Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-11-19
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A'But he was some low down hanger
on of the army, or some foreigner; he
could not have been representative
northern man."
"They were all Of piece; they stole
with one hand and carried the torch in
the other"
Colonel Chenier was growing excited,
and Rosalie artfully changed the sub
ject Of conversation. She inwardly re-
sented having Edgar Julian classed with
the common vulgar soldiery; but she
did not wish to antagonize her father
She felt sure that if Julian could have a
talk with Colonel Chenier he would win
a way to his respect. A sense of high
duty urged her to present the young
man to her father in the most favorable
light, but innate maidenly modesty for
bade any unseemly haste to become his
defender. 1t would be hard to discover,
and still harder to define, the amount of
advantage that the simple fact of Juli-
ans visit to Provence gave him in hold
ing his own in the estimation Of both
Rosalie and Colonel Chenier; for, al
though the latter had never seen him,
the cross and his words at second hand
from Rosalie were sufficient to win for
the young man favorable prejudice in
the old soldiers heart. Still there was
a great barrier to pass.
Colonel Chenier nursed an implacable
hatred against the men whose acts-in
his Judgment altogether unjustified by
honorable rules of warfare-had rem
dered him almost a pauper. The chains
of poverty CALLED him and kept alive his
enmity toward those whom he habitually
called Sherman's thieves. Against them
he charged up all the toll, privation and
humiliation of these reconstruction
years" through which he had dragged
himself, a pitiable and respondent Grip
pie. He often said that the man VIII
shot him in battle, if he could ever find
him, should have his forgiveness and
friendship; but the vandals who burned
his house and, assaulted his daughter
who devastated his plantation and en-
ticed away his slaves, should never be
recognized as fellow citizens by him.
Aunt Marguerite used Colonel Che
nier's season of grief to the effect Of
bringing about a reconciliation between
her husband and her brother. A trouble
had arisen between Mr.. Roosevelt and
Colonel Chenier over political differences
many years before. One had been 6
Wing, the other Democrat. They haG
come near fighting over the question Of
the war with Mexico Mr.. Roosevelt
ardently opposed the war policy, Colone
Chenier just as fervidly defended it
The result was rupture. So, aftel
the great calamities of personal dis
figurement and hopeless poverty hat
fallen upon Wilton Chenier with tn,
ending Of the rebellion, Mrs. Roosevelt
had labored hard to bring these two fool
ish enemies together. Her HUSBAND
finally consented, but Colonel Chenier
her brother, rejected the offer. Nov
she had adroitly approached the latte
under cover of his domestic bereave
ment, and had reached his heart while i
was laid bare. Rosalie added her swee
influence, and the stern man was con
quered. In short, the result was, as W,
have said, a reconciliation.
TWAS finally agreed that the remain
of Mrs. Chenier should be taken up ant
removed to Savannah and entombed il
lovely old Bonaventure, and that tn,
Chenier family should go to Roosevelt
Place, to remain there until prepare
tions could be made for the trip to tn,
ancestral estate in Provence. Aun
Marguerite cleverly humored this Pro
vencal dream, whose fanciful threads
had, as she discovered, wound them
selves about the imaginations of fatheI
and daughter; she made everything
serve her turn, in fact. Rosalie had be
come her idol, and to keep that idol nea
her was her constant solicitude anG
study