The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-05
A HUSBANDS LOVE.
Gould His Devoted Wife be Ugly
in His SightP

Every afternoon toward three O'Clock
. carriage bearing a crest drew up at
that gate of the Tuilleries opposite the
Rue des Pyramides When the footman
had opened the door the first to descend
was a woman, who carefully assisted
down the steps young man of timid
and hesitating gait. Then drawing the
arm of her companion within her own,
she entered the garden with a babe in
her arms.
The young man, who was not yet quite
thirty, was as remarkable for elegance
of form as for regularity of features.
But there was one defect in the other
wise perfect ensemble; the flame which
should have Viyified it was extinguished
The unhappy man was blind.
The two in exterior formed striking.
almost brutal contrast. Nature. liberal
10 prodigality toward the one, had been
strangely avaricious to the other. The
poor woman was small, sickly, ugly;
her irregular features had besides that
suffering expression which not even
youth can mitigate, and which defes
all arts of the toilet
How then could it have happened,
this ill-assorted union? How had Cecile
Berthaut, humble governess, as void
of fortune as of attractions, become the
wife of Count Robert de ChatillOn?
She had Just finished an engagement
as governesS in a Moldavian family at
Jassy. and was returning to France by
way of Vienna, when a serious accident
to the steamboat on which she had set
out had compelled the Captain to leave
his passengers at Ribitzno, thirty leagues
from Belgrade. Upon arrival at the
only and very mediocre inn of the vii
lage, the young girl saw that her ac-
cent excited no little emotion. The
landlord finding that she was a French
woman, informed her that there had
been for several days in his house a
young Frenchman seriously i'll, his sit
uation rendered still more depiorable
from his inability to speak word of
German or Hungarian.
Poorly lowered as was Cecile Berth
aut in external gifts. she was rich in
shining qualities of the heart. All gen
erous and elevated sentiments found
home in her breast. Without a mo-
gnent's delay she sought her country
man.
His condition was even more grave
than the inn-keeper had said. From an
exploring voyage to the mouth of the
Danube he had brought the germs of
the malignant fever which had forced
him to stop at Ribitzno. The disease
had developed with frightful rapidity
Two days after taking his bed the young
officer had fallen into a comatoSe state
of evil ..augury. When Cecile entered
his sick room he was in a delirum and
could answer her questions only by in
coherent words. Profoundly moved by
this deplorable isolation, fascinated,
perhaps, by that charm of feature which
triumphed over the ravages of disease.
the young girl at once decided to fulfill
the mission Providence had ordained by
leading her to this unfortunate, she re-
solved to care for him, and if a fatal is
sue was inevitable, to soothe his last
moments.
The sick mans name was stamped
upon his valiSe, pocketbook contained
his passport. This she sent immedi-
ately TO the French Ambassador at vi
emma, advising him of the desperate
condition of NJ. de Chatillon and i'm
ploring him to inform the relatives.
This duty fulfilled, she gave her DAYS
and nights to the work of charity she
had undertaken.
The task, arduous at best. became
more so from her lack of confidence in
the Hungarian physician OF Ribitzno.
His repeated blood-lettings allayed the
fever, but at the same time aggravated
the cephalic symptoms; the delirium
continued and the eyes became the seat
of an alarming Inflammation.
For ten days Cecile had watched at
the sick mans pillow, So much at
tached had she become to her work that
il was not without q pressure at the
heart that she saw carriage stop at
tine inn and an old lady with white hair
step from it, After few words with
the landlord the lady mounted the
stairs. The young girl felt sure that
fhis was NJ. dc Chatillon's mother; that
her mission was ended.
Breathless the newcomer hastened to
thc bed. At sight of the CHASTITY, ema-
niascd, distended face Of her son she