Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-04-09
TAKING THE VEIL.
A Sad Story With Pathetic
Ending

even more than its wonted angry ap
pcarancc and in great eddies, miniatur,
whirlpools and seething currents seen
to be undergoing some terrible convul
sion of pain at being confined between
the barriers of the levees. Immediate
ly above and below this sweeping ben,
1t moved along with something lik,
majesty in its smooth, broad surface
and creates an impression of its Titani,
power perhaps far greater than whert
it bubbles and boils, twists and turns il
discontinue at being forced to change
its straight onward rush to the sea tc
conform to the idiosyncrasies of the r
regular banks. Here and there the
branches of partially submerged will
lows were swaying to and fro moved by
the impetuous current, and RATS ot
driftwood, gathered by the eddy from
the great masses floating down, kept
up their revolution some twenty yards
from the bank. Every little while por.
tions of this confused aggregation OF
trees, branches, twigs, fence rails and
other tloatsam, always seen in high
water on the Mississippi river, would be
caught by the main current and &C
sweeping down as if glad to part com.
papy with the Heterogeneous mass it had
just left. Deadman's Eddy was known
in those days by all the steamboat.
men, and few of them cared to put the
noses of their boats into it on dark
night, for it had reputation that wa,
anything but inviting. Numbers OF
boats had there had their wheels disa.
bled by the accumulated drift, and one
or two had been snagged within the
boundaries of this ominously-named
portion of the river.
Opposite Deadman's Eddy, embow-
cred in a grove of stately live oaks,
stood the large plantation house of the
Cavellier family, a roomy, comfortable
building belonging to that Creole style
of architecture that probably affords
more shade and ventilation to the
square foot than any other known to
Southern climates.
1t stood about two hundred yards
back from the levee. and the interven-
ing space was laid out in parterres of
roses and palms, camelias and sweet
olives. If the eye was delighted by rare
combinations of color, and the nostrils
gratiiied by the heavily-laden atmos-
phere of perfume, the ear was not less
so by sparkle and glitter of bird notes
that came thick as rain-drops from tree
top and thicket. The mocking bird was
there with his orchestral throat, and
from linnet to bulliinch, thrush to night
ingale, in it all were represented. Bor.
dering the broad avenue leading up to
the house two rows of orange trees
stared at the visitor with their millions
of jewel-white eyes, for spring had just
awakened them, and their buds, still
drowsy, with the winters sleep, had
been but short time open.
There rested about the place such an
air of perfect peace and restfulness, the
house with its broad galleries and great
steps in front leading down to the grass.
grown avenue might well have been
taken as the retreat of some world-tired
person who had come thither to live
alone with the trees and the birds. A
nearer approach, however, would dissi.
pate any such illusions, for invariably oi
mornings and afternoons promenadine
in the broad veranda lady, dressed in
white, could be seen. In fact these two
figures were rs regular in their daily
walks up and down this gallery, as
were the birds in their daily concerts in
the trees just outside. Deadman's
Eddy, that could be seen from the gal
lery through the opening in the leafy
avenue, certainly Kept its funereal intlu
ence within its circling limits, for no.
where along the river was there O
happier household than that gathered
nightly beneath the great sloping rooi
Ofthe Cavellier plantation house. Even
the negroes, catching the infection
from their masters and mistresses
were regarded all along the
coast as the jolliest, most con.
tented lot that ever handled
cane-kniyes or tended sugar kettles
Travellers along the dusty road that ran
beside the river Just inside the levee al.
ways knew when they had arrived al
the Cayellier place by the snatches Of
old Creole melodies sung aiicld with
that sweet timbre of voice, belonging
peculiarly to the African and his de,
scendants in Louisiana. Although en-,
tircly different, the view from the real
gallery of this old residence was hardl,
less inviting than from the front
Stretching away toward the cypres,
swamps behind, the fields of sugar can,
lay like squares of emerald velvet. the
young stalks with their fresh greer
leaves giving to the level landscape
softening effect that was most refresh
ing to the sight. The plantation road
aud "turn-rows" divide the fields int,
smaller sections, adding something like
patchwork design to the thousands o
acres under cultivation. In the sombel
gray of the dropping Spanish moss thu
distant expresses gave but an irregu
larly defined outline to the edges of tn,
low marsh with its canebrakes and pal
metto clumps. Midway between tn,
swamp and the house stands the impos
ing sugar-house with majestic bricl
chimneys and surrounding negro quar-
ters.
1t was on this estate that the Cavel
ler family for four generations ha,
lived happy though comparatively une
ventful lives. The planting season, tn
time for caring for the growing cane
'.laying by" and then the brisk perio,
of grinding, had followed one anothc
for eighty years, with varying results a
10 crops. but none as to peaceful con
tentment of the occupants Of the grea
plantation house. A crevasse on som
neighbofing place, every few years
would break the monotony and some
what damage the cane in the rea
patches; but beyond this tho month
slipped into years as noiselessly as tn
orange buds developed into the luscious
golden fruit.
Neither the quiet charm Of the land
scapc, the delicious atmosphere Of per
hme, nor the rayishing pearl shower o
bird notes produced anything like tn
effect on visitor TO this place that tn
qneenly beauty OF Marguerite Cayelle
did. A brunette of twenty-five, he
eyes had set more guitars thrpmminl