The Brookhaven leader., 1884-03-20
Among the staosts Of Vanished
Years

ago. rode. On past the busy marts
OF trade IL where the hustle OF life
was subdued, and the wondering
eyes looked on only the quaint
buildings o: old Frcnch-town
Faster and faster to the haunted
house of that region, | was borne
listening all the while to the old
legends That hang around its cham
beers until my soul was steelel in
wOnderment ami mystery. As ]
approached it | heard how it was
built century and a quarter ago by
the Baron Pontaiha, one of the first
Almonastcrs of Louisiana, and used
by him as residence until his
death. How when he was an old
man he had given to the Priests the
funds for the building of the now
celebrated "old Cathedral' under
condition that Mass should he said
! for the Iepose of his soul as long as
the Church should last. How that
even yet, each Wednesday that rolls
round, the bells sOunu at twilight
and The prayers ascend from the
dim old building for the peace of the
Baron P"ntalba. How that the
stately, beautiful Baroness had
presented to her beloved City the
grounds for the Jackson Square on
condition that she should heTSt II
! plan its COMMUNICATIONS. That after
! wards, the authorities refusing tn
allow her TO cut down the lofty trees
that grew upon it she arose in the
| darkness and hush OF midnight and
taking her slaves, she proceeded to
fell to the ground the grand old
monuments Ut time.
/ Then it rose before my view, the
old home Of this determined woman,
and entered its broad hall and
trod its blocked marble floor with
reverent,al tread. Here on the first
floor last Century were the great
billiard and dancing halls and the
gentlcmeu's reading and smoking
rooms We went up the winding
staircase to the second story hall;
into it opened the grand Salon, used
onl = in the evening, the morning
reception room AMI the grand dining
room. The third floor was entirely
devoted to bed chambers quaint i'll
their furnituring> and perfect in their
constructions. The long ellis have
many interes ing rooms whose ap
pearance at once explains Their
former uses. One of these was tie
wine-!oom, where no doubt, the old
noblemtn kept mclowing for years
the nectar that nightly was quated
10y royal lips. The great racks still
stand there, their rcceplacles empty
and useless, the skeletons of delar
ell spirits Another room was
lined with yellow oaken shelves
where was kept all the snowy house
hold linen. We f,ncied the faint
odor of rose .aves which careful
| fingers were wont to strcw between
! Tie 'oid, Of sheets and towels sIiit
/ hung about the room.
Round the oid Mansion wander
ed all day long, not in the present
hut moving III an atmosphere o.
othcl amt long vanished days. Oncc
from bohind a silken curtain al
most lancicd heard q hoy siivery
! laugh and again | WIS Sarr | eau Lht
Il glimpse Of ru,ti ( brocaded
skirt, a pair Of tiny high heclyd slip
|ers AID Il powdered golden head
vanishing up IN old stairway; and
/ they 90 say the ir FrcnCu women
who made The house radiant n hun
dred Years ago love 10 Seal back
from the lanl ct the departed now
and visit this scene Of SO many CON
quests and delights
At niyht was shown to the room
where once KIM Louis PHILIPPE lay
and drea mel away the hours; where
Marshal NeT had rested that grand
brain of his in peaceful SAUNDERS,
and where LaFayette'S brave, uob @
heart had beat against the pillows
Where many fair, tired princess
had stood flushed from the dance at
mldnight, and looked into the mirror
with eyes tender from the whispered
good night on the stairs breathed
low 10y some favored cavalier. J.
hardly dared look at myself lest over
my shoulder reflected | might still
see those sweet sleepy eyes peeping
as of yore. l shiveringly turnc t
away whispering to myself in the
silence
The thread thai yon spider draws with cara
Across the CLEAN OF the mirror there
Seems like the ghost OF golden hair
And when the lights were out,
was it strange that the shadowy
corners seemed full Of little breath
ings and my cheeks seemed kissed
ever and anon by cold lips? And
is it wonderful that in my sleep |
dreamed OF being Queen over all the
world? But alao kaday? L awe Ike
when it was light again and found
it was all the result ola night passed
in the old haunted Pontalba Men
sion and | was, and was very likely
to remain, merely,
LULU RAGsDALE.
Capt. Wright has moved his family
to Lincoln county, few miles from
Wesson. near his mills, on the W.