Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-24
The RLEUR De LIS OF PIEDMONT.

garb, that La Rochelle, the pretty French
town on the Bay of Biscay, was at its best.
The blue water rippled and sparkled in
the sunlight the long stretch of snowy
sand beach fairly shimmered in the light.
Here and there were lines of darker
shading, where the venturesome waves had
clasped the beach and quickly retired
leaving wavy mark.
At the lower end of the long pier stood
tall, slight girl with wavy masses of
golden hair blowing in the sea breeze. Her
deep, brown eyes were gazing out to sea,
as if in expectation of seeing an incoming
sail, and on the sweet face had fallen a
shadow, cloud that dimmed the radiance
of her girlish beauty. The laughing
light usually in the brown eyes seemed
guenched in the fallen tears that had left
traces on the pink, flushed cheek. Her
thoughts had flown beyond the "sea
girded Shore" over the sea to her lover.
The sounds of ripping, girlish laughter
reused her from her revery. And with an
impatient sigh she turned her steps down
the pier to the beach, meeting Madame
Rarneaux, who was airing her seminary in
mates and guarding her charges with a
dragon-like vigilance.
Celeste, our heroine, had formerly been
her pupil, and Celeste had no desire at
the present time to meet her kind but in
quisitive friend and explain the reason of
her tear-stained cheeks. So she hastily
clambered down the steep little steps to
the sands. But the girls, with whom she
was a favorite, called out in merry,
laughing tones for her to stop. But she,
looking back, only waved her hands,
and hurried on, thinking how lucky she
was to escape their keen eyes. She
walked quickly up the slope to the broad,
trees-haded street, and stopped at the
door of pretty rose-embowered cottage.
On the front step stood her aunt, waving
letter in her hand and wildly gesticulat-
ing to Celeste to hurry.
With beating heart Celeste came up,
hardly daring to breathe, for fear that bad
news had come in the long expected letter
from over the seas.
"Good news good news~ screamed her
aunt, as Celeste came in the door, stretch
ing out eager hands for the letter, but her
aunt had read the letter from her son, and
Celeste's cousin, and she could not wait
for Celeste to read it, although the eager,
brown eyes were devouring it word by
word.
FRANCHISE de Merit had crossed the sea,
and then had gone out to California to
seek his fortune. He had now written to
his mother, after two years absence, that
he had a position as cashier in bank at a
good salary, and that ne had bought and
partly furnished a small cottage for them
they were to come without delay. To Ce-
leste he had written a long, lover-ike
epistle, urging their marriage on her ar
rival West. The brown eyes sparkled
with JOY at the thought of so soon seeing
him whom her heart had chosen-he,
who had been as true as she had been to
their plighted VOWS three years ago.
Warm bushes burned on the fair cheek,
and then the tears came, but tears of joy
this time-jey that the weary, waiting
time was over.
"Crying. Celeste" said her aunt. "Fool-
ish one thou art, when such good tidings
have come from Franchise One would
think another had thy love, so sad you
seem to hear of thy true lover expecting
thee"
Celeste arose and wiped away the tears
and smiled at her good aunt, as she said,
"You know, auntie, he has all my love;
but | weep for JOY for, oh, 1 am so very,
very happy"
In the first glow of excitement at the
news Mrs. De Merit did not take into
account the wrench that she would have
to give in tearing herself away from the
pleasant home life in the old French town;
to give up her lifelong friends, her home,
her all, and go to new scenes, a new life.
But the mother love was strong. Fran
coise could not come to her, but she could
| go to him. With Celeste it was different
Her whole life was bound up in her hand
some cousin, and other friends and old
home associations were nil
Her aunt had stepped out in the garden,
and was regarding her floral treasures with
tear dimmed eyes. The roses were in
their glory, the grape vines that draped
the trellis were full of grapes and promised
an abundant crop. At intervals were
clumps of feur de lis, the mathematical
flower of France. How her heart longed
to take the blue flower over the seas, to
cheer her in her moments Of loneliness
with memories of this so soon to be happy
past. But Celeste was calling her to come
in and plan for their trip.
The days seemed all too short for their
many preparations. FRANCHISE had writ
ten his mother "not to bring any of the old
furniture" and so she could take but few
souvenirs of the happy old life.
At last all was arranged, and the last
day at dear old La Rochelle was here.
Never did the bay look bluer or the silver
sand more sparkling. Celeste went to the
garden for the last time and plucked a
large bunch of her fayorite heur de lis,
her brown eyes filling with tears as she
gave the farewell glance, for she had been
very happy all her sweet girlhood here.
Many old friends went to the train to
see them off and wish them bon royage, and
altogether it was trying time for Celeste
and her aunt, but thoughts of FRANCHISE
and their seeing him soon acted as a
charm in their depressed state, consequent
on leaving home.
At Havre they found the steamer nearly
ready to sail They. had obtained state
rooms early in the week, so they had moth
ing to do but walk quietly on board. From
the main deck Celeste watched with eager,
curious eyes, the preparations for the great
steamers departure, and the hurry and
hustle and bother of the passengers. Soon
the gang-plank was withdrawn and, with
parting Shrek, the stately steamer left
the pier and steamed down the harbor
and out to sea, while many tear-dimmed
eyes saw through the mist the vanishing
land of Home.
Celeste's pretty face and vivacions ways,
and her pretty broken English, soon won
her some friends in group of jolly Amer
lean girls who had been doing Europe
And their tall, good looking brother ingra-
tiated himself in Mrs. De Merits good
grace by anticipating every want. His
friends and college chums on board leased
him numerically, saying: "Ah, Leonard,
you are sly dog-courting the aunt for
the niece"
No such thing" said Leonard, color
ing holly. "The ladies are alone, and de-
mand of any gentleman general courtesy"
"Yes-ab, yes" said Dick; attention
without intention. Bridget Malone for
mist there is alone also. Go get her a
chair Don't let her ride that rail. She
might take header in the briny," con-
tinued Dick, teasingly and turning to Bob
Winthrop. "Len is setting US good ex-
Rorpaot GROW hair, a,I 81 r.rox-