The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-05-15
DOCTOR ROvIeHVs PATIENTS.
BY JAMES WIGHT.

DOCTOR ROvIGNVs PATIENTS.
BY JAMES WIGHT.
In the bright particular star of the Ameri
can colony in Paris, there were people who
did not hesitate TO. declare that Madame
Helen Vasoul was the NEST bewitching
widow in the world. More attractive,
more skillful than Dulcinea del Toboso.
heaven knows how many strings she had
to her bow! How many lovers with un-
satisfied desires, humble submission Of
strength to caprice, fear of refusal and
restless entrsaty beaming from their
She was q sort of social Cleopatra with a
score ofimpassioned Antonys. She smiled
on them all by turns; she Listened to their
frenzied rawlings; she drove them to dis
tractien with her fan; and she did the hon.
ors Of her drawing-room with ineffable
grace.
Her youngest admirer. Viscount Wind.
rush, was q scrowling, big-limbed Eng
lishman of one and-twenty; her oldest the
Baron Won Weimer, a simpering old Cupid
OF three d-sixty.
Madame Vas0ul was as beautiful as in
carnate virtue. Let us try to describe her.
Alas! that is impossible. 1t is certain that
she possessed a medium complexion, be.
cause people said that her face changed
from light to dark like an April day and
her worshipers, particularly, were al issue
and about equally divided as to whether
she were very dark blonde or very fail
brunette.
Her eyes resembled the eyes the poets
have raved about-they were deeply, dark
ly beautifully-not blue, nor black; but
probably q sort of royal purple color.
Her HART There again her admirers diff
fered as to its color for it seemed to change
and to take its hue so much from circum
stances.
But her lipsl There was no difference
Of opinion about them; nor the mouth
itself, which with its cleft cherry luscious
ness pumped the moisture to the surface o
every masculine lip that come within
speaking distance of it:
The tender bloom of the d9g-rose slep
on her charming cheek. Her rose wa
neither aquiline, nor Grecian, nor re
trouse; but sort Of combination nose tha
severance, energy, and large quantity o
that indefinable unscrupulousness no
uncommrm ameng women born 70 tn
society purple, who make stepping stone
of the necks Of men,
"How old was sheg" t
| Who can answer that question: YounI
Windrush, for instance, insisted that sh
was not more than fve-and-twenty. o.
the other hand, old Cupid Wiener ha'
been heard to say that she would never Sc
| two score again. You see, in each cas-
the wish was the father of the thought
But Doctor Rovipo, who had been thric
called TO prescribe for madame g pet poodle
when questioned on this delicate topic
replied with an air Of confidence:
/ madame Vasoul is two or three an
thirty, sir-a. fine age for women VIII
have known how to preserve themselves
Beauty is not only one of the most perish
able possessicns-it ls the most difficult 3
preserve. The woman of genius is sh
who uses itwith sage economy. Madam
VasOul is woman Of genius. kiss m
hand to her! She has nursed her blOOT
as prima donna nurses her voice. No
it is not laid on. / kiss her cheekl VIII
shall estimate. the value of beauty-Lov
tomb of Abelard and HelOise. Ask then
what the world would be without love an
beautyw
| Her hands were perhaps rather shor
but white as ivory, with plump and tape,
ling fingers, and well shaped nails at th
end Her foot was the short, symmcter
| cal Andelusian foot and she delighted 3
show it. She was medium-sized, an,
plump, like her hands. The waist wa
too substantial for a society fairy, the arm
were rather feshy, the dimples rathe
deep-too much embonpoint, lady critic
said; but it was the embonpoint of pa
| fridge or q quail-the savory roundness q
q ripe peach-the embonpoint of Dudr
-T~vaid p...is 70 ~ where
hves,d not spoil some sspassss char. 70 pare
Certain censorious Americans were q
customed to speak of Madame Vasoul a
"the consolable widow of q husband n
one had ever seem" This was as ill-ns
tured as it was untrue Doctor RevignG
who apparently knew all about madame
antecedents, told all his bestpaying pa
tients IN the most sacred confidence tha
as girl Helen McGonigsl was one of tn
bright clerks in q "dOllar store" on Broad
way, New York. One day Frenchman
OF long cruise, sanntered into the stors
He thought that Helen looked like hi
beloved France in a silk gown. He tool
her hack to Paris and put her in a littl
store in an out-of the way street. He wen
back to sea to slave and economize. Sh
began to teach Parisians what sort of
woman Broadway shop-girl was whel
she sets her mind on rising.
Every time that poor Vasoul retunet
from q voyage he found Helen's store near
er the Louvre and the Palais Royal. No
body knew exactly how she made he
money but there were two OF three bank
rupts who might have been able TO furnisl
a clue. Tongues wagged about her dress
es and her furniture, but no one could pro
nounce positively about her conduct. b.
aud by her carriage was seen on the Boi
du BOulogne, and she raised such dus
that the wits spoke of her as the Yanke'
Queen of Sheba.
Une day poor Vasoul dropped in on hel
with his trunks and his odor of the sea
He had been five years absent on Chiness
station. The poor devil arrived in Paris
with his face weather Drowned an inch
deep. Alter some difficulty he found his
wife's mansion. The footman at the door
looked down on the bronzed mariner % il
he were needy Chiffonier. But when he
beheld his beloved Helen appear in tot
let which represented more than his five
years hoardings-he forgot 70 fall into her
ams-he blew his nose with his finger and
thumb, put about without saying q word
and ordered his trunks to be sent back to
Hayre. That was nine or ten years since
and poor Vasoul had never been seen
since.
should not have been seen since. Madame
received official news of her husbands
death with the complimentary condolences
Of the Minister of the Navy"
She was accustomed TO say to her friends
In the early hours of her bereavement:
"Widow! Widowi WidOwi There's NJ
prettier word In the French language!
dress myself in black: walk the streets
and long to stop the passers-by and tel
A. -, 81, ar. : xvidnxv