Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-07

NHmXGYA~ VICIOUS. Ine ugnt nau pecl
lfS1 tGM close and deadly one, with
N M result not uncommon in
G those days, when naval en-
y. gagement, at best, was mers
matter of broadside and board
ing. Carrying fewer guns and lighter
ones than her adversary, and withal
being much slower, the French
vessel fell an easy prey to its vigorous ad-
versary. 1t went down with its colors fly
ing, however, while the Spaniards were in
the act of boarding it; but before this the
deck had been so raked by cannon and mus.
kets at short range that the brave little crew
we're nearly all killed, so that it was but a
smoke-grimed aud bloody handful of them
that cheered pluckily as they sank in 20
fathoms of green Gulf water.
Pauline de la Chasie was saved from the
fate of the vessels crew by one of those
strange chances which now and again inject
into real life the most impossible appearing
elements of romance. She had rushed upon
the deck, wild and disheveled, just as the
ship lurched forward to 60 down. A young
Spanish officer, bearing the honored name
ton, lowering in the smoke of the last terri
BILE broadside, impressed him deeply. His
imagination, like that of most youthful
adventures who were sailing the seas at
that time, was a most infammable one, ready
to, flare up vividly at every touch of the
new, the strange or the beautiful. What
could appeal more forcibly or more directly
to the heart of such youth at such a mo-
ment than the vision OF q young girl, 1.-THE,
slender, lovely, with white arms outspread.
yellow-brown hair afoat on the breeze. her
pale face, upturned and her garments futter-
ing wildly, running across the bloody,
corpse-strewn deck of the sinking vessel
against which he had just been directing
his guns? Indeed, SO much was he affected
he started forward and stretched forth his
hands, as if to reach and save her.
Not one of the stalwart French sailors
was ever seen again after the water closed over
the ill-fated vessel; but the beautiful and
frightened young girl, Pauline de la
Chasie, rose to the surface, and with her
long wet hair clinging close to her shapely
shoulders and girlish bust, was seen tossing
about on the short chopping waves. In
some way her clothes mad caught hold on a
fragment of spar SO that she had been kept
afoat. Fortunately her instinct of self
preservation had overborne her fear at the
critical moment. With desperate eagerness
and energy she clung to the bit of buoyant
wood, and was able to keep her head above
the foam and spray of the noisy and tum-
bling waves, albeit she was scarcely aware
of what she was doing.
Cortes, whose habit was to spend no time
in celebrating at the point Of emergency,
called for men and quickly had boat low
cred. In a few minutes the girl in a semi
conscious condition was on board the Span
ish vessel where she received every kind at
tention that chivalrous men could offer un-
der the circumstances. The shock to her
nerves had been very great, not only on ac-
count of the terrible nature of the engage
ment and the results following it, but more
on account of the peculiar conditions under
which she had left France to go to the OBJ
scure little garrison at Mobile on the then
wild southern coast of America.
In those days love was something to live
for and TO die for. Tc be young and in love
meant that along with the youth and love
went a certain romantic devotion which
would turn aside for no obstacle, hesitate at
no sacrifice. Man and woman, youth and
maiden ielt that to 60 to the end of the
world for loves sake was the noblest of all
tasks. the highest and holiest of all duties.
The influence of chivalry was still alive,
and, although the formalities of olden
knighthood had mostly passed away forever,
there fingered in the world, especially
among the young and brave, spirit of
honor which demanded extraordinary ex-
actitude in the matter of keeping promises,
and especially those promises bound by the
golden thread of love.
Pauline de La Chasie at the time of the
disaster to the vessel that bore her. was on
her way to join her soldier lover, one Louis
Doucet, whose fortune had called him to
Mobile. It would be very interesting, if
space and the scope of this story would per-
NIT it, to 60 back and give the details of
this romantic love affair, which budded in
the fairest part of Southern France at one
of the old towns whose ruins date beyond
the time when the Pope had his home in
Provence, and whose roses are still the very
ones of which the troubadours raved. We
must be content, however, to trace the
American part of what must always remain
one of the most noteworthy strains OF ro-
nance connected with the settlement of our
Southern coast.
The grave historian, who scorns whatever
is not dry as,dust, runs over what ne looks
upon as mere incident and he turns aside
from anything romantic or touched with
sentiment, as though he feared some lurk-
ing infection which might enliven his blood
and send thrill of poetry into his book
must clouded mind. Still it is true that, to
the large majority of readers, these personal
incidents, these bits OF romance that form
the neglected fringe of history, are the very
parts of the past which are most interesting.
Pauline de la Chasie's experience certainly
may claim the attention of this liberal ma
jority. 1t was great undertaking in these
days for young girl not yet 10, to set sail
with a crew OF soldier seamen to 60 from
France to America, yet this girl did it. as is
we'll attested by records not to be disputed.
After long voyage, during which the
vessel encountered many storms and was
blown far southwark of its proper course, it
must have been almost unbearable, even to
the rough crew, to see a powerful Spanish
vessel bearing down upon them just at
time when the end Of all their desires
seemed almost in sight; but to poor Pauline
de la Chasie it was like plunging into the
black pit of utter despair. The shock
struck her with the force Of a thousand
deaths, and yet she lived. In
hearts like hers, so long as life |
cious sort, and there is faith which, though |
it may not give strength. affords courage |
that meets everything with silent endur- J
ance. Pauline had already gone through |
experiences sufficient to have broken the |
will of almost any woman; but she loved |
Louis Doucet, and her love was strong |
enough to bear her up even in the dreadful |
when the sea was ready to swallow
her, and it sustained her in the still more
trying scenes which followed her rescue.
The Spanish vessel, after its victory over !
its French Toe, immediately put into Pen
'acola, which was then the stronghold of The |
5paniards in Florida. Pauline, more dead |
han alive, was taken by Cortes to the house |