The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-06-11
ROUTED BY GIRLS.

ROUTED BY GIRLS.
The Marquise Therese de Lionne, the
most adorable old lady in the world,
grandmother, with fiuttering little curls
and the laughing eyes Of a child, has
but one fault, and that 80 grave a one
that you would hardly believe it.
Dainty and pretty az she is, and grande
dame to the tips Of her taper fingers,
she ppnctuates her most ordinary con-
versation with the strangest Of oaths.
At the slightest provocation, or on no
provocation at all, she will come out
with "The deucei' or 1.-THE devilp' or
even q "Damn!" that shocks every one
who hears her "It's an old habit Of
mine" she explains, "and cling to it
because it is an old one. And then, she
adds, with a gay smile, "it saved me
once from the greatest peril woman
can run"
And here is the story as the marquise
tells it:
''Old though I am, am not a Very
serious person; but as little girl-ah,
how long ago that was, how long ago!
Il was the greatest madcap that ever
got out of breath chasing butterflies, or
tore her gown and left her hair ribbons
on the hawthorn trees, though that did
not prevent me-egad! would you be-
lieve it, at 14l-from being very much
interested even then in the handsome
hussar, gold laced, embroidered and be-
dizened, who adorned the front pages of
the romances Of that day.
Naturally my friends were hardly
less feather Drained than I. You would
have to search long to find q dovecot
more full of turbulent chatter and
laughter and flights Of song than the
Convent Of the Sacred Heart, where I
took my vows-never to be q nun.
''It was in the evening that we used
to play our greatest pranks. We had
discovered q way to slip out Of the dor
mitory without waking up the sister
who was supposed to guard over us. As
soon as she was asleep, we would creep
down stairs into the great dark garden,
carrying with us tablets Of chocolate, a
coffee pot, and an alcohol lamp, and,
climbing up to a favorite perch high in
an old oak tree, we would make choco-
late and drink it triumphantly in the
darkness
SIN the town where this convent was,
there was also q garrison. The walls Of
our garden were very high, and we never
80 much as set eyes on q uniform but
walls that prevent seeing, do not pre-
vent hearing. The officers and common
soldiers-naturally attracted by the
presence Of SO many girls, I suppose
used to stroll along on the other side of
our wall in the evenings, chattering to-
gether, and we girls used to listen. We
could hear them so welll They would
describe what they had done in battle,
or what they would do in case there
should be q war, and when they got ex.
cited, they used to talk in the most blood.
thirsty way. It was terrifying to hear
them, but so fascinatingl And what
formidable oaths they usedi We could
remember few Of them.
Zone day, as we were walking to-
gether in one Of the paths. Eveline dc
Sabran exclaimed, BY thunder. girls,
this is devilish fine eveningp
"It was a revelationl From that time
forth, the entire convent, inspired by
her example, began to pepper their con
versation with oaths that would have
done credit to Napoleonic veterans. Ani
we did not content ourselves with the
garrison expletives overheard across tht
wall We recalled peasant profanity WI
had heard years before, and hunted
through romances to find the oaths o.
fine gentlemen. roisterers, and serving
maids It was not long before we hat
acquired special and remarkable erudi
tion in that line.
''As you may imagine, it was not il
the classes, before the pious ears O
the sisters, that we aired our new &C
complishment. In the daytime we
swore only before the abbess, who wa
deaf as o post. But as soon as nigh
came-oh, we did not think Of chocolat,
any more, you may be sure-we met OF
the lawn under tie big oak and had {
grand time. Deuce take itl Jane d.
Sesux would begin. l would follow
with by thunder, blast your eyesr ant
the others would chorus Devil fly 'way
with me. 'Damme, sir!' BY r ladyl
Ten hundred thousand devilsi' Crap
and canisterl' Thunder and lightningi
'Confound itp To see rs strutting abou
with our hands ON our hips or twirlini
imaginary mustaches, with our littl'
voices coming from the bottoms Of oul
boots, you would think we were NOR
terrible than regiment Of Dragons "
As she said this, the mArquise burs
into peal Of merry laughter, and imi
tating the childish uproar Of the pre-
cocious blasphemers, the gentle old lad.
swore delightedly.
''It must have been an amusing
scene" we said laughing, "but W
don't see the danger it saved you from. ;
'Devil take you, my dears, she re
piled, "how impatient you arel" AM
. checking. her laughter, she continues
her story:
AFTER the convent comes marriage
after the mother superior, a superior Q
another kind. N. de 'Lionne was pre-