The banner of the South. (Augusta, Ga.) 1868-1870, August 08, 1868, Image 1

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The banner of the South., August 08, 1868, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextVOL. I. [For the Banner of tiie South.] The Rose for Me. The Rose that all are praising Is not the Hose for me, Too many eyes are gazing Upon that costly tree ! But I’ve a Rose in yonder glen, Shunning the gaze of other men, 0, that’s the Rose for me! Where forest shadows deepen, And silver moonbeams play, Where violets lie sleeping, And birds sing merrily, There blooms the jewel of my heart, Far from deluding life apart, 0, that’s the Rose for me ! Where purls the sunny brooklet, Laughing on to the sea, There waves my timid llow’ret, Blushing sweet at me— Blushing amid tho forest wild, Flora’s purest and loveliest child; 0, that’s the Rose for me! When the sun, with golden splendor, Lights up the forest way, With a smile divinely tender, This sweet Rose shrinks away— It shrinks before the sun’s bright beam, But smiles beneath the calm moon-sheen; 0, that’s the Rose for me I Its charms, half hidden with a veil, By beav’nly Flora given, It bows to every passing gale, Then looks again to Heav’n, With a pure, modest, heav’nly grace, Reflected from its timid face; 0, that’s the Rose for me! Compare it not to lily, That rears aloft its head, But to the modest daisy, Beeping from lowly bed. It shims the sickly city air; It will not bloom or blossom there; 0, that's the Rose for me! It sparkled with a beauty bright, Smiling 'mid the clover, Showing by its ever-changing light, What doubts are in a lov’r. It smiles when shines the Summer moon, Rejoicing in its rich perfume; 0, that’s the Rose forme! Others may sigh a richer gem Os brilliant beauty rare, But the rose-bud, in the forest glen, !£ to me more precious far. It blooms for me, for me alone, Far amid the forest gloom; *** 0, that’s the Rose for me! g. Augusta, Ga. [FOE THE BAXNEB OF THE SOUTH.] THE e©UiRET ffiflJii, Translated from M Le Correspocdant.” BY It. D. TANARUS., OF SOUTH CAROLINA. [continued.] XIII. ‘ And,’’ continued the youDg man, who became more and more excited, “it should be your first care to get rid of llm The Coudret Mill, your old home stead, is dear to you—is it not ?” A es! ’ said Xavier, recovering him -trt, for he could never hear his family name mentioned with indifference. “And, mere!ore, you like to be master—sole master of it ?•'* “ Yes ” ‘ lliat is the reason why”— Here Jean Marie interrupted himself suddenly, pressing his hand on the old mans shoulder— See here, Here Coudret—you take Bic to be an honest man, do y’ou not ?’’ Purely, ’ replied Xavier, who did not u ei tins assertion without a certain air o uncertainty, as though he would ques t o- 1 himself as to the consequences of it. And is it not true that you have great^confidence in me ?” “ Surely,” replied Xavier, with an air °! restraint, which Jean Marie evidently , h Ol care to recognise, for he hurried ly said— I'M lien! leave it to me then to act:’ And lie began to run off. Hut, Xavier detained him— “ Act in what way ?” he said, to the great surprise of Jean Marie, who seemed to find this sudden desire to control him rather inopportune. “Do you under stand me ? I would like to know”— “ To know ? to know ?” said Jean Marie in a most uncivil manner. “How can you wish to know what I do not know myself? When I say : Leave it to me to act —I mean to say—let me reflect, let me think. This business needs much thought”— “Ah well!” and Xavier gave it up. “ Any how,” said Jean Marie, and there was a slight shade of irony in his tone, “ are you afraid I would do any thing without consulting with you?” “ Not the least in the world,” replied Xavier, who on his part, though affect ing a certain cordiality, had that in his manner, which might have shown his con sequential guest, that, in the Coudret Mill, he (Xavier,) w T as master of his own ac tions. He seemed anxious now to get away —but Jean Marie, on the contrary, tried to keep him, doubtless thinking it best to try and recover the slight advan tage he felt that he had lost, while he had' possession of him. “ You understand well, Pere Coudret,” replied he, with familiar courtesy; “ this is no trifling affair. No matter how cau tious we may be, we must take our time, and think well before we act, that we may not trip in our first step, or risk spoiling every thing. But, be satisfied ; we have prudence and wisdom.” And Jean Marie drew himself up wfith an air of entire self-confidence. “ Well,” said Xavier very quietly. Jean Marie continued with increased pomposity : “ What remains to be found out, Mon Dieu ! it may be a very simple, or a very difficult matter. It is the only 7 way of testing your powers against that of the man ; the” “ Yes,” coldly replied Xavier. And Jean Marie drew himself up higher still. “ Give yourself no trouble, then, we will find a way of doing all this; you do not doubt it, do you ?” “No !” “Do you see ? It is this man’s pre sence which spoils every thing. The means once found of dismissing him, I will act promptly, or rather, you will. The man is dismissed, he goes. The little one will struggle against it just a little at first—we must expect that. But it will only be for a day or two—it will soon be over. I will predict that, in less than a week, she will think no more of it. l T ou, of course, in the meanwhile, will try to bring her to a proper state of feeling. From the moment the other influence is removed from her, and no longer secretly conflicts with your prudent counsel, she will respect what you say to her, and, gradually, her better nature will tri umph. All this will come about natu rally and easily. l r ou understand me.” “ Yes,” said Xavier, quietly. “ And then,” added Jean Marie, with some hesitation, for he was beginning to be nettled at the continued coldness of his auditor : “ And then ?” said Xavier, with freez ing coldness, and more as it were for form sake. “Ah! Then you will see what will happen. We must let some little time transpire, however, that this may not seem a fine plan concocted between us. At the end of the time you will notify me ; I will then return to the Mill on some pretext. The old lover here no longer, the young girl naturally feels no aversion for the young one. For the last happy change in her feelings, I will be responsible as soon as I will have a fair chance. One does not carry his tougue, or his wit, in his pocket, but makes use of both to some purpose on such occa sions. In short, then, she says yes; you do not say no. The day is fixed—the bans are published—the day comes round we go before the Mayor and the Priest, AUGUSTA, GA, AUGUST 8, 1868. and you will be at the height of felicity ; you will have a son-in-law ! Is not this the way in which things should go, and in which, in fact, they shall go ? He ! Papa Coudret, is not this finely settled ?” “ Exactly so,” replied Xavier, with the utmost indifference. “Now,” continued Jean Marie, his two hands in the pockets of his vest, his eyes and head bent down, “ now I am going to think” “ Yes, do,”said the old man ; “ think; but bear it in mind, it is perfectly under stood, that you will do nothing, either to day, or any other day, without my know ledge.” “ Oh, be perfectly easy ; be perfectly tranquil about that.” “ Yes, I am tranquil,” said Xavier, who might almost have spared himself the trouble of this announcement. And he returned to the Mill, leaviug Jean Marie at liberty to think to his heart’s content in the fresh morning air. XIV. PASSER —WEST PAS JO HER. Though possessed by one fixed idea, which he did not hesitate to acknowledge —as on the present occasion—Xavier Coudret appeared to be a man who could be easily managed by any one who would know how to gain an influence over him. But this was not so—he was by no means weak-minded, nor could he be said to be wanting in firmness or strength of char acter. “ This is fine,” lie said to himself, on leaving Jean Marie, “ here is a young chap who seems disposed to take liberties here, that I am not all inclined to tolerate. If I had not reined him up a little just now, there is no telling where he would have stopped. With his 1 laissez moi faire ,’ and his laissez moi dire Vet patali, etpatataP With his cunning and his wisdom, and his strutting, and his impu dence, Heaven only knows what fine doings he would have had in my house. This all very fine, Jean Marie Nivard! all very fine! But you said yourself, just now, ‘at the Coudret Mill, there could be but one master,’ and I will prove that to you , as well as to others. My preten tious young friend would like to make some disturbance, some change in my household, But none of that for me. We must mind the old proverb, ‘ Lawns noire petit linge entre nous this is the best plan. Ido not intend anything else, nor shall it be otherwise.” It here occurred to Xavier, however, to ask himself if he had not some feeling of self-reproach in this affair ; and he was obliged to admit, to his great regret, that, in this delicate matter, his own conduct had not been free from blame. He regretted the imprudent manner in which he had confided in Jean Marie. Such confidence being a formal recogni tion of the role his self-important guest had taken upon himself, and also a re nunciation, on his part, of all right of precedence in the matter ; admitting, at the same time, a proper want of discern ment, and the necessity of an intelligent auxiliary. Had he not made his private affairs al most the business of this stranger ? and could he blame any one but himself, if this same stranger meddled in the most inso lent and arbitrary manner in a debate, where, in short, he could pretend to no thing, except, perhaps, the honor of find ing the clue to the affair ? This honor Xavier, unfortunately, could not take from him, if he would; because, while deploring that Jean Marie bad been mixed up in any way in the matter, and fearing that be had made up his mind to take an active part in it, he was still obliged to admit that it was only Jean Marie who had been able to throw any 7 light on this hitherto incomprehensible subject. Why had he not received Jean Marie’s opinion without desiring to attach too much consequence to it—reserving to himself the right of acting on it. After having gained some important facts, by aid of this advice, what deplora ble leeling of weakness, or fear, had prompted him to refer the solution of these delicate family differences to a conceited busy-body, whose penetration once ad mitted, felt himself authorised, from this fact, to intrude his unsought and disa greeable co-operation ? Was his secret so difficult to be kept ? These regrets presented themselves to Xavier, and to regret soon followed un easiness. Would it be possible for him to put a stop to Jean Marie’s interference, either by asserting—spite of all evidence to the contrary—that lie thought him on a wrong track ? or should he try to bind him to observe a kind of neutrality ?. Even if he could succeed in getting rid of him— Jean Marie—who had come there with the acknowledged purpose of sifting to the very foundation the cause of the affront given his touchy self-love, Jean Marie, who felt sure that he had given undenia ble proof, on this occasion, of wonderful sagacity, might he not take an offense which would urge him to give out the secret of the Coudret Mill as food for the greedy gossip of the Canton ? But, if he could not succeed either in effecting a change in his opinion, nor in inducing him to remain passive, or if it should be impossible for him to put a stop to his proceedings until be had, per haps, made some progress in his investi gations, what might he not invent ? what might he not attempt? What scandalous notoriety they might have to fear from his iusolcnt interference ? So many questions, and so many more diffi culties presenting themselves to the not over-fertile brain of Xavier, made him feel most uncomfortably. Perhaps, had he been able to draw a less complicated conclusion from this chaos of doubt and perplexity, he would have realized the fact, that he no longer felt any interest in Jean Marie himself, and, as it was, smiled but faintly at the idea ot owing to him the accomplishment of his most cherished dream. How are we to explain this sudden change. Are we to see in it simply the result of a fuller knowledge of the arrogance and presumption of the young man, making the old miller dread the consequences for the future happiness of the cherished grand-child ? or did he recognize in the fact, that feeling of suspicion that prompts us, almost instinctively, to shut our eyes to an obligation, when we find in it stiong confirmation oi our own weakness and in feriority ? Whatever might be its precedent, or its consequences, Xavier could not deceive himself that the line of conduct he was obliged to observe towards Jean Marie presented singular complications and dif ficulties ; and lie was, moreover, compelled to admit that he felt but little qualified for the crooked dealings and miserable subterfuges that alone could enable him to cope with his annoying and disagreea ble guest. After thinking deeply, however, Xavier concluded that, in a position where it might prove as dangerous to handle one weapon as another, a good tactician would, doubtless, refrain from using any 7; so he determined that he would remain inactive, and thus gain time. He then returned to the Mill, and sought Luc, to whom he spoke as one in whose discre tion he had the fullest confidence : “ You must put aside all other work,” he said, “to attend to this young man’s grain. He is quite tired at the Mill; be sides, he is much hurried, and wishes to take his flour off.” Luc nodded a silent assent. “ Beginning at once, how soon can you get through ?” Luc measured the sacks with a glance. “ To-morrow—by twelve o’clock.” “ Good ! Sooner, if possible. Turn all the water on the wheel, if need be ! Do you understand ? Only let me get through with it at once.” Luc glanced at the hopper, and seeing it empty, took hold of one of Jean Marie’s sacks, which he proceeded to open. Xavier went down to the well, where, finding Margaret and the servant-girl, he said casually before them that he was going as far as Saint Blaise (a neigh boring village,) to meet one of the farm ers, who had requested him to go there on business of importance; adding that he would not be absent longer than an hour or two. Then, starting off by a road directly opposite to that in which he had left Jean Marie indulging in meditation, Xavier trudged along with the greatest possible speed, saving to himself, “ after all, passer nest pas jouer /” But though he walked along with a more satisfied air after this wise conclu sion, we are compelled to chrouicle the fact that Xavier cast very nervous and uneasy glances behind him. XY. AN ACT OF FRIENDSHIP. About an hour later, Jean Marie en tered the Mill-yard with the triumphant air of the conqueror who takes possession of a city that has just surrendered ; and, looking for Xavier, he searched for him in every part of the Mill and yard. He failed not to notice—though he could not complain of it—that the Mill was at work upon the grain ; and knew, of course, that every turn of the stones lessened by so much the time that ho had left to him under the roof of Xavier Coudret. Acting under this consideration—to which he gave due weight—Jean Marie passed his anxious search for Xavier, and, meeting the servant girl, felt more than ever annoyed when she told him what she had heard her master say about his ab sence. He could scarcely restrain his impatience ; and, going out iuto the yard, moved about in every direction, feeling that it was so much lost of the precious moments he hoped to have employed so profitably—moments that the irrepressi ble activity of the mill-stones so merciless ly lessened. It was worse still, when, towards one o’clock, a young lad came up to him, and delivered a message which he said he had received from Monsieur Coudret, at Saint Blaise. Knowing that this lad had to pass by the Coudret Mill, Xavier had requested him to stop and let his home folks know that he had been detained, and would not be back in time for dinner. They, there fore, dined without him, and it was some what of a trial to Jean Marie’s assurance, to have only Luc and Margaret for bis companion during the meal—Etienne be ing out until night, as was not infre quently the case. Heaven only knows what an eternity it seemed to him, UDtil lie could rise and leave the table, re turning eagerly to his ante-prandial em ployment ot scanning the horizon at every point. He walked about the yard, looked up and down the road, then has tened back to. the Mill, which he again explored, to assure himself that the old man had not returned by the opposite road. Then he glanced piteously at the sacks, which seemed to lessen with cruel rapidity, then at Luc, who appeared to feel a malicious satisfaction in emptying grain into the greedy hopper. Lastly, he encountered Margaret, whose glance of scorn and defiance by no means helped to calm his feverish agitation. It is certain that he was anything but at his ease there, yet, straDge to say, he became less and less disposed to leave this provoking household. The sun had nearly set, when Jean Marie, from his post of observation, some little distance from the Mill, saw Etienne returning, with his cart, by the very road Xavier had taken in the morning. He could not resist asking him, if. by chance, he had seen anything of his master ? Etienne quietly told him he had not ISTo. 21.