Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-24


And lay thy Young affections there,
They know no second bloom.
In the year 1904 Mr.. Jean HOnfleur set
! ed on large estate in what is now --
Parish in the beautiful State of Louisiana.
He was born and educated in Paris, and
came over to New Orleans with his
ather. who was man Of large wealth,
and had spent many years In travelling.
Mr. HOntleur. Senior, had visited nearly
all the countries on his own continent, and
his attention had been drawn to the
United States, then young nation, and
more particularly to Louisiana, from the
notice it had attracted from its having
then been but recently sold by the French
Government to the American Republic.
BIZ. HOnneur's family spent some
0Onlis in the Southwestern metropolis,
fore ne left them while he followed the
srse Of the great father Of waters up
ards its fountain head-participated
ldry camp hunts over the vast
pTairies. and in the forests through which
it tiOwed-then one unbrOken wilderness
inhabited only by wild beasts, and the
scarcely less wild and savage Indians,
save here and there some French squat
ter's cabin, and few trading settlements
founded by these people for the purpose of
procuring skins and game from the
savages. in return for which they gave
them beads and gewgaws, and taught
them 10 imbibe the tire-water, which has
sunk even the debased red skin still lower
IN the scale Of humanity, and made the
brutal and degraded Indian more brutal
and more degraded.
When Mr.. HOnfeur was ready to re-
turn once more to his home in France,
his son Jean did not wish to accompany
hin, having become enamOred of the
country, or of beautiful and lovely dam
sci whom he. met in New Orleans, or Of
both.
The indulgent father needed his wishes,
and made preparations for the future
home Of his son in the new world in a
style beftting his wealth and station.
he waited to see his son married and
settled in the home of his choice ere he
himself left for his native land.
Their nuptials were FASTENED that they
might receive a fathers blessing, and
young Mr.. HOnfleur took his new bride to
home as beautiful as wealth and taste
could make it.
The patrimOnv of his wife was large.
consisting mostly of negroes who had
been accustomed to the culture and man
agement of cotton and cane, and it was
mainly on this account, and to crafty
her around whom the hopes Of his life
were clustering, who had spent most of
her days in the country, and who desired
still to make that her home, that Mr.. Hon
fleur had bought the plantation on which
they settled.
When he was making arrangements
with his betrOthed for their future, he
tried to persuade her that city life had
more pleasures to offer them than any
country home could boast; but her
preiudices were strong in favor OF home
among her slayes-they had been the CONF
DaniOns Of her childhood and youth, and
we're bound to her by a thousand ties, and
dependent upon her for thousand KIND
nesses which it was her JOY TO render,
and she felt as If no home could be a nome
without them.
He generously yielded to her wishes,
though not without misgIYlnSs, lest he
should lind life so entirely different from
any lie had ever led, lonely and irksome
to him.
Few if any ever commenced life with
fairer prospects of happiness, and for
few years twas TO them dream OF beau
~ and of bliss.
Three years of bright and glowing hap
piness had passed, and they felt that they
were tasting all the joy that earth could
offer. and hour by hour ana day by day
their hearts sung the glad song Of happy
love.
An infant daughter just beginning with
its tinv feet to follow Mr.. HOnfleur about
the house. and to lisp the hallowed name
of father, craced that home Of comfort,
when suddenly with one of those violent
with but three days illness, that husband
and father, so dearly loved, so fondly
cherished. passed from earth away and
was not. for God took him.
His beloved and loving wife sunk
paralvzed with horror when the prop on
which she leaned had been removed. Her
heart in the intensity of its anguish al
most forgot TO beat, and for Ang, long
wears il seemed as if her life stood still.
When al length she was aroused to con-
seriousness it was to live only in the past.
She would live over and over again
every incident of her bright and happy
love: those days burned in on memory's
tablet as with living Goals, when he who
had now passed from her slght was mere
10 constitute and bless her home.
Their rides and walks, their Hover
gatherings and their fishing excursions,
bours Of tranquility and sometimes OF
sadness. their fearful partings and their
happy meetings, their visits together TO
rho city and to the home OF her parents,
fbe low with which they departed, and the
iov increased tenfOld of their return to
their own blessed home. the hours OF
WEAKNESS and pain soothed by her hus-
bands neVer-tirlng love, ana ABOVE all
and before all the sweet cOmpaniOnsmp
eDioved in their long. dreamy moons, when
the sc0rching nOOn-tide heat had driven
her husband from the duties Of his PLAN
tatiOu or the sports Of the woods to his
own roof tree, the happy condolences OF
those bright hours when they were more
intensely alone perhaps than at any other
period. for no visitor ever 1ntruded at
that hour. and not even a servants foot
fan disturbed the silence OF the house;
all were resting IN quiet calm for the IN
tense heat to pass that they might resume
their duties.
Oh, now replete with delicious memo
ries was her past; and the future-as far
as this world was cOncerned-that was
all a blank: but there was an eternal fu-
ture. she could look forward to an hour
when death should break her hold on life,
and she be admitted to the Paradise Of
God. TO take her place by the side Of her
loved and lost. 20 90 no more out forever.
Years passed, and time the great healer
brought caImness and peace to her heart,
and if her rebelliOUs spirit was not en-
tirelv subdued, she felt Inundated and
penitent for having INDUCED in it.
She addressed herself to the duty Of
training her little daughter Clare with as
siduitv and fOndness, and often as she
pressed her to her heart exclaimed inyol-
UNFAIRLY and tearfully;
at is a part of thee"
CHAPTER IL