New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-22
THE BROKEN PITCHER.
MARIETTA.


To be sure La Naporle is very small
place on the seashOre of Cannes; yet every
body knows of it in the whole OF Provence
1t lies in the evergreen shadows of higl
palms and dark pomegran ates. That, how
ever, does not account for it's celebrity. Il
is there that the richest vintages grow, the
sweetest roses, and the most beautiful
maidens. So the people say, and for one
readily believe it. What pity it is that
La Napoule is so small, and that the rich
wine, sweet roses and beautiful maidens
can not be brought forth more plentifully-
for then we too. perhaps, would have some
of them with US.
If the women of La Napoule have al
ways been beauties since the town was
founded, then little Marietta must have
been wonder of wonders without doubt,
because even the old town chronicle makes
mention of her. Only as "the little Mari.
etc" was she known; yet che was no smaller
than child is usually at seventeen or so,
her forehead reaching up about to the lips
of full-grown man.
But the chronicle of the town had its
own goods reasons for mentioning Mariette:
had been it would have mentioned her
too. For Marietta, who had lived for q
time at Avignon, with her mother Manon,
when she went back to her birthplace to
1--we turned everyt thing t0psy-turvy there.
don't mean the houses, of course, but the
people and their heads; and even now not
all the people, but more especially those
whose heads and hearts came dangerously
near pair of sympathetic eyes. I've seen
such. Cases of this kind are no Joking
matter.
Without doubt Mother Manon would
nave been much better off if she had STAYED
at Avignon. But she had inherited some
property in La Napoule; q small estate
with q vineyard, and neat house under
the shadow of q rock, between olive trees
and African acacias. No poor widow would
refuse thing of that kind, and had Mother
Manon been Countess of Provence she
would not have esteemed herself more for.
eunste. But so much the worse for the |
the troubled future, nor had she read ia
Homer how one pretty woman could bring |
al Greece and Asia Minor into harness and |
the shock of battle.
HOW ALL THESE TROUBLES CAME.
Scarcely had Mariette been a FORTNIGHT
IN the house, between the olive trees and
Afrlcen acacias, when every Lanapoule.a
knew that Marietta lived there, and that in |
the whole of Provence there did not live a
more beautiful maiden than in that very
house. When she walked through the
market place, gliding along like an angel
IN Disguise, with her dress fiuttering in the
air. on her bosom rose and orange bios.
som entwined, and flow ers and ribbons
waving about the roguish gray hat which
shaded her face, ali, then the gloomy old
men grew eloquent and young men dumb.
And everywhere, as she went along the
street, q door or window would open.
GOOD merning," they cried, or "Good
evening, Marietta" And she, turning to
ne right or left, would bow and smile. If
Aarlette went to church all hearts THAT ia
Il the young men) abandoned holy things.
III eyes fOrsOOk the saints, and the prayinr
niger lost itself among the beads of tbe
'Osary. All this necessarily gave great
otfense, especially to people piously in.
1t was about this period that the vouno
iris Of La Napoule became exceedingly
'ioue, for they were very much grieyed At
lame them for it. For since Mariette's adj
ont, more than one lover had grown cool,
loro tthan one wOrshiper had fOrsaken his
arling idol. On all sides were quarrels I
nd reproaches, and many tears, good lee
lrss and mittens. Nobody spoke of we'd.
ngs now, but only of separations. Every I
10 was sending back pledges of allegiance,
Ives mp in quarrels Of their children. il
Iusbble and strife ran from house to q
1use. It was regular Northwestern.
"Mariette il to blame for everything" ,.
id the pious maidens; then the mothers n
i'd 90; then the fathers, and at last every
dy, even the young men. But Marietta, Y
wrapped in her modesty and innocence, Il
Q an opening rosebud in its dark green o.
lyx, dreamed not of this misery, and re- O
lined we'll disposed to all. The young O
n perceived this before any one else, and 90
" said: "Why blame the pure, harmless m
idf She ID without guilt" Then the 81
hers said 80: then the mothers, and at last In
'rybody, even the pious maidens: For ca
one couid talk to Mariette without loving to
And ere half . year had gone every VI
had spoken with Hsriette, and overy VI
loved her. But she did not believe that be
Wse 90 loved. and had not believed ~
70 that she coald DO 80 hated-whst bu