Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-23
THE MAREcHzssNsETR ROSE.


THE MAREcHA.-NsEL ROSE.
,ns Of the Hifhsrto Unwrftt~n Romaaee,
ef the Second Empire.
The Marechal Mel Il one Of thu
loveliest roses Of its kind, the nofsefe.
and in its name and origin there Is one
Of the hitherto unwritten romances Of
the court Of France In the Second en-
pire. In 1889, when the French army
was sent to help King Victor Emman-
nel drive the Austrians out OF Italy.
the Third Army Corps was commanded
i,y General Mel This officer, as his
name implies, came Of one OF those
Irish noble families who emigrated to
France after the battle Of the Boync
in 1890, as did the MacMahons, the
Fitz-James and others, who are now
Irish in nothing bet their names.
General fsia had commanded and
fought his corps with such eminent
ability and distinguished courage, that
when peace was made, with his coun-
tryman and friend, MacSfahon, he was
created Marshal of France. 1t was
well nigh autumn before General Mel
was able to return to France He had
been terribly wounded, and had suf-
fered besides from the dreadful fever
OF the Italian marshes. For months
he was between life and death, with
only his surgeon, who was his con-
slant companion. and soldier servant.
who proved to be an admirable nursA
| in his illness and commissioners.
One day peasant woman brought
him whole basket of wild roses from
the Campagna region. General Mel
had always been extremely fond Of
roses, and most of these were new to
him, and thus served to amuse him I'M
| til they were withered. He observed.
however, that one particular shoot had
not faded and died like the others,
but had grown into beautiful green
| plant Of perhaps ten inches in length.
When he looked to see why this one
| had grown and the others faded, he
| found that bit of the root had beer
cut away with the flower, which was
of I. palish-yellow hue. Scarcely know
ing Why, Mel determined to keep the
shoot SO curiously preserved Wher
he returned to Paris he placed the
young shoot with an expert fioricult-
urist. and next spring il bore four O
the loveliest buds in the world. Of E
pale-lemon tinge, At that time Gen
erai Mel was sent for to receive tn
| highest military rank then known II
France. the Grand Cross OF the Legion
and his commission as Marshal o
France. in presence OF three Emperor
and all the Kings in Europe worth nam
ing. After the solemn ceremony wa.
ended, and he wore for the frs
time in that day the Grand Cross 0
the Legion of Honor, he went to tn,
reception of the Empress-who wa
plendid in her perfection of beauty
| md presented to her curious yellow
sh rose of perfect form and perfume
| lttE different from any she had eve
cen, and told her its story.
And so you have proved the truti
# what the old able used to say il
lis dreadfully tedious sermons at Pa,
sbout casting the bread ON the waters,
aid the Empress (who, like Quee'
elizabeth of blessed memory. .'love
fine MANY to the handsomest an
lost daring, as well as one of tn
sblest OF the Marshals of the Secon
umpire. Dear me, but he was tedious
hat good abbe," continued her Majes
y. with the softest look of retrospes
ion in her lovely dark eyes. Nov
| Monsieur lie Marechal." said she. viva
. | ciously, Il shall christen this rose fo
. you"
''Do So" said the Franco-Irish so
, der, bowling very low, but aashin
at her a glance of profound admire
ton SO warm that it deepened he
color a little as they stood alon'
for, though the great salon I
the place was crowded, no one dare
interrupt a tete-a-tete, which she he
self had allowed. between the Empire:
: and the handsomest General of hi
day.
Lightly putting the rose to her lip
she said: 1T is named the Marech'
! Mel. for the soldier saas penr ct sas
: reproche. as gallant in the salon as
is on the battlefield
! This gracious speech went straigf
:, 70 the great soldiers Irish heart.
You win wear it tonight. Yor
, Majesty, will you not, and afterwar
!, give it to me to keep, this hapI
rose?"
Monsieur lie Marechal!" said II
= Empress, with great dignity.
Il pray your forgiveness, he a
. swered.
No. no. l am not as angry as
: ought 10 be, " she replied; "but-b,
people might hear" and with Pa
THAN glance she departed.
Four days thereafter Colonel i.ewu
:, then NieI's chief of staff, but not lor
:. since Minister of War for the Fren,
Republic. observed his chief take
u surreptitious rosebud out of an e
:. velope he had just received, and los
it up in private drawer.-LeSli,
l. Popular Monthly.
=