New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1906-06-02
The ENTERPRISE
AND OBSERVER CONSOLIDATED,
Official Journal OF Iberia Parish.
SUBSCRIPTION. $50 PER ANHUx.
TRUE STORY OF EvAN0ELINE


"Emeline Labiche, Petoits, was an
orphan girl whose parents had died
when she was quite child, | had
taken her to my home and raised her
as my own daughter. How sweet
tempered, how loving she was. She
had grown to womanhood with all the
attractions of her sex, and, although
not beauty in the sense usually Civ
EN- to that word, she was looked upon
as the handsome girl in st. Gabriel.
| Her fine, transparent, hazel eyes mir
rored faithfully her pure thoughts;
her bewitching smile; her dark brown
hair waving in grateful undulations
on her intelligent forehead and fail
ing in ringlets on her shoulders; her
slender, symmetrical shape. all con-
tributed to her most attractive pic
ture of maiden loveliness
Emiline, who had just completed
her sixteenth year, was on the eve Of
marrying most deserving, laborious
and well.to-do young man of st. Cab
riel, named Louis Arceneaux. Their
mutual love dated from their earliest
years, and all agreed that Providence
willed their union as man and wife,
she the fairest young maiden, he the
most deserving youth of st. Gabriel
'Their bans had been published in
the village church, the nuptial day
was fixed and their long love dream
was about to be realized when the bar
barous scattering Of our colony took
place
"Our oppressors had driven us to-
wards the seashorc, where their ships
rode at achor, and Louis, resisting,
was brutally wounded. Emeline
had witnessed the whole scene. Her
lover was carried on board OF one of
the ships. the anchor was weighed
and stiff breeze soon drove the yes
sci out of sight Emeline, fearless
and speechless, stood fixed to the spot,
motionless as a statne aud, when tho
white sail vanished In the distance
she uttered wild piercing shrek,
and fell fainting to the ground.
When she came to she cIasped me
in her arms and in an agony of grief
she sobbed piteously. Mother Moth
err said she in broken words; he is
gone; they killed him. What will
become of me?'
Il soothed her grief with endear-
ing words until she wept freely. By
degrees it's violence subsded, but the
sadness of her countenance betokened
the sorrow that prayed ON her heart.
never to be contaminated by her love
for another one.
"Thus she lived in our midst always
sweet t-tempered, with such sadness
depicted in her countenance, aud
with smiles so sorrowful that we had
grown to look upon her as not of this
earth, but rather as our guardian an
gel, and this was why we called her no
longer Emerline but, Evangeline, or
Gods little angel.
1.-THE sequel Of her story is not
gay, Petiots, and my poor old heart
breaks whenever l recall the misery
Of her fate" and while our grand. {
mother spoke thus her whole figure {
was tremulous with emotion. 1
Grandmother, we said 1--WE feel
10 deeply interested in Evangeline,
5od's little angel do tell us what
,efell her afterwards"
Petiots, how can | resist your,
Detition2 will now tell you what
became of poor Emeline'' and after
having remained while in thought
Ful reverie she resumed her narrative.
Emeline Petiots, had been exiled
70 Maryland with me- She was, as
have told you, my adopted child,
and loved her with a mothers love.
She dwelt with me, and she followed
me in my long, weary pilgrimage
from Maryland to Louisiana. 1 shall
not speak to you OF the many dangers
that beset us on our way, and of the
obstascles we had to-azercome to reach
Louisiana. This ~ q be anticipat-
Ing what remains tor me to relate to
you. When we reached the Tecbe
,ountry rs the Poste des Attakapas,
We found there the whole population
to welcome us. As we
walked from the boat Emeline walked
by my side but seemed not to admire
the beautiful landscape extending ON
all sides. Alas, IL was of no moment
to her whether she strolled ON the
poetical banks Of the Teche or ram
bled in the picturesque sites Of bospit-
able Maryland; she lived in the past,
and her soul was absorbed in her
regret Of that past For
her the universe had lost the prestige