Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-03-04
LEON KHRPE, Prop.

4 tCahS Will iCi eiSiCis. hss> utiiilc an I,
hsr daughter, was talking: "Mother
came to New Orleans in lS4l," she was
saying. mo, daughter, it was $780,"
corrected the aged mother.
Miss Howell, who later became Mrs.
Jefferson Davis, was one Of Mrs. Vallee's
dearest friends. In New Orleans the
young Irish woman became the wife of
John William Parr, who followed the
fortunes Of the Confederacy and stayed
close to its president until the close of
the war. Mrs. Vallee knew President
Davis well, and when her husband went
with the leader from New Orleans to
Mobile, and later to Richmond, she pres
emily followed, and was in the Confed-
crate capital when the troops in gray
marched out TO the battlefield of Manas-
sas. She was in Richmond, too, when
orders were issued by the Union COM
mander to lombard the city, and it was
only then that she left for tho South to
join the other members of her family in
New Orleans.
After the death of her first husband,
she became the wife of John Baptiste
Vallee, Normandy Frenchman of high
birth, whose father was o soldier of the
great Napoleon, member of the Old
Guard, who had been driven into exile
after Waterloo. "You should have heard
him sing the 'Marseillaise," exclaimed
Mrs. Vallee. GAN the neighbors, when
they would come in to visit us, would
ask him to sing, but he did not like to
sing that song because it made the tears
come to his eyes"
The "carpet-baggers'' got all of Mrs.
Vallee's property in New Orleans, and
the family moved to st. Joseph. in north
ern Louisiana-''Loo-e-zee- anna" Mrs.
Vallee calls it. There they lived until
five years ago, running little store.
Five years ago drummer dropped
into the little shop and told them about
Fort Worth. Mrs. Vallee was tired Ct
the swamps and the overfows, and of
the constant dread that the levees would
break. She herself made the suggestion
that she and her daughter should move
to Fort Worth, and at the age of 90 Re-
came pioneer. Arriving in Forth Worth. |
she and her daughter sought the highest |
point they could find available, and set
out afresh in business as store keepers.
Mrs. Vallee had fall ten years ago
and for two years thereafter could not
walk stop. She has recovered sufficient
ly to get around the house readily with a
crutch.
II know that should be very thank
full for all my blessings, said Mrs. vallee.
II know that it is wonderful that at my
age should retain my faculties to such
a degles. My hearing, as you have no.
ticed, is as good as ever, and 1 can re-
member the name Of my girlhood friends
back in Ireland as well as can those OF
my newer friends. My daughter and l
live here together, happy as two queens.
She never quarrels with me, and 10 never
inpatient, except when l want to help
Ter with the homework. She thinks I
10 too much, sometimes. may live to
De hundred, but am Indifferent. When
he change comes, shall face it pleas
mt and smiling. One lives to learn, and
o be better. The nearer one gets to the I
rave, the better they should te, and 9
m trying to he ready. / have always
owed God. l know that when was Just
little girl, if | should be brushing about
he house, and should find piece of |
aper with the word God on it | n
'ould put it away carefully. was reared /
Presbyterian, but when l got to he
Dung woman became a Catholic.
elieve everyone should follow their con- II;
hence and join the church they think O
nearest the truth. After all, there is no h
Ie worth living but the Christian life. o
has made me happy all the time"
Mrs. Vallee is looking forward to a :,
rthday party May l6. She has many +
lends in Fort Worth, and sine, coming :
re has found one old lady who also o
me from County Armagh. Il