Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-08-25


Geneva. The pretty Miss Mans
field has already received the con
gratulatory visits or her approach
ing marriage with a young English
man, John Melbourne, Esq. Hel
ugly sister, Manon, married M.
Duvillard, the rich banker, last
autumn. Your favorite school-fel-
low, Louis Manor, has suffered
several misfortunes since the depar-
ture of ClerVal from Geneva. But
he has already recovered his spirits,
and is reported to be on the point
of marrying very lively pretty
French woman, Madame Taverni-
er. She is IA widow, and much
older than Manor; but she is very
much admired, and a favorite with
everybody.
81 have written myself into good
spirits, dear cousin, yet cannot
conclude without again anXiOusly
inquiring concerning your health.
Dear Victor, if you are not very i'll,
write yourself, and make your ia
ther and all of us happy or can
not bear to think of the other side
of the question my tears already
flow. Adieu my dearest cousin.
ELIZABETH LAVENzA.
Geneva, March 18th, IL"
Dear, dear Elizabeth J" l eX-
| claimed when i had read her letter,
81 will write instantly, and relieve
them from the anxiety they must
feel" | wrote, and this exertion
greatly fatigued me; but my con-
valescence had commenced, and
proceeded regularly. In another
fortnight / was able to leave my
chamber. ..p..
One of my first duties on my re-
cOvery was to introduce Clerval to
the several professors OF the univer-
sity. In doing this, / underwent a
a kind of rough usage, i'll betitting
the wounds that my mind had sus-
tanned. Ever since the fatal night,
the end of my labors and the be-
ginning of my misfOrtunes, had
conceived a violent antipathy even
to the name of natural philosophy,
When | was otherwise quite restCr-
ed to health, the sight OF Il chemical
instrument would renew all the
agony of my nervous symptoms.
Henry saw this, and had removed
all my apparatus from my view.
He had also changed nay apart
ment for he perceived that l had
acquired Il dislike for the room
which had previously been my lab
oratory. But these cares of Clerval
were made of no avail when visit
ed the professors. NJ. Waldman
inflicted torture when he praised,
with kindness and warmth, the
astonishing progress L had made in
the sciences. He soon perceived
that / disliked the subject; but not
guessing the real cause, he attribu-
ted my feelings to mOdesty, and
changed the subject from my i'm
prOvement to hescience itself with
desire, as | evidently saw, of draw
ing me out. What could l do? He
meant to please and he tOrmented
me. / felt as if he had placed care
fully, one by one, in my view those
instruments which were to be alter
ward used in putting me to a slow
and cruel death. | writhed under
his words, yet dared not exhibit the
pain i felt. Clerval, whose eyes
and feelings were always quick in
discerning the sensations OF others,
declined the subject, alleging in eX-
cuse his total ignorance and the
conversation took Il more general
turn. | thanked my friend from
my heart, but did not speak. /
saw plainly that he was surprised,
but he never attempted to draw
my secret from me; and although |
loved him with a mixture of atfec-
ton and reverence that knew no
bounds, yet / could never persuade
myself 10 confide to him that event
which was so often present to my
recollection, but which | feared the
detail ioanother would only impress
more deeply.
NJ. Krelnpe was not equally do
cile and in my condition at that
time, of almost insupportable sensi-
tiveness, his harsh, blunt, encOni-
ums gave me even more pain than
the benevolent appreciation of NJ.
Waldnan. "D-n the fellow :"
cried he; "why, NJ. Clerval, | as.
sure you he has outstripped us all.
Ay, ay, stare if you please but ii
is nevertheless true. A yOungster
who, but few years ago, believed
Cornelius Agrippa as firmly as the
gospel, has now set himself at the
head of the university; and if he
is not soon pulled down, we shall
all be out of countenance. Ay, ay,"
continued he, observing my face
expressive of suffering, I'M. Frank
enstein is modest; all excellent
quality in a young man. Young
men should be diflident of them
selves, you know, NJ. Clerval l
was myself when young; but that
wears out in very short time"
NJ. Krempe had now commenced
am euI0gy on himself, which hap
PLY turned the conversation from
a subject that was so ANNOYING TO
me.
Clerval was no natural philOso-
pher. His Imagination was too
vivid for the minuti8 Of science.
Languages were his principal study,
and he sought, by acquiring their
elements, to open field for self
instruction on his return to Geneva.
Persian, Arabic and Hebrew gained
his attention after he had made
himself perfectly master of Greek
and Latin. For my own part, idle
ness had ever been irksome to me;
and now that I wished to fly from
reflection, and hated my former
studies, felt great relief in being
the fellow pupil with my friend,
and found not only instruction but
consolation i'm the works of the
Orientalists. Their melancholy is
soothing, and their joy elevating,
to degree / never experienced in
studying the authors of any other
country. When you read their
writings, life appers to consist in a
warm sun and garden of roses
in the smiles and frOwns of q fair
enemy, and the fire that consumes
Your own heart. How different from
the manly and heroical poetry of
Greepe and Rome.
Summer nassed away in these oc-