Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-20

place"
1t is beautiful spot, and one that might
have inspired any poet. A dark rock that
Monsieur Philippe calls Dcs COrdebers pro-
jects over the road just beside the mill, while
beyond the valley widens, revealing the Wire,
curving its waters round the base of the
wooded hill and aiTording an enchanting
glimpse of moro distant hills half-yeiled in
their blue mist. As we get nearer to the
mill we can see the inscription "Oliver Bass
elm, high up on one of the end walls. We
find the occupants of the house quite courte-
Gus and very willing to let us go about within
it, and as we stand at one of the windows look
ing down upon the rushing Wire below |
hear my nephew quoting from Longfellow
again
"In that darksome mill Of stone,
To the waters dash and din,
Careless, humble and unknown,
Sang the poet Basseln,
Songs that hll
That ancient mill
With a splendor Of it's own"
"What is the young monsieur saying ?"
says Monsieur Philippe, with an air of polite
curiosity.
| translate the lines for him as well as |
am able, and add that they are by an Ameri-
can poet who has written about his towns
man.
"Can it be possible that in America our
Nirois poet is known, while here in Wire
there are but few who know or care anything
about him - and the little old man burst into
indignant rcproaches of his money making
| countrymen. We have grown much interest
ed in Monsieur Philippe by this time, and
the evident pleasure We take in viewing the
home of the poet OF his native Wire and in
listening TO his accounts of various matters
connected with his towns history, have
reused in him a feeling nearly akin to that
which long acquaintance might have brought
| about. 1t is rare, imagine, that the kindly
garrulous notary-for that is what he is, he
tells us-has had such attentive listeners. 1t
is after we have seen all we wish of the mill,
and are seated on some rocks few rods dis
tant, and while Rollie is making rough
sketch of the scene. that Monsieur Philippe
says to me little timidly-
"Mademosolle will pardon me, but it is l
that would like TO tell her something of my
own life. There is no OF now in Wire who
cares to hear Monsieur Philippe tell about his
| youth, and it is long since l have spoken Of
it but it comes freshly back to me this af-
| ternoon with the old stories mademoisclle
has been good enough TO find interesting,
but which l have not found pleasing to any
one else for years"
Certainly, Monsieur Philippe" is my re-
| sponse: Il am sure from the way in which
| afternoon delightful that you can have moth
ing to say us that We shall not be glad to lis
| ten to-
Our companion looks pleased at tho implied
compliment, which he acknowledges by a
slight bow.
"Mademoiselle is too kind" lie answers /:
II have told her only what / knew, but it
has been pleasure to mo to find one who
cares at all for the old in these days. 1t was
was different when | was at the age OF the
young monsieur there pointing to Rollie,
who is busy with his sketching "TAea we
Virois were proud of our town and its history.
Monsieur is perhaps nineteen, or possibly
twenty = he next asks, looking first at Rol-
| lie, and then inquringy at me.
mo, Monsieur Philippe" | respond, 'on-
| ly seventeen, although he appears older since
he is so tall and manly"
II was not unlike the young monsieur forty
| years ago or more" says the notary, medita-
lively, though mademoselle might not
| think it
Honestly l should not, for, after making
all due allowances for the changes which
time produces, it is impossible that Monsieur
Philippe can ever at any time of life have
very closely resembled my handsome nephew.
| OF this, however, | say nothing, and Mon
sicur Philippe proceeds;
Madame Louchaud aud were children in
| Wire together" he begins "but it is not of
Madame Louchaud, she who conducted you
| TO my door, that would speak Just now. 1t
is she that is q most excellent person, but
mademoiselle should have seen her sister
Elise forty years ago. The young monsieur
| thinks me an old man without much feeling,
| it is likely, but when was little older than
he / could have died willingly any day for
the sake of Elise Rigault, and he pauses.
Tell us about her, please" says Rollie,
who has finished his sketch and has come up
| on the rocks beside us.
"Ah, but she was beautiful, continues the
other. The young monsieur may go through
| Wire from end to end and not see one as fair
rs Elise. She was three years younger than
| |, and when / was twenty we were be-
trothed, and in a year were to be married.
We were only waiting till Elise should be
| eighteen, for her father had said that the
wedding could not take place until that time.
One day in the summer, before the wedding
was to be, there was public ftte held at the
castle in Wire, and both Elise and l were
| there. Perhaps mademoiseille and the young
monsieur have already seen the castle 2" he
asks, stopping short in hi narration.
mo, Monsieur Philippe" answers Rolie :;
eve have not, for We came to Wire only this
| morning"
"Ah but it is there you should go before
| leaving Wire" the notary responds. On the
| morning of the fcte it was more beautiful
| than ever. 1t had been raining the day be-
fore, but it was clear and bright then, aud all
the walks and grass plots about the ruins
for the castle is but a ruin in our time were
| clean and fresh as one could wish to see
| them. Ah mademOiselle | MAS so happy
that morning, for Elise was near me.
would not think that trouble could ever visit
me. And it was she that was so lovely that
| ftte day. She was tall and straight, and her
| eyes were brighter than any l see now and
she too, was happy. She was dressed much
| the same as is Madame Louchaud to- day, ex-
cept that the b0HHet rOHd in those days was
| loftier than now, and that she wore no apron
| The young monsieur may not find it hard to
believe that | had eyes only for Elise" con-
cludes Monsieur Philippe. "Mademoiselle
will observe when she goes to the castle he
| resumes after a brief pause, that the rock
on which it is built descends very steep to
| the river below. 1t is more than two hun
dred and thirty feet from the castle platform
to the River Wire. In these days there is a
strong railing ut the edge of the precipice,
| but at that time there was no protection at
all. 1t always made me dizzy to be near the
| place but Elise was of q stronger head than
l. and could stand at the very edge and look
down at the bright Wire.
"We were walking that day, Elise and l, in
the path that winds near the precipice. At a
short distance behind us We're the father and
mother of my Elise. We had been running
races not long before with the other young
people of Wire on one of the grass plots far
removed from the edge of the rock, and in
the race had twice caught Elise. While we
were walking, as have said. Elise exclaimed,
Now, Philippe, thou shalt not catch me this
time, and and at once broke from me.
Elise, Elise, / cried starting after her,
remember how near thou art to the preci-
pice'
"But do not think she heard me, for Just
at that moment a large dog ran out from be-
hind some bushes barking loudly at Elise.
and thinking of and fearing nothing but the