Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-04-09


abouts, and her face hud flooded the
table OF tho editor of L'AbeiNe, In New
Orleans with hundreds OF poems, some
of them written, it must be admitted,
in questionable French, but all warm,
passionate and devoted, She was tall,
with the figure of some of those deli
cately chisclcd Grecian statues and pos
scsscd OF n manner that was so per-
fectly natural and free from c1nstraint
II left with every body the impression
that they had been intimate friends OF
hers for years, She did not know what
guile or duplicity was, and with the
ndfcctc of u child would reprove OF
compliment the action regardless of any
thought OF tho actor. Every negro pic
aninny on the plantation worshipcd her
with a blind idolatry as something
entirely supernatural and not of
this Garth. Her voice was low
and musical, and when her great
blnck eyes was fixed on listener the
effect was almost magnetic. To see
her on horseback in the morning gal
loping along the river road, followed
by her gayly-drcsscd negro boy, was n
sight well worth the trouble of early
rising, at least so thought Edouard dc
Montpre, the struggling young attorney
of the parish. No matter how late he
may have been pouring over his books
cndcavoring to fix in his memory pre-
ccdcnts and leading cases, he never
missed his promenade on the levec just
at that hour when the young cquestri-
cnne came cantering along. A lifted
hat and dcfcrcntial bow was always
paid for by a bewitching smile and wave
of the hand, and the lawyer for the rest
of that day saw that face peering into
his own over the back of his Hcnnen' s
digest. and out of the panels of his not
too well filed bookcase. On his fathers
death city merchants had sold out the
Grand Bosquct plantation under many
mortgages, and the only surviving son
was left with an athletic form, good dis
position and excellent education as the
only lcgacics from the Montprc estate.
Every body along the coast as the banks
of the Mississippi river was called by
the residents in those days, esteemed
the young man and applaudcd his cf
forts to re-ostablish the patcrnal name.
He visited the Cavclliers once or twice
n month, but his scif-pridc imagined
| that his receptions there were not rs
cordial on the part of the venerable host
as they might have been, and this he
attributed to his own modsst purse.
1t would be pleasant writing to tell
how the friendship between the lawyer
and Marguerite ripened into an intimacy
that soon developed into pure and
deep love. The Cavellier family, al
though opposing De Montpre's frequent
visits, were all of them under the sweet
influence of Marguerite, and could re-
fuse her nothing.
"Edouard, " she said, ''was so differ
ent from other callers, and she never
saw him without learning something
he was so gifted and knew so much"
And so it was within a year after her
return from the convent they were en-
gagged, Mons. Cavellicr agreeing to give
the young man the Belle Colombo place,
on the other side of the river, for a start
after marriage.
In the midst of that beautiful season
of contemplated love and betrothal, the
old plantation house was startled by the
report brought from New Orleans that
the State of Louisiana had seceeded,
and troops We're being raised for war
The news spread rapidly. People that
hitherto had taken little or no part in
political affairs began to discuss the sit
uation. Colonel Lailerranderie, an old
army officer, had established his head
quarters at the Cutoff post-oilice, not far
distant from the Cavellier place, and
young men were enrolling in scores.
The conversation around the dinner
tables now was devoted to the new
artillery company of Captain So-and-so,
or the splendid chasseurs a-peid of
young Molaison of the adjoining parish.
Edouard Montpre caught the infection.
Forty Young men rendered him their
captaincy, and in three weeks he and
his men were on steamboat bound for
the Crescent City.
The parting of Edouard and Margue-
rite was most tcnder and affecting. The
men of the company, long afterward,
around the camp-iires in the mountains
of Virginia, frequently talked of it, and
not little of the love and solicitude for
their captain was due to their knowl-
edge that he had left behind the most
loving and noble girl in the State.
The men and their baggage were al
ready on the boat that was pulling and
wheeling at the bank in the front of
the Cavellier house trying to keep her
nose to the bank in resistance to the eff
forts of Deadman's Eddy to draw her
oil into its cross currents. With her
arms around his neck Marguerite stood
on the front gallery looking up into
Edouard's face, her eyes filled with
tears. She was struggling to conceal
the emotion that moved her whole be-
ing. Her pride and dignity kept her
,, from displaying her deep feeling for
some time. At last however, her reso-
luton gave way and resting her head
on her lovers shoulder, her whole
frame tremblcd, shaken by storm of
feeling. The newly-made Captain was
as white rs ghost, his firmly COM
pressed lips evidencing the strong effort
made to remain calm in this trying mo-
mcnt.
The boat blew long and discordant
whistle, as if impatient at the delay
caused by DcMontprc's leave-taking.
He realized that the supreme moment
had come. He bent tenderly over her
and whispered: "Macherie, will be
with you soon again. 1t may all be
over in month. Look for my return
on every boat. Think of me often, my
darling 1t is for You and our people
SV. iic hisncu iicl, hiultcicu ~ ticilu-
lous "Adieu," and started down the
steps. Marguerite stood motionless for
moment and then sank 20 the floor.
Assisted by her father and an old
negro nurse she reached the levec just
a' the boat was backing out As long
as Deadman's Eddy was in sight the
flutter of a white handkerchief could be
discerned against the background of
green willows growing on the bank.
Boats passed and repassed, Sometimes
they would stop near the Cavellier
place, sometimes they would go ON, but
none of them bore her lover back to
her. She waited weeks, months, years.
Each day that figure in white could be
seen seated in the shade of live oak in
front of the old plantation house, keep
ing its watch for that boat which never
came.
The Federal pickets near Culpepper
Courthouse. Virginia, were surprised
| inst after dayhrpak nv the annparanpn