Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-06-24
ROSE OF JERUSALEM"

A cold, cutting wind from the ncrth blew
across the barren, naked cliffs of the Devil S
river, and the barrener, barer plains that
stretched away as far as the eye could
reach. But the sky above these arid deserts
was of a dazzling hue, and the waters of the
river were as clear as crystal There is an
Indian story concerning the limpid clearness
of this stream.
The traveller approaching and seeing the
pebbly bottom at a depth of-as he
thinks-two or three feet, boldly plunges in
and goes down to De seen no more. Hence
its prettier, though more suggestive, Indian
name, The Waters of Deception"
Upon these arid, wind-swept praries and
cliffs one sees, here and there, balls of what
seem to be dried grasses, probably rolled up
together by the racing northers. These balls
lodge in the cracks and crevices of the cliffs,
and become more dead and dry as the winter
season advances
The younger of two men, who appeared
to be crossing the plains, drew rein and
called his companions attention to the dry
and dusty balls that the wind was driving
before it.
What do you suppose they are:' asked
the elder man.
"Bunches of grass, or the withered remains
of birds nests"
Birds nests with not solitary tree ex-
cept yon scraggy mesquite III slght| SAID
the other, racing his mustang after ball
flying by and catching it deftly as he leaned
from his saddle He returned to his COM
panion and threw it to him. 1T IS the
Sempervirens, the Rose of Jerusalem, the
Resurrection Plant >"
"A plant! This dry, dead bunch OF whith-
cred grass and sticks"
Keep it until you get home-keepit three
months if you like, then put it into saucer
of water and see what happens"
Il will send it to Narcissa, " said the young
man, putting it with several others into
pocket "She has quite COLLECTION OF
curious plants already"
The Comte de Saint-Cyr, the foremost
engineer of the day, the prime mover in the
gigantic scheme of connecting the Atlantic
a. Pacific by a canal through the Tehuan-
tepec isthmus, was visiting Monsieur de
Chalusse, an old friend OF his, in small
town in southwestern Texas. OF wealthy
and ancient Lorraine family, the self exiled
Comte de Chalusse had come to Texas dur
ing the epedemic Of emigration that swept
over Germany and France, when the i'll
starred society of Meyence sent over en-
thusiastic Germans by the shipload. A
friend of Salm-Salm, Chalusse had visited
the Sophienburg near Nassu, and shared
with the prince the vision of future empire
upon the banks of the Llano and the Rio
Grande. When the society of Mayence
failed, and Salm-Salm returned to his Rhine
castle, leaving the Sophienberg to the owls
and bats, Monsieur de Chalusse returned to
lata 70 Iad
beautiful American from one of the south
ern states When he heard that the great
engineer had come to America, and was
seriously undertaking the task OF cutting the
great canal, Chalusse wrote to him, urging
him to come to San Antonio for old friend
ships sake
Saint Cyr responded as cordially to the
cordial letter of invitation, and curious to
see his old friend, followed his letter as soon
as practicable
The meeting was affecting. The Comte
de Chalusse poured out torrent of questions
concerning his country, his old home.
Saint-Cyr recounted his triumphs, his SCR
rows, his joys 1t was the meeting OF
brothers A neat serving-woman brought
in cake and wine. They did not see ner.
After two or three hours Of uninterrupted
once, Madame de Chalusse, still beautiful,
though no longer very young, appeared.
"Messieurs, | am sorry to disturb, but
dinner has been waiting for half an hour"
then, seeing the untouched cake and wine,
"Edmonde l wonder at your thoughtless-
ness-Monsieur de Saint -Cyr must be faint"
Chalusse looked from the waiter to his
wife in comical dismay, but Saint-Cyr re-
piled, courteously:
Madame, have thought of nothing but
the pleasure of seeing an old friend for the
first time i'll thirty years"
Have you found him much changed by
his ill -fortune"
"Illfortunes Ny dear lady, l consider
him the most fortunate of men. He hasn't
deserved such happiness"
His admiring glance pointed his remark.
The lady made some gay reply, and the
three went in to dinner.
The table was set in the courtyard of the
house, which was built in the airy, pleasant
Mexican fashion. Large trees that grew in
the open space shaded ths impromptu salle-
a-manger and flowers, in pots of Mexican
bloomed upon the surround
ing verandas and balconies
"Where is Narcissa| asked Monsieur de
As he spoke a young lady appeared upon
the upper piazza and presently entered the
COURTYARD little out of breath. She was
about 70 or 20 years of age, and fifty clad in
summer white.
NV daughter, this is the old friend of
YOUR father, the Comte de Saint-C Cyr, of
whom YOU have so often heard. This is my
only child, Rene"
hor hov, ya1o irnn
Monsieur is it possibles If you only
knew how delighted we are We have talked
Of nothing but you for the past two months;
in fact, ever since we knew that you were to
cut the great canal for us"
Saint Cyr looked at her wonderingly.
What fair flower of France was this bloom
ing in the new world. She had her fathers
straight and rather cold features, but her
mothers dark, vivid, and eloquent eyes"
She had her fathers stately presence and her
mothers beautiful hands and her graceful
Her smile was exquisite, her voice
rich and sweet, her glance direct and bril-
iant yet modest
SaintCyr was charmed He drew q
gentle sigh Of regret for his long past youth.
Did he know how the young girl opposite
him regarded hima How could he know
ner thoughts of his lion like head with its
.rown of thick, silky hair; his black eyes,
the fire of which no age would ever dim; his
majestic, erect figure; his air noble, at once
imperial and winnings
What a pleasant dinner it was The
great engineer thought it was the pleasant
st hour he had ever spent, and said SO after
wards The scent of oranges was in the
lir, and in the cool shade Of the colonnades
Narcissa's favorite flowers spread their
'ilken leaves and shed odors of jasmine and
'oses
Then in the later evening, when the stars
we're out and the
"Cresent moon, silver boat,
uuun din, hoh.ud ho ~