIs to a lamp post with Mile. Antonine's
corset laces. 1t was he who captured the
magnificent helmet of Cent Cart, as he
was marching on parade with fish hook
and line, and forever disgraced the warrior
by overwhelming him with the nextingush-
able laughter of the mob. 1t was Misty
who inveiged the Brooklyn parson, in Eu-
rope on sick furlongh with bronchitis. into
tete.a -tete with Mile. Antonine at the Rocher
de Cancale, and. while the minister was
deep in his efforts to convert the interesting
creature. introduced two of his staidest par
ishioners upon the scene. 1t was Misty who
went to the Communist meeting at Belle
vile, aud nearly frightened Paris into hys.
terics by firing off Roman candles for signal
rockets from the windows, alter turning of
the gas.
One night as Misty was returning from
questionable ball at "A questionable hour,
along an unfrequented street. he saw a
drunken Turco. crazed with absynthe, Eur-
suing a little girl, who in vain tried to
Escape trorn him. just as the brute caught
the shrinking child by the hair Misty stopped
his cab. Jumped quickly out, Knocked the
fellow down and kicked him into the gutter
at the came time trying to compose the
terrified child The cab driver drove away
hurriedly, and the Tnrco rising, drew his
bayonet and assaled Misty with vi1dictive
fury. The child screamed loudly, the police
came, and the upshot was the arrest of all
three. When Misty was released next
morning he called the little girl to him.
She was ragged and tear soiled, but very
pretty creature, about ten years of age,
with deep olive skin and large brown eyes,
full of entreaty and pathos. What ia your
name, little Girll' he asked. Teresa |
Gomez,' she answered; but every one calls
me Flfne-eycept my mother
"Wili she not be uneasy about you.
Fifne?" The child's eyes filled up with |
tears. 80, very" she cried, ''aud she is SO |
sick, too Then she told her little story. |
She lived Numero COL Rue de Bac, az |
they were very poor. Her |
mother was too i'll to 90 out to work. and |
the little girl supported both by selling |
cigar llgDIeFS ABOUT the Gales anu the doors I
of the theatres. Last evening she was later |
out than usual, and had lost her way when |
the Turco pursued her Her father was a |
gambler. seldom came home, and did moth |
Ing for her mothers support, only abused |
her,
Our young dplomatist called carriage |
and took Fihne to her home, sixth story of |
No. Sol Rue du Bac. He was introduced |
to scene of distress and restitution such |
rs fairly appalled, his unaccustomed eyes. !
Ia q bare garnet stripped of every comfort
and convenience Of lite, he found young
woman III the last stage of consumption
wing unattended upon pallet. This I'M
happy creature welcomed Fitine'5 return
with painfully convulsiye JOY and those
maternal cries Of relief from agony which
40 enc can listen to unmoved. a few syl
ables told her all. and then her gratitude
o Misty drew tears from that young tel
ow's eyes such as lie never c expected to shed.
rhe woman, whose name was Carlotta Go
nez, was evidently lady. She told Tom
sins that she was South American, gave !
lin to understand that she was the victim |
# an unfortunate marriage, but abstained
rom telling him more or accusing any |
person besides herself. Misty could see Tor |
himself that she was dying and was ex-
remedy destitute. He went out and present.
V returned with a cap full of delicacies for
he dying woman, and physician. young
American doctor, who was walking the |
hospitals and corresponding with news
,apers at home. DR.. Eilicott easily saw that |
lime. Come life was to be very short