The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-18


he assured Monsieur lie Cure of this yes
terday. This manly conduct on his part
not little contributed to win my father
and myself as well. 1t is courageous,
you know, my dear, to confront the
storm, and to say to ones entire country,
No; ] refuse to advance He thinks il
would be opportune to send word Of ouI
marriage to His Holiness; and, indeed
as Gontran was once n Colonel in His
Holiness Xouaves-he fought at Patay,
You know--we could scarcely do. other.
wise. But what is incontestably aristo-
cratic about him is his foot, which is a
woman's and mans foot at the same
time, with "A tall and slender inStcp, aud
perched high upon the patent-leather
heel. The creak of his boot in fact, re-
sembles the creak of no other; one di-
vines from it that his is the foot Of a man
who might have buckled on the golden
spur and gone to the Crusades, like his
ancestors of old. This beauty of foot is
the appanage Of the younger branch OF
the family of my future husband. The
elder branch are distinguished by their
exquisitcly shaped nose like the Bour-
| bons.
AS to the servants and stables at Con
trans chateau, all that has been much
neglected for some time past. You know
that his fortune was somewhat impaired
and he himself acknowledged to us yes
terday evening, with charming simplici-
ty-in which, however, one OWNED the
true pride of race-that his chateau of
Fort Vieux, which is historical ntonu-
ment Of Sologne, as Monsieur le Cure has
told me, has only the four walls standing.
But added he, 'on the face OF the stone
which crowns the ruins of the entrance
gate is carved the escutcheon of my FAM
lily, and that stone, am proud to say, is
| intact
"He said this with such ease, tapping
his boot with his cane as he spoke. Papa
was as red as if he had Just risen from
the dinner table, and | shared his emo
tion. Can you imagine this manor in
ruins, these tall shattered towers, this
massive drawbridge, these immense
moatS; and their representative, the mas
ter of all these poetical things, caressing
his boot only two PAGES away from you?
"'Monsieur lie Comtc," said my father,
rising, the stone of which you speak is
alone worth 100000 francs-for me, at
least. beg you to believe it, l.
at was embarrassing for papa, you un-
derstand
"It is worth more to me, Monsieur
Leblanc replied Gontrau, smiling, with
his grand air.
"And he did well to answer thus; in
his place / should have done the same,
though that has nothing to do with it.
1t was noble, was it not?
"'We will build up the towers of Fort
Vieux again, said papa, as he kissed me
that evening.
He is good; poor papa, and mamma
as well; but, as Gontran says sometimes,
with the air of not wishing to touch upon
it, there is in our park slight smell of
coal smoke, which is no doubt perfectly
true, as the factory is only just outside.
| was, however, accustomed TO this smell,
and no longer noticed it. Now l should
prefer receiving slap to hearing that
coal-smoke spoken of. Whenever Mon
sieur lie Cure breakfasts here with Con
tran, he puts on new bands, and says
grace out loud, which so surprised Pierre
the first time he heard him that he lei
fall the plate he held in his hand
Mamma was in such rage, she was
ready to have discharged him on The
spot. This is what comes of turning
workmen into footmen.
"But must conclude, ma belle mig
nonne. Hurry every one. Call al
Erard's about the grand piano; and
above all, see that they put the little cor
onet over the cipher. With regard tc
the liveries, we shall resume those OF
the family; but / have an idea that one
could rejuyenate these little while still
respecting ancient traditions For in
stance, | should preserve the orange
breeches and waistcoat, and Transform
the rusty brown coat, which, I must con
fess, does not particularly please me.
'Do not call me my dear Countcsse
any more in your letters. What grca
child you are! Your watch is a fortnigh'
too fast, ma belle cherie.
! "Adieu; thousand kisses Your
"CLoTILDE.
"P. S. think he loves me grea
| deal"
Everything being satisfactorily al
ranged from the "peurl separating tn
scallop from the embroidery" to the ''col
onct over the interlacing cipher" tn
marriage contract is duly signed, an
. the repas du contrat partaken of. Th
victims are now ready to undergo tn
ordeal of the civil marriage at the mairi
of one of the principal ACCOMPLISHMENT
of Paris.
\, AT THE MARIE.
t In France what is called the civil MAJ
riage is looked upon by most yotn
e ladies as an extremely disagreeable fol
mality, which might very well be dis
pensed with in their particula
!, cases They conceive that persons NOV
r ing in good society, who can afford tn
4 expense of vocal music at their wedding
5 and the laying down of crimson drugge
/ on the church steps, might surely be e1
: cused dancing attendance the day befor
/ at the anything but clean and stifiin
5 mairies. Even if the civil marriage is a
$ all necessary, which they by no mean
Y admit, they consider the Mayor Nigh
, attend by appointment at the parties
t own residences, exacting, if necessary,
| fee for so doing, instead of requirin
e them to appear before him simply
e sign their names in book, and liste
. while he rattles through certain extract
n from the Code, which are positive il