The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-14
GFor the Sunday Bulletin.
A COMET AND WHAT CAME
OF IL.

Hunebourg that the world was coming 20 a,
end. ii was Doctor Iacharias Piper, Of Col
mar, who originated the report, and it wa
published in the lIsssagcr Bo.teqar in tn
I'aJect Gretien, and in fifty other peri
odicals
Itcharias Piper had calculated thar q Gomez
would comein contact with the earth on War
di-GraS: that its tall thirty-fye millio,
leagues III length, was composed Of boilin.
water, OF heat 50 intense tl.t i. would mel
the snow on the highest mountain. destroy
vegetation, and totally consume mankind.
1t IS true, however, that at a later dace, an
honest savant Of Paris, named popmot, al.
United that the comet woull APPEAR bat he
also asserted that its tail WAS composed Of a
vapor SO light that one would aI.tfex the
slightest Inconvenience from its proximity
that people might TRANQUILITY attend % Their
daily affairs without fear Of the failure. Til
assurance from such eminent authority Gained
the fears Of many
Unhappily we had AZ NuncDourg an oid
wool spinner, named Maria FInck who lived
in Rue Irois Pots. She was q dl1ninutive old
crepid, whom the people We're in the habit Of
consulting on the most delicate atf4iri of lite
She dwelt in a small chamber, the ceilings of
which were ornamented with paintings of
flowers, violets and thousand strange OBJ
Jects. She dressed herself in antique fur
bellows AMI lived exclusively on herbs these
facts gave her great influence and authority
Maria Flnck, instead Of embracing the
opinion Of honest Mr.. Popmot, adopted that
OF Iacharias Piper, saying: . Give over your
evil ways and pray; repent your sins and send
gifts to the church, for the end Of al! things
approaches, the end approaches =.
The little community Of Hunebour heard
this solemn warning with great uneasiness.
The people were not SO vi-tuous as not to
have many sins their consciences, and no
one could titter himself as being prepared to
occupy the vacant seat on the right hand Of
GUS man to fancy this, which in itself would
be manifestation of wicked pride.
Thus many said, ''we will not observe the
festival of Mard-Gras; We will pass the Car
nival in acts of contrtion.
Never was the cummunity in such a conli |
city, and the subordinate off GERS of the gar |
rison were in despair. All the preparations
for the '4ete, the grand hall of the city, |
which had been elegantly decorated, the stage |
erected for the orchestra, the beer, the kirsh-
wasser the Jjscbofs, ordered for tho refresh
~, or
the city positively refused to entertain an idea
of dan cling.
81 am not wicked" said Sergeant Du-
chene, "but i | held Ilcharia5 Piper il
my grasp l would strangle him.
But of all, the most discons0late We're
Daniel Spitz. the secretary of the VI yor:
jerome Bertha, the son Of the postmaster;
Durlardin. tax collector and myself. Eight
days previous we had visited Slrtsbourg to !
procure our costumes. Uncle Toby had i
given me fifty francs out Of his own purse,
that nothing should be wanting in my outfit.
| had selected at Cardinals the costume of
Pierrot. It consisted Of wrapper, falling in
large folds with long sleeves, ornamented
with metal buttons; black cap, false nose;
my face was to be whitened and my eyes
blackened.
Dujardin, on account Of his large paunch,
selected the costume of Turk, richly en- t
broidered on all the seams; SpltZ, a costume {
of Punchinello, composed of a Thousand q
pieces, red, green and yellow, hump in 5
front, another behind, and large hat Of a S
5endarme; his makeup was perfect. Jerome y
Bertha was to 90 as savage, with parrot c
feathers i'll his head. We confidently felt 1
hat we would carry Oft the honors of the t
evening, and if We were not the envy of one l.
Tex, we would certainly be the admiration Of t
he other. ]
Mardi-Gras came. The heavens We're filled G
With snow. People looked to the right, to c
he left, above, below, but no comet could be
zen. The young girls were III a state Of in 0
decision; the young men ran Ia every dlrec $
ion-to the houses Of their cousins, to the a
houses of their god-mothers, III fact, to all the il
houses in the village, saving, "Do you not
zee that old Finck Is fool; that your fears
re unfounded Do comets ever come in
yipter Do they not rather select the vint
&c season? Let us go; let us 60 to the bali !
il still time etc. :
la their turn the officers visited the kitchen !,
xhorting the servants, and oyerwht lining :
hem with reproaches Many took courage +
I'D men and women, arm III arm, visited the !
all to see the decorations; the glitter Of the ~
abres crossed on the walls, the little trlc0l =
red flags draping the windows, excited uni I
ersal admiration. Then there was q COM g.
lete change: every one remembered that it =
as Mardi-Gras; the young girls brought out j
leir ball dresses and waXed their little shoes. i
At ten o'clock the hall was filled; we had +
on the day: not maiden Of Hunebourg y
as absent The clarionette, the trumpet, !.
Ie drum sounded through the hall: the win :
oEs dashed with light; the merry dancers =.
lingled in the MAJ OF the waltz; the more IN
,ber walked quadrile; and while the young -
nus enjoyed themselves, the OLD people sal = =
en- cath the wrelths aud garltnds, their hearts r
ade light by fond memories Of scenes long ~
sst TIE stairway leading to the supper -
,om was filled with an eager throng. Every :
ing within wore an air OF comfort, while the -
low Eel! thick and fast without. ~
Uncle Toby had given me the key of the i
,use that | might return when | wished. - -
bout o'clock, sickened by the refreshments ~
had taken. stepped into the street Once a al''