Evening journal., 1890-01-30

age, each piece mas been preserved intact.
ut was used last on our wedding day"
said monsieur in a deep voice, as he looked
with pride upon his beautiful wife.
"Ohi yes answered madame, blushing and
laughing, 'and it will be used again when our
daughter here win choose as wise as her
mother has done Today she said, while
tear glistened in her eye, 81 have brought it
out because as it was given by royalty itself,
SO those who act in a royal manner should be
the ones 20 use it. Each southern soldier who
rises to defend his country B a king in his own
rights
To this day she has never forgotten how
that band OF creole volunteers rose to their
feet and bowed as to a queen; never forgot
ten how the blood rushed to their cheeks, how
their hearts seemed to throb with emotion,
and the gallant commander, speaking for all
touched bis sword with his lips, and vowed
they would never betray the confidence
which woman Of the south, speaking for
her sex, had that day reposed in them.
But all this was long ago; of the war, its
sorrows and disasters, this sketch deals not;
but OF that old home ia the rue Rampant, Of
which madame's fair daughter is now the
mistress Around her have grown up her
own beautiful girls, graceful, accomplished,
surrounded by all the Injuries which genefa-
tions OF wealth bestow, and clinging more
than ever, like graceful tendrils, to the dear
historic place now when all are about to
leave II forever. For unforeseen sorrows have
come upon them, an unfortunate business
venture OF monsieur's has ended most dis
astrously; thousands OF dollars were involved,
creditors we're clamorous, plantations, houses,
Stocks bonds, all have been sacrificed. and
still more is demanded. Monsieur's voice is
hoarse with emotion; be knows his name is
on every tongue in New Orleans; be- the
honored and lattered merchant of yesterday,
the ruin man of today.
Madame, seated in the old home which has
been her inheritance in her own right, but
which she has sacrificed to save her husbands
honor, hears his story, aud rising with the
heroism born OF the noble principles she in
herits goes out and presently returns with a
casket containing all her own and her daugh-
ter's jewels, and pausing a moment before
her mirror she takes the diamonds from her
own ears and, placing them among the heap,
begs her husband to dispose of all.
He protests but she and her daughters are
insistent; what are diamonds, what are rubies
compared to a fathers honorl And then
madame remembers there is one thing more
OF value, one thing from which she had never
intended to part. and going out again, while
the girls look ON alfrighted and her husband
stands specifies in amazement, she brings in
piece by piece the service of royal Dresden
| She points to it, her husband grasps her
meaning; but he takes her in his arms and
kisses her, and tells her "Neverl he has no
right TO allow her TO sacrifice this;' he knows
how proud she has been of it, how she has
treasured 1t above all her possessions, and the
resolution it required for her to part from Il;
4 nd ha AaJ
fuses and bids her restore it 10 its place again.
But she proudly draws herself to her full
height and says: mol l will not listen; l
have given up all my property, have parted
from my diamonds; this, too, shall go the
world shall never be able to say that re-
tanned a single article of value while my hus-
band owed a debtr
The next day well known auctioneer of
the rue Royale was sent for. He is accus-
! toned to such calls is this old auctioneer, for
every day witnesses the breaking up of happy
and elegant homes. Madame shows him the
service; his eyes CLEAN with a satisfaction he
can scarce suppress, for he knows its value;
still he pretends that it is not worth much
one must be business like, you know. In a
cool, calculating way he examines it, and in
| differently begins to count the pieces; he
seems disturbed; he goes over them again;
slowly, carefully and still third time. with
the same result "Madame" be exclaims,
the sen IS Incomplete; there are two piates
missing, where are theyP
Madame turns pale. "They are broker
she replies in her imperfect English, rolling
her RS most emphatically.
''Ah," says the auctioneer, incredulously
noting her change Of countenance; ''the SET
loses half its value. IL you can find those
two plates twill be to your interest to do so y
''They are broke,n she repeats, her eyes
flashing FIRE, her words coming with difficulty,
"they are broke, sayin And her daughters.
standing near, wonder at her emotion and
still more at the temerity Of the individual
who had dared TO profane by touch, much
less to break, two pieces of that precious heir.
loom.
There are such realities as true friends:
hearts whom the smiles nor the frowns OF
fortune can change. The proposed sale OF
the famous service became noised about the
faubourg and two survivors of the old regi-
ment Of soldiers, two Of the few who had re-
turned bearing the remnants Of the tattered
flag, remembering the gracious trust that
madame had reposed in their command and
her pride on that memorable morning when
she recounted the history Of her beautiful
service, determined If possible thatshe should
not part from it They accordingly devised
a little scheme by which they would buy il
in, and when the talk Of the failure and sale
of property had all subsidized to quietly pre-
sent it to madame az a mark Of esteem from
the old command, thus making it doubly
precious in her eyes.
But with woman's quick intuition she
saw through their design; and, though heI
heart was touched by the nobility and disin
terestedness Of their purpose, she foresaw
that however innocent in reality, the world
would still say that this was only scheme
ON her part to retain possession of it, and she
kindly but firmly refused to sell it to them
a few days after the service, with all it.
proud tradition and association, passed for
ever from her hands and became the prop
erty Of a well known lady of this city.
Several squares from her old home in tbs
rue Rampant madame now lives. She sees
without pang, without sigh, the scene Of
her former triumphs and successes, the man
sion which she was SO well fitted to grace
occupied by another, though many and ele
giant have been the entertainments which this
present proprietors have given since their oc
cupancy thereof
Her daughters and herself, though their
gentle hands have never been accustomed X
the most trivial labor, have meet their trial
with the courage and fortitude that so many
OF the creole women Of New Orleans have
displayed under similar circumstances. In her
| SORROWS and reyerses madame Is more OF q