The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-11-24
THE mAREcHAL NEIL ROSE.
Leslle's Popular AIouthly,

Leeiie'S Popular monthly.
The Marechal Neil is one of the
loveliest roses of its kind, the noisette,
and in its name and origin there is one
of the hitherto unwritten romances of
the court Of France in the Second
Empire. In 1869, when the French
army was sent to help King Victor
Emanuel drive the Austrians out of
Italy, the Third army corps was COM
manded by General Neil. This officer,
as his name implies, came of one of
those Irish noble families who emil
grated to France after the battle of the
Boyne in 1900, rs did the MacMahons,
the Fitz Jameses and others, who are
now Irish in nothing but their names.
General Neil had commanded and
fought his corps with such eminent
ability and distinguished courage that
when peace was made, with his coun-
tryman and friend MacMahon, he was
created q marshal of France. 1t was
well nigh autumn before General Neil
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 nurse
in his illness and convalesceuce.
One day peasant womln brought
him a whole basket of wild roses from
the Campagna region. General Neil
had always been extremely fond of
roses, and most of these were new to
him, and thus served 10 smuse him
until they were withered. He OBJ
served, 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 a bit of the root
had been put away with the flower,
which was of whitish yellow hue.
Scarcely knowing why, Neil deter
mined to keep the shoot SO curiously
preserved. When he returned to Paris
he placed the young shoot with an
expert fioriculturist, and next spring
1t bore four of the loveliest buds in
the world, of pale lemon tinge. At
that time General Neil was sent for
to receive the highest military rank
then known in France, the grand cross
of the Legion of Honor and his COM
mission as marshal of France, In the
presence of three emperors and all the
kings in Europe worth naming. After
the solemn ceremony was ended, and
he wore for the first time on that day
the grand cross of the Legion of Honor,
he went to the reception of the en-
press and presented to her q curious
yellOwish rose of perfect form and
perfume, but different from any she
had ever seen, and told her It's story.
"And 30 you have proved the truth
of what the old able used to say In
his dreadtully tedious sermons at Paul
about casting his bread on the waters"
said the empress (who, like Queen
Elizabeth, of blessed memory, loved
fine mano to the hsndsomest and
most daring, as well as one of the
ablest of the marshals of the second
empire. "Dear me, he was tedious,
that good abbe," continued her mai
esty, with the softest look OF retro
spection In her lovely dark eyes.
"Now, Monsieur lie Marechal," said
she vivaciously, 81 shall christen this
rose for you"
"Do go" said the Franco Irish SOL
der, bowling very low, but flashing at
her glance of profound admiration
80 warm that 1t deepened her color a
little as they stood alone, for, though
the great salon of the palace was
crowded, no one dared to interrupt
the tete-d-tete, which she herself had
allowed, between the empress and the
handsomest general of his day.
Lightly putting the rose to her
lips, she said: at Is named the
Marechal Neil, for the soldier, sans
peur ct sans repvoche, IS gallant in the
salon as he Is on the battle field"
This gracious speech went straight
to the great soldiers Irish heart.
"You will wear 1t tonight, your
majesty, will you not, and afterwards
give 1t to me TO keep, this happy rose7"
an. lie Marechall" said the empress
with great dignity.
81 pray your forgiveness" he an
swtred.
"No, no, ! am not az angry ss I
ought to be" she replied; "but-but
people might hear" and with Par
THAN glance she departed.
Four days thereafter Colonel Lewal,
then Neips chief of staff, but not long
since minister Of war for the French
republic, observed his chief take q
surreptitious rosebud out OF an envel-
ope he had just received, and lock 1t
up in g private drawer.