Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-18
A Bunch of Yellow Roses

Dor, Madame de Lorgerel. Aware
of her extreme fondness for flowers,
/ took with me bunch of yellow
roses, her especial favolites. On
this evening, as on many another, |
found with her an old gentleman,
| who had about year before come
| into that neighborhood to take pos
session of an adjoining property,
left him by distant relative on con-
dition he would change his name to
| that of Descoudraies. / was quite
| jealous of the intimacy that soon had
| sprung up between him and my dear
old friend.
On the evening in question, they
were busy over game of sstrie-tIae. :
/ entered softly so as not to disturb
them, and waited until the game was
over to present my roses. Madame
de LorgerePs face frightened with
genuine delight, and, to my aston
ishment, Monsieur Descoudraies be-
came most abstracted and thought
full.
ssWould you believe it, my friend, :"
he said, at length, "those flowers
have evoked, as if by enchantment,
a whole epoch of my youth. For a
few moments was again twenty
years of age, and in love with wo-
man, who, if living, must now be
| fully sixty years old. will tell you
the whole story, one that influenced
my whole after life-even now, when
old age has left me barely energy
enough to play at tric-trac, the re-
membrance of my youthful love fills
me with emotion.
| Over forty years ago, just after I
had left college, my father, without
consulting me, sought to obtain a
post for me in a certain regiment
| quartered in the little town of X,
for which place received orders to
depart at once. This was distress
ing news for more than one reason;
| had no special love for the army,
though that objection was no great
one, as at that time of my life the
mere sight of gay uniform, or the
sound of martial music, sufficed to
fire my ambition into becoming
| Caesar or Achilles. But, worst of
| all, was in love, and dared not tell
my father, whose answer, / knew,
would have been an order fastening
my departure. Fortunately I had an
uncle-and what an uncle! At that
time he was as old as I am now,
though still retaining all the yigor
and freshness of youth. He was the
confdant of our follies, loves, debts
and aspirations. / went to him:
"Uncle, / am most unhappy
II bet twenty louis you are not p
"Ah, uncle, do not jest-beside
you would lose your bet
"If I lose, pay. Perhaps that
might help to console you.
| ''No; money has nothing to do
| with my wretchedness. Father has
just accepted lieutenancy for me
in the regiment
ga misfortune, indeed The uni
form is most becoming, and all the
officers are gentlemen"
"But, uncle, / do not wish to be
soldier
''Not be a soldier! Are you cow
ard, by chance?"
II do not yet know, uncle !; never
theless, know you are the only man
who might dare doubt my courage
"Well, Cid, my boy, what is your
objection to the army?''
81 wish to marry
"Nonsense !"
| 'sNonsense or no nonsense, | am
in love-"
"And you call that misfortune /!
l wish I were in love myself. Who
is she?''
"Oh, uncle! an angel''
'sOf course; / knew that before;
they always are angels. What l
asked is to what name your angel
answers when they call her?"
s'Naomi."
"Humph! Naomi may be enough
for you; but I would like to know to
what family this angel belongs"
stShe is Miss Amelot."
''Indeed! Then she is truly an an
gel. A tall, graceful brunette, with
dark eyes, soft as velvet. l Iapprove
your choice"
"And if you but knew her
81 do know her. Does she love
you?'
81 do not know p
sWhat! not know You are un-
worthy of me. At her house every
evening, and yet not know if she
loves you?"
| ssShe does not even know of my
love-
| "Pshaw! little you know about it.
She knew you loved her at least fif-
teen minutes before you knew it
yourself"
| "What / do know, is at all events,
that / die if she be not mine p
| sob, no! Softly, my boy. There
are many reasons why she should
| not be yours. Your father is far
richer than hers, and would never
consent to the matcE."
| ssIn that case, uncle, know what