New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-02-24
A CREOLE CINDERELLA.

which is called by residents the Third
district and by all others the French
quarter, stands a small but pretty
park, which bears the patriotic name
of washington square" By what
name it is known to the children who
play on it's green lawns, or how matrons
and maids who sits in the shade of it's
trees on summer afternoons twist
their pretty mouths to prnounce it's
inharsh Anglo Saxon syllables, lis not
hard to imagine. Unjust figure their
nomenclature as Washington ske-
ware" or else as tsLa-Place Washing
tone" TWAS a fashionable neighbor-
hood in the early days Of this century,
and it still retains an air OF decayed
gentillity, which appeals to ones sym
pathy.
Descendants OF grand old families,
bearing historic names, live near by in
houses handed down with the name
from one generation to another. Some
OF these houses face the park from
Dauphine and Frenchmen streets; 9TH
ers are situated within a. radius of a
few squares in all directions. Most OF
the old French houses have an air of
almost oriental seolusion. They would
present a stern, often forbidden as
pect from the street, but that fig trees.
white oleanders, or scarlet pomegran-
ates show high above the garden walls,
holding in their embrace inquisitive
climbing roses and honeysuckles which
hang over to see what is going on in
theworld outside. Great, saucy purple,
swisterias run riot all along the fence,
whispering wonderful tales to each
passer-by Of all the glory shut in by
these envious prison walls. They tell
Of beds of crimson lilies looking like
sheets OF fame, OF geraniums that IRE
almost trees. Of roses SO wholly a
mass Of bloom, that they seem giant
bouquets, OF. jessamine, creeping over
summer bowers where sit beautiful
young girls. And all this while ones
senses are STEPPED in the odor of or
ange blossoms, which pervades the at
mosphere.
In q large old-fashioned house, not
very far from Washington square, liv-
ed Jeanne. It was indeed Formulate
that the house was large, for the size
OF the family, as is the case in many
creole households, was patriarchal.
In creole homes four generations often
dwell beneath one roof in peace and
happiness. Their peaceful ''interior
life," as they call it, strikes with
:amazement all those Americans who
are privileged to enter the inner
circle of the creoles. Mothers.
in-law and daughters-in-law, mar
RED daughters with their husbands
and children, the old and the young,
live pleasantly together, and no word
OF discord echoes into the outside
world. The reverence of the young
people for the aged is beautiful to be-
hold. The Oldest member of thefami.
iy has the place OF honor; his or her
counsels are always accepted as having
most weight in all discussions, and yet,
especially if this aged person is the
grandma ther, she is never too old to
take an interest in the enjoy1nents Of
the smallest child.
In the family, of which Jeanne was
q member, the grandmother, acharm-
ing old lady, was virtually the head
.of the house. and every member Of the
household was solicituous for her
health and happiness. Her son. the
father OF the family active, vigor-
N,,o ~ IF En his 1.yifo n 1>1oOr,
ing matron of IL or ~, completed the
list Of the second generation; but the
third was more numerous. In truth
Jeanne was the eldest girl of family
eof nine brothers and sisters. To these
must be added the young wife OF the
eldest brother. The baby boy OF the
young couple, like the grandmother,
stood alone in his generation.
From first to last they we're a hand
some family. In any other household
Jeanne would have been considered q
beauty; but her younger sister, Odille,
was ,narvelously beautiful, and the
two little rosebuds, Celeste and Blance
gave promise OF being, if possible, even
prettier than Odille; SO that Jeanne's
less obtrusive charms were unnoticed.
She was the modest violet in this
garden Of girls. She was rather below
che medium height, while Odille, who
was not much above it, was so queen
ly in her carriage that she seemed
+ taller. ...r
In chara ,ter Jeanne was gentle and
unassuming. She had SO modest an
appreciation of herself that she i'm
pressed the feeling on the family.
They all loved her, it is true; but she
was SO ever ready to do for others
that insensibly they were exacting
with, her. Jeanne's tireless little feet
ran countless errands for all Of her
dear ones; her. dainty fingers gave the
finishing touch which made her SIS
ters' toilettes so pretty, or rendered
acceptable music when her brothers
spent their evenings at home. If the
young people wished to dance it SEEM
ed quite natural for Jeanne to remain
seated at the piano during the entire
evening, and no one emembered that
e (, -