Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-05
In Bonaparte's Times.
Mary Said It and Meant
Too.

For 20 yearS-and that, | humbIy
thank Providence, is more than half
my age, whatever that envious spins
ter, Miss Tabitha Davies, may say to
the contrary-our beloved land has
been passing through assuredIy the
most solicitous and perhaps the most
glorious times she has known. The ig-
norant herd, indeed, happy in their
ignorance, have pursued their avoca-
tons in blessed uncor sciousness of the
perils which surrounded them But
we of the genteeler sort, who read the
journals and know the affairs of our
own and other nations have had to
pay the penalty Of our superior knoWl-
edge in nightly wacchings and alarms.
There has scarce been week in all
that peruous time when | have not had
strong convictions-happily falsified-
that ere another month had passed the
tyrant would land and march through
the country, ravaging and destroying.
Even now in this year of grace, when
at last the foul usurper is laid low,
condemned to lifelong exile in lonely
island in the vicinity of Africa, l mar
vel to think how so many English
women managed to live through that
period of doubt and danger worse than
death.
Yet l owe much to the first consul
(for no other title would aver give
him). If he had not sent M de RIOS
ny's corps in charge of a battering
train, that gallant gentleman, French
private though he was, would never
have been taken prisoner at sea by our
brave Sir Sydney Smith, and if M. de
Rosny had never been taken prisoner
| might have married Mr. --. But
am too precipitate. Let me begin at
the beginning.
Thanks to a benevolent destiny,
am of genteel origin; for it my hOnored
father was but a wheelwright, my
mother was the daughter of a minister
of religion a clergyman of the eStab-
Hshed faith. This circumstance made
us looked up to ana respected by our
neighbOrs, and | cannot doubt that 1t
induced Squire Vaughan to choose me
as his daughters maid and companion
when it pleased heaven to take from
MIN his beloved wife. l was but a
child at the time, but from the first /
remember that | was treated less as a
maid Than a companion. l was per-
mitted to share in all Miss Valerie's
studies, and thus received an education
befitting one of my descent, and at all
times | enjoyed her confidence and af-
lection.
Mrs. Vaughan had been a French
woman, and so it happened that while
the times were safe we visited her ma
tive land on three different occasions,
and it was there that Miss Valerie first
met young De RO5ny, then but boy.
Dear me! child as | was, | saw very
soon what the outcome of their friend
ship would be, and sure enough, be-
fore Miss Valerie was 16 she had lost
her heart to him. Of course, she told
me all about it, and there was not a
chit of II in the two countries as
proud as l was to take part, though
only as sole contidante of my mistress,
in a real love affair.
Not a soul was trusted with the
secret but myself; and for two years
the lovers only net or correspondent
IN secrecy. l am Convinced now that
they might have avowed their love
openly without risk of any restrictions
being put upon their meeting; for Mr.
Vaughan delighted to crafty every
1t 4
was almost as fond of NJ de Rosny as
she herself; but then it was so much
more romantic to oppose a necessity
for stolen meetings and stealthy cor
respondence. Poor things! they soon
had romance enough and to spare, for
NJ de Rosny was of the nobility, and
his uncle, whose heir was. died on the
scaffold, and his estate was forfeited
to his murderers for | never believed
that the vile wretches who sent the
French noblesse to tha guillot;ne al
lowed any one but themselves to share
in plumber of their property.
think of it, Mary, dearr cried my
dear young mistress to me, when heT
lovers letter came (under cover to me-
announcing the dreadful news. My
poor Honore is a mendicant; he has
nothing; he must beg his way from
door to door. l must fly to him and
share his poverty"
However, it turned out that he was
not quite ruined. Indeed, some PEG
pie would have considered his poverty
riches. He managed to sell all his
personal estate and to send what i
fetched-some thousands of pounds,
believe-over here to Mr. Maugha1
for investment in English securities
So far he Jared we'll. But his life was
not safe, and he was in constant dreaC
of being arrested and sent to share hi:
uncle's fate. He. therefore, disguised
himself and tried to escape to thi.
country. But being seized as a sus
pect, he was glad enough to save hi
life and gain his liberty by enlisting il
the army.
He was sent first to Egypt, then t.
Syria, and was while on his way thert
that his ship fell in with good 81
Sidney Smith; and a sorrowful day i
was for that French ship and a!
aboard her. For those who were no
killed in the fight were taken pris
oners and sent to England.