The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-08
N. DE MALRsHERBEs' ROSES
And How They Were Kept in Bloom
by the Peasants ofVerneuil.

And How They Were Kept in Bloom
by the Peasants Of Verneuil.
By ErelVn Carol
There is pretty incident in the private
life of Lamoignon de Malesherbes, the
Ere ch statesman and naturalist, which
illustrates better than any noble actions of
his public career the love and esteem he in
spired. lps 4sre7 a.
The good old man loved roses above all
| things, and during the summer, which he
pass at his Chateau de Verneuil, near
Versailles, all his leisure moments were
| spent Ia caring for these cherished flowers.
| With his own hands he had cleared and
prepared the. ground in woodland space
and planted It with ,yeung bushes, which
after time formed most beautiful rose
grove. He also made grassy bank and an
arbor. where he could find shelter from the
too ardent rays of the sun, and in this
secluded SPOT be spent whole hours reading
and working.
| 1t was the fcequsnt boast of NJ. de Male
sherbes that he had never lost rose bush;
they seemed to grow by magic, each variety
realizing the fondest hopes. "Lamoignon
OF the Roses" was the name given to him by
| his intimates, and he was never weary of
showing his friends his solitude as he
called his faxorite spot.
| One morning II. de Malesherbes went
| NOWA " MS tuuCH earlier IMAM was MS
wont, and seating himself on the turf near
his arbor gave himself up TO the delight Of
| the scene, fairer than ever in its dewy
| freshness. A slight sound called him from
| his reverie, and thinking it might be some
| tmid fawn come to the stream near by to
drink he watched in silence. What he saw
was the prettiest milkmaid in the world,
who, filing her pail at the stream, proceeded
to water the roses
| The pail was filed and emptied many
times, every bush receiving full measure,
till finally at the last clump NJ. de Males
herbes, who had been watching in breath
less establishment, came forward, and in his
turn surprised the young girl, Who gave
startled cry.
How came you to be watering my roses,
my childg' said the kind old man reassur-
ingly.
20, monseigneur, it is to-day my turn"
stammered the girl.
How your turnm
10, yes, monseigneur, tomorrow 1t is
Jeannettes turn, and yesterday it was An
gele'sp
But, my dear, do not understand"
| ut is secret" said the poor GIRL blush
ng rosy red, "but since monsegneur has
seel for himself will explain, that he may
see no harm was intended"
And thereupon the little milkmaid, reas-
sured by kind smile, told her little story.
How the villagers from the surrounding
hamlets loved monseigneur for his benevo-
| lence aud ever kind interest in their work,
and how they had established a rule by
| which they could make some return to their
patron. And when we saw monseigneur at
work among his roses we thought what to
do. And arule was made that every young
girl who had come ITO her fifteen years
should be OF age to help. each in her turn
on her way back from carrying milk to
Verneuil, and it is now four years that l
have had the honor of watering the roses Of
our benefactor and father"
M. lie Melasherbes was deeply touched by
this little confession. II no longer wonder,n
he said, shat my roses bloom as they do,
and from this time my solitude shall be
dearer to me than ever before. for 1t is my
children that have made it beautiful"
Then as the young girl curtsied and
your name, ma bells2n
"Jeannette Dubois, at your service, mon
"Thank you, Jeanette :if can ever serve
you, let me know There may some day be
marriage portion hard to make up; will
answer for 1t il l may have a kiss in ex-
change" And the venerable man stopped
and kissed the rosy upturned cheeks of the
proud little maid, who ran home to tell of
the honor conferred upon her.
! Not long after this there was fete and
the young villagers met to have a dance in
the immediate neighborhood Of the little
arbor.
Farewell to my roses" sighed M. de
Malesherbes, ''for what rustic swain can
fOrego the pleasure of decking his sweet
heart with the freshest buds" But the
next day when M. de Maiesherbes went
down to his retreat at early morn, bearing
q spade and rake to res ore order, behold
all was freshly raked, aud not bush had
suffered, AMI the good old man exclaimed:
y inf aJrnbo 4
for the richest palace of t1e world"
One day his valet told him that a young
girl in the greatest grief wished to see him,
and on her, appearing all in tears, he in
CURED into the cause If her trouble.
"A ! ~ rpa9ensseigneur. she cried, you only
Say 81, my, chfld" =
This morntng, mouseigneur, it was my
rurn To Water, your honor's roses, and
picked one Of them. and so broke my VOW"
sobbed the'poor maiden.
'One little rose, that surely is not much"
J smiled N. de Malesherbes.
sit IS enough to disgrace me in the vii
lags," said the unhappy girl, ''for that ma
, Ilclous jacques saw me and has spread the
report, SO that for a year l cannot enter the
grove, and the lads passed me by in the
dance, even Matthew, and must stay single
all my life.n
''No, my dear child" said M. de Male.
sherbes. both touched aud amused, ''tbe
punishment is too great; come and will
plead for you" and taking the poor girl bv
the hand he led the way to the village green
where the dance was being held. Here the
great statesman and chief justice of France
pleaded her cause, and 50 eloquently that
the disgraced milkmaid was forgiven and
her honors restored.
Soon after the now happy girl and Jean
nette, too, were married, and NJ. de Males
shsrbes added to their dots bouquet of bis
choicest roses. This was the beginning of a
custom, and for many long year the roses
from the Solitude" formed the bridal bon
! quets Of the village brides.