Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-11-02

III NV WIN lHe Hhh Whpm hpr godfather
had destined for her. What the voupg
dragoon said We know not but il is Ger,
tain that when Tommaso went to sneak Ia
Mattea, she sent him away. reminding him
that 1t was twelve O'Clock. and time for
him to 60 and ring the Angeus Tommaso
| whose jealousy was already reused bv his
dashing rival in his brilliant uniform. flew
into passion, and would not stir from tho
spot on which the dragoon took him bv
the ear twired him round and round and
sent him flying amid a group of his com.
rades
And is it you, you great BOBBY" said
one OF the soldiers, "who ring the Augelus
mere and respond 10 the curate's paternos.
ters, instead of being a man and serving
the emperor You will be in a good posi-.
ton' sapristi when you are promoted to
be beadle Of this wretched VILLAGE Re
lieve us, my lad Leave your belfrv and
come with us. We will give YOU hand
some uniform long sword and a fine
horse"
Is it that girl who keeps YOU here 2"
sald another Of the troop, pointing to Mat.
tea who was in corner of the court yarJ
IN earnest conversation with her new nd-
mrer. is it that girl who keeps Won
here Look at her we'll she doesn't care
for you, she likes the soldier Look at
her ~
During this time, a fat dragoon. whose
rauons no doubt did not suffice him. was
chasing the curate's fowls about. and the
white hen was vainly endeavoring to escape
from her tormentor.
Mattea Go home to your mother di-
rectly,' cried the cure from the upper win
dow. Dragon Please to let that fowl
alone ~
The feeble voice of the cure had not the
power Of Napoleon's The soldier contin-
ued to talk to the girl, and the fat drpgoon
continued to chase the white hen. Tom
maso was stroking the Group of a saddle
with one hand whilst the other was PLAYING
with sword handle At last the assidu
GUS dragoon went to fetch his horse. and
/ S3rang on it with one bound then giving
| both ban's to Mattea he placed her on the
saddle behind nm, and without any respect
for the cure or his hou,e, set spurs to the
animal and disappeared SSyyA the Italian
girl At the same moment the 65ffVsI
goon caught the white hen
"Mattea Mattea Oh nv poor Bian-
ca Dragon put down that fowl :" cried
the poor cure with a trembling voice
Iommaso, hearing his masters agitated
eXclamations, ran to the rescue of the hen;
the poor fellow, not being able TO save his
Buonaparte left his room and came down
to rejoin the general The poor man was
pale and trembling.
What is the matter monsignor /" said
general. What can have agitated you
thus p
My lord, replied the cure, in a melan-
cholv tone; my god daughter, my dear
Mattea, is taken off by one of your men"
W hat young girl taken away from
the house Of the emperor's uncle The fel-
low shall be punished he shall be shot this
very hour! Hollo Brigadier which of
your men has been guilty of this crime =
Let no blood be spilled, beseech YOU
general let no blood be spilled but if he
be a good man, let him marry Mattea'
There had been no violence or crime
The Florentine Helen had suddenly become
fascinated, and had gone off Of her own
accord with her Paris, who was a good sol
der, and had been selected to have the
cross Of the legion of honor.
He IdH marry her will answer for
that said the general
The cure was looking about him in a tim
id kind of way, seeking his favorite hen.
but the severity of the general. who had
spoken of shooting Mattea's lover. checked
him. He would not compromise mans
| life for the love of fowl Suddenly Tom
maso came running back, holding the cher
ished Blanca in his arms the poor thing
was half dead with fright her blue eye
lids hid her round eyes; and her stiffened
claws could not support her. The cure
took her opened her beak, and poured a
| fem drops of wine down her throat the
| fowl gradually recovered, dixie fine lady
| from hystericsl and began to futter her
wings. Tommaso seized the welcome op-
| portunity of speaking to the curate
Sir, said he, Il have lost Mattea the
soldiers have promised me that l shall one
day be captain, colonel, a marshal of
France, and don't know what besides
-I-have enlisted for a dragoon :"
Buonaparte gave the general a sad look,
as he smoothed his fowls white feathers,
and said to him General, thank my
nephew, the emperor, for his good inten-
tions towards me, but l prefer remaining
the cure of the poor and unknown little
village, where l have been happy so long.
l hesitated for moment, and you see God
has punished me. Kiss my neph-
ew, the little Napoleon. for me NAV God
keep them all on their thrones They are
good children for taking thought of their
old uncle, but desire neither a bishopric
nor a cardinals cloak Go. gen
eral. if you respect the wishes of your EN-
peror's uncle, do not come here again
When an officer received an order from
the emperor, he was obliged to execute the
imperial wish. If Napoleon said, you
are to take that town. it was necessary to
take it it was written that it was to be
taken his prophetic word was one of the
thousand causes of his great success. Now,
he had said to the general "You will take
my uncle, the cure, from his living, and
make him come to Paris, or take him to
l,. 10 IL.
Pope; it matters not which he will do
well whichever he chooses, but it must not
be otherwise he must at least become a
bishop
The general entreated supplicated, and, ,
at last. insisted that the cure should alter
his decision. The brave soldier could not
understand a mans refusing the grand
cross of the legion of honor bishoprc,
the revenues of diocese, cardinals hat
and influence, However, the good cure re-
mained firm to his resolution he resisted
the generals supplicatons and when threats
were used, he replied with the bitterness of
an irritated Corsican, and with the author
ity of an aged relative who was not to be
coaxed or flattered by the inconsiderate
youth and ambition of his great nephew ::
General, | have given you my answer,
and will not swerve from it.
The disappointed general was forced to
retire without executing his mission, and
the noisy escort evacuated the village.
When Napoleon heard Of the bad success
of his ambassador and this utter want of
ambition in a Buonaparte, he shrugged his
shoulders with contemptuous pity.
Mattea was married TO the dragoon, and
became, in time the wife OF a colonel
Tommaso was in a few years, captain
in the Imperial Guard.
And the good cure, Buonparte, died be-
fore the termination of the first empire
beloved and regretted 10y all around him
e Alas he was, after all-says the Frencl
! account from which this little narrative il
! rnnlnrnd int En.rlisL tho hnnninaf nf Iii.