The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-01-24
No. 40.

| After the Acadians driven from Nova
Scotia IA detailed above, those remaug were
eventually exilcd To Maryland, among whom
were Eyangeline and her foster mothcr, Bordat.
From the stories thc: learned in Maryland. %.
emicrants who had gone 70 Louisiana, Fyangc-
line became impressed with the idc'. tina: in tho
land Of eternal summer she should find her lo.t
lover. Though u vast wilderness. lr,e; with
dangers of every kind. and inhabited only by
barharous sayd-es and hcas;s %, prey. accom-
panied 10y Mother Bor!ct, sic wandered in
search of the "Edcn of Ioui.iana." Finally
after months Of weary wander;uls and cscai.
untold dangers, unkGowir.,'y they nearod their
/ journeys end.
''Slowly they entered The Teche. where it flows
from The green Ui,iousi.~.
Ana through me amber air, above the crest of
the woodland,
Saw the column of smoke that arose from n
neighboring dwelling
When they reached the Fuste dies Attakapas,
the population assembled to welcome them;
but EvanGclinc had eye for them. She walk
ed beside her foster-mothcr with measured step
and grave countcnance, when. all os sudden,
she graspcd her companion by the arm, exclaim-
ing in n voice which vibratcd with joy: mo.
ther, mother! 1t il he IL il Louis" pointing
to figure reclining under a giant oak. 1t was
her childhood lover. Louis Arceneaux. She
few to him with outstretched arms. exclaiming:
Louis! Louis. l am your Emmelinc, your long
lost Emmcline. Have you forgotton herr"
Louis hung his head and uttered no word Of
welcome. "Louis," said Emmeline, painfully
impressed with her lovers col,lness and silence,
why do you turn away from me? l am still
your Emmelinc, your betrothed. and have kept
l,,l II. T...l
No one word Of welcome. Louis?" and the tears
sprangc To her eyes. The reply Of her lover
frozc her heart.
"Emmeline," said he. speak not 80 kindly to
me, for am unworthy of you. have pledged
my faith TO another. Tear from your heart the
memory of the happy past. Forgive me and
pity me-" He turned without another word and
walked away. and Emme!ine saw him no more.
Long she stood, rooted To the spot. with death
life paleness resting upon her countenance,
staring upon vacancy, and when her kind old
foster-mother took her by the hand and spoke
her name. she muttered. "Emmeline, Emme-
line" in an undcrtone, rs il endeavroing TO re-
call the name, then, looking up with shudder.
exclaimed in an unnatural voice. who are
you!" and turned away. She was hopclaslly in
sane
Emmeline Lebiche never recoveredher reason.
As the legend goes, her beautiful countehance
was ftfully lightened by sad smile. which
made her all the fairer. She never recognized
eny one but her foster mother and. nesting in
her arme like "A spoiled child. she would bestow
on her the most cndearing names aud fondle
her lovingly 80 sweet and amiable. every one
pitied and loved her. When she strolled on tho
banks Of the Teche. pluckine the wild flowers
that bloomed along her path. and singing in an
undertone some Ac6dian song, those who met
her wondered why being fair and gentle
should have been visited with Gods wrath.
At last Evangelne sunk under broken heart
amt expired in the arms of good old Mother
BordRt. with an angelic smile on her lips. She
sleeps in her quiet but now unknown grave,
near the little church of the Poste des Attaka-
pas IL is now called the church of ~. Martin.
and is in the center Of the town of st. Martin
vile. As long as Mother Bortlat lived her grave
was kept green and daily strewn with this
elitice. now stand upon the spot where stood
the little church Of the Po,e des Attakapas. and
the grave of Evangoline il unknown 10 any one
living. But il il a facts, satisfactory To all the
old people Of the parish of 81. Martin, that il
was in the immediate vicinity Of st. Martins
church Nearly every parish in Southwest
Louisiana, particularly in the Attakakas coun.
their towns. Poor Emmelrc- -Evangoline; Gods
little eangel.-Willam Henry Perrin in Courier.
journal.