The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-06-26
TnE MAREcHAL NEIL ROSE.

The Marechal Neil is one of the love-
liest roses of its kind, the noisotte, 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 Emmanuel
! drive the Austrians out of Italy, the
| Third Army Corps was commanded by
! General Neil. This officer as his name
| implies, came of one of those Irish
noble families who emigrated to France
after the battle of the Bovue in 1690,as
did the MacMahous, the Fitz Jameses
and others, who are now Irish in moth
ing but their names. General Neil
had commanded and fought his corps
with such eminent ability and distin-
guished courage, that when peace was
made, with his countrvman and friend,
MacMahon, he was created Marshal
of France. II was wellnigh Autumn
before General Neil was able to return
to France. He had been terribly
wounded, and had suffered besides from
the dreadful fever of the Italian marsh
es. For months he was between life
and death, with only his surgeon,
who was his constant companion, and
n soldier servant, who proved to be an
admirable nurse in his illness and con-
valescence.
One day peasant woman brought
him n 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 to amuse him un-
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 a bit of the root had been cut away
with the flower, which was of a palish-
yellow hue. Scarcely knowing why,
Neil determined to keep the shoot SO
curiously preserved. When he return
ed to Paris he placed the young shoot
with an expert fioriculturist, and next
Spring it bore four of the loyeliest
buds in the world, of a 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, and his commits
sion as Marshal of France. in 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 in that day the
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor,
he went to the reception of the EN-
press-who was splendid in her per-
fection of beauty-and presented to her
a curious yellowish rose of perfect form
and perfume, but different from any
she had ever seen, and told her its sto-
ry.
"And so you have proved the truth
of what the old abbe used to say in his
dreadfully tedious sermons at Pau
about casting the bread on the waters"
said the Empress (who, like Queen
Elizabeth of blessed memory, "loved a
fine many to the handsomest and
most daring, as well as one of the
ablest of the Marshals of the Second
Empire. Dear me, but he was tedi-
Gus, that good abbe," continued Her
Majesty, with the softest look of retro
spection in her lovely dark eyes.
"Now, Monsieur lie Marechal," said She,
vivaciously, II shall christen this rose
for YOU"
"Do So" said the Franco-Irsh sold
ier, bowing very low, but flashing at
her glance of profound admiration
SO warm that it deepened her color a
little rs they stood alone, for, though
the great salon of the palace was
crowded,no one dared interrupt a tete-
a-tete, which she herself had allowed,
between the Empress and the hand |
soonest General Of his dag.
Lightly putting the rose to her lips.
she said: 1T is named the Marechal
Neil, for the soldier suns peur CT sans
reprOche, as gallant in the salon as he
is on the battlefield
This gracious speech went straight |
to the great soldiers Irish heart.
You will wear it tonight, Your
Majesty, will you not, aud afterward |
give it to me to keep, this happy rosePn
"Monsieur le Marechalm said the
Empress, with great dignity.
"Ipray your forgiveness" he answer
ed.
"No, no, am not as angry as l |
ought to be-" she replied; "but-but |
people might hear and with Parthi-
an glance she departed.
Four days thereafter, Colonel Lewal, |
then Neil's chief of staff, but not long !
since Minister of War for the French |
Republic, observed his chief take sur !
reptitious rosebud out of an envelope |
he had just received, and lock it up in |
private drawer.-LeSlieS Popular Month
J