The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-02-05
A HUSBANDS LOVE.
Gould His Devoted Wife be Ugly
in His SightP

SAS
Every afternoon toward three o'clock
a carriage bearing a crest drew up vt
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 a 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, "a 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 vivified it was extinguished.
The unhappy man was blind.
The two in exterior formed a striking,
almost brutal contrast. Nature. liberal
to 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 a mitigate, and which defies
all arts of the toilet.
How then could it have happened,
this ill-assorted union? How had Cecile
Berthaut, a 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 III 4 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 deplorable
from his inability to speak a 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 a
home in her breast. Without a mo-
ment's delay she sought her country
man.
His condition was ever 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 Il 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 d%eplorable isolation, fascinated,
perhaps, by that charm of feature which
triumphed owe 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, a 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 day!
and nights to the work of charity sh,
had undertaken.
: The task, arduouS at best, becam,
more so from her lack of confidence il
the Hungarian physician of Ribitzno
His repeated blood-lettings auayed tn,
fever, but at the same time aggravated
the cephalic symptoms; the deliriun
continued and the eyes became the sea
of an alarming" Inflammation.
For ten days Cecile had watched a
the sick mans pillow, So much at
tached had she become to her work tina
it was not without a pressure at tn
heart that she saw a carriage stop a
the inn and an old lady with white hal
the landlord the lady mounted tn
stairs. The young girl felt sure tina
this was M. de Chatillon's mother; tina
her mission was ended.
Breathless the C. fastened t
the bed. At sight of the CHASTITY, ema
eiated, distended face of her son sh
sank sobbing upon her knees. The sic
man, who had fallen into the toroi
state of the beginning of the crisi,
scarce turned his head. Cecile az
preached the old lady, explained he
presence, and sought to console he
Deeply moved by the devotion of
stranger to her child Mime. de Chatillo
thanked Cecile with the e~loquence of
another menaced in the very flesh of he
flesh.
In spite of this burst of gratitud
Secile saw that her position neal tn
Young man was becoming difficult, an
lsaid to Mime. de ChatillOn that as ht
son was now assured of a mothers Ill
eQualed care there was now no BIZ