The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-01
TAKING THE VEIL.
A Sad Story With a Pathetic
Ending.

5nQ1Q2.
just there the turbid river assumes
even mor than its wonted angry ap-
pearance and in great eddies, miniature
whirlpools and seething currents seem
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 bend
it moved along with something like
majesty in its smooth, broad surface,
and creates ar impression of its Titanic
power perhaps far greater than where
it bubbles and boils, twists and turns in
discontinue at being forced to change
its straight onward rush to the sea to
conform to the idiosyncrasies of the ir-
regular banks. Here and there the
branches of partially submerged will
lows were swaying to and fro moved by
the impetuous current, and RATS of
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 fostsam, always seen in high
water on the Mississippi river, would be
caught by the main current and go
sweeping down as if glad to part COM
pany 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 q dark
night, for it had q reputation that was
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 q 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 wa 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
gratiied 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 hooking bird was
there with his orchestral throat, and
from linnet to bullfinch, 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 a 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
carer approach, however, would dissi-
pate any such illusions, for invariably of
mornings and afternoons promenading
in the broad veranda alady, 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 seer from the gal.
lery through the opening in the leafy
avenue, certainly kept its f~unerealinf1u-
ence within its circling limits, for no
where along the river was there q
happier household than that gathered
nightly beneath the great sloping rooi
ofthe Cavelher 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-knives or tended sugar kettles
Travellers along the dusty road that rar
beside the river just inside the levee al
ways knew when they had arrived a
the Cayellier place by the snatches O
old, Creole melodies sung afield will
that sweet timbre of voice, belonging
peculiarly to the African and his de
scendants in louisiana Although en-
tirely 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, tn
young stalks with their fresh gree
leaves giving to the level landscape
softening effect that was most refresh
ing to the sight. The plantation road
and '.turn-rows" divide the fields int
smaller sections, adding something lik
patchwork design to the thousands Q
gray of the dropping Spanish moss tn
distant expresses gave but an irregu
larry defined outline to the edges of th
low marsh with its canebrakes and pa
metto clumps. Midway between tn
swamp and the house stands the impos
ing sugar-house with majestic brio
chimneys and surrounding negro quail
tiers.
her family for four generations ha
lived happy though comparatively un
ventful lives. The planting season, th
time for caring for the growing cam
nlaying by" and then the brisk perio
of grinding, had followed one anothe
for eighty years, with varying results 6
to crops, but none as to peaceful col
tentment of the occupants of the gre;
plantation house. A revasse On SON
neighboring place, every few year
would break the monotony and som
what damage the cane in the re,
patches; but beyond this the montl
slipped into years as noiselessly as tt
orange buds developed into the lusciou
golden fruit.
Neither the quiet charm of the Ian
scape, the delicious atmosphere of pc
fume, nor the ravishing pearl shower
bird notes produced anything like Il
effect on a visitor to this place that Il
queenly beauty of Marguerite Cavelli
did. A brunette of twenty-five. b
Nm had sst mote guitars tArummn