(fl
IV IE V.
'WE GO WHERE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES POINT THE WAY ; WHEN THEY CEASE TO LEAD, WE CEASE TO FOLLOW.
BY JOHN G. GIVEN.
EBENS13URG, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1840.
VOL. . NO. 7.
M I S O 2 L L A IT E O U S
PanlineA nistoric Sketch.
BY PERCY B. ST. JOHN".
Pauline was an orphan adopted by
some worthy citizen of Rue St. Honore,
Paris, who having1 brought her up to the
age of sixteen, had placed her in his shop
a perfume warehouseto dispense his
goods at the counter. Women in France
are almost universally the practical heads
of commercial establishments. The mas
ter of the house, when he does not lounge
away in the cafe, play billiards or cards
half the day, or walk about like one living
on his means, is contented to occupy a
dignified and retired position, attending,
not to the sales, but to the wholesale pur
chases. But such was not the case with
M. Boulard, the adopted father of Pauline,
lie and his wife shared the labors of the
ithop together; he keeping the books, while
Pauline and Madam Boulard attended to
the details. The young girl was very
pretty and very modest, and her presence
contributed not a little to the success of
the business. The good couple, having
no children of their own, had manifested
their intention of making Pauline their
heiress, and this added to the charm which
hung over the perfumer's store.
Pauline had many lovers, a great many
as young ladies who are pretty, modest
and virtuous are apt to have, especially
when rich; for although the world is not
half so wicked and selfish as certain per
sons fancy, yet a grain of interested love
will always peep out among the truest sui
tors, i wo lovers were chiefly assiduous i
in their attentions: the one, a rich shop- j
keeper of the same street; the other a poor j
frotieur. Both weie young, tolerably j
good looking, and it would be hard to say
which was most deserving. But Monsieur
Alexis Laparut was rich: and Jean Pro
vost was poor. It will be readily under
stood that the parents of Pauline would
not have hesitated in their choice; but
they knew only of the affections ot Alexis;
ixTat of Jean was concealed even from him
self. Alexis came often to the house un
der one pretence or another, and was al
ways favorably received. The good Bou
lards were highly flattered at his prefer
ence. Pauline liked his frank open man
ners, and always greeted him with a
smile. The frotteur one who waxes
and shines by means of rubbing floors of
rooms came to the house in the exercise
of his trade. lie always bowed low to
Pauline, and asked her how she was; and
even on her fete day brought a single rose
which was graciously received. Jean was
also a commissioner, and ran on errands,
and often came to the house to buy per
fumes, soap, &.C., for lus employers, who
appreciated his honesty and desire for
work, freely trusted him with purchases.
How happy Jean was if . Pauline only
served him; and how gentle and respectful I
were his tones, and how little he concealed 1
his happiness if she gave him a good natu
red word! Pauline could scarcely be blind
to the open love of Alexis, or the conceal
ed affection of the poor frotteur; but how
ever this may be, she said nothing; and
appeared to notice neither. But young
Laparut bad spoken to old Boulard, Bou
lard had spoken to his wife, and his wife
to the young girl; but she kissed her adopt
ed mother so affectionately and said so
gently that she wished not to leave home,
that the worthy woman was silent, and put
off a little while any serious discussion of
t!.e matter.
Jean, meanwhile become somber and
thoughtful, he dared not hope, he dared
not even think of making an offer; he, a
poor workman with uncertain means of
obtaining a livelihood, and so far beneath
the position of her he loved. Had she
-been an unfriended orphan, without home,
he would have joyfully offered his heart,
and the only fortune he had honest la
bor. While thus depressed, an event oc
curred which drove Pauline completely
out of his thoughts. One day he was sent
for to wax the floors of a house near the
Palais Royal, the apartments of which
were generally devoted to the pleasure
parties of the courtiers. Jean, who was
well known and trusted, was told to wax
the floor of every room then unoccupied.
He obeyed, and soon found himself in a
chamber, of luxurious appearance, sur
rounded by pictures which told of rural
love and happiness. Jean had seen them
often before; but they had never affected
him so much, and forgetting time, place
and his duties, he leant on the stick which
held the wax, and fell into deep thought.
Suddenly he was startled by voices in the
next room; a horrible sentence caught his
ear and justified his listening. Pale and
terrified he hearkened to every word, and
moved not,'for fear of being discovered.
He had discovered an awful and frightful
secret; and he was a dead man if caught
in that room, the ill joined wainscot of
'.vhieh allowed crrv thing- in the nxt to
be distinctly heard. 'What shall I do?'
thought he to himself: 'to-morrow is the
fete of St. Louis: I have no time to lose.'
Jean left the room on the tip-toe, and
with the utmost caution; then descending
the stairs, feigned to leave for dinner. No
sooner was he clear of the house, than he
made for the prefecture of police, and en
tered the hotel, asked to see the lieutenant.
The servants replied that he could not be
seen. It was 2 o'clock, and the fashiona
ble dinner hour of that day now six
hours later. Not a valet dared disturd M.
de Belisle from his meal: But Jean insist
ed, stormed, implored; and at last, as they
seized him by the shoulders to pich him
out, 'Do not drive me out. I must see
Monseur de Belisle the king's life is in
danger!'
It was on the eve of St. Louis, 1738,
and the king was Louis XV. The ser
vants hesitated, looked at one another, and
the agsnt of police, struck by tha man's
tone, bade them pause.
'Go, repeat his words to Monseur le
Lieutenant,' said he; 'and show this per
son into his private cabinet.'
Jean recovering iiis breath, followed his
guide, and soon found himself face to face
with the magistrate, whose mien was se
vere and inquisitive, and even incredulous.
He bade the frotteur sit down and asked
him his business in a somewhat petulant
tone the tone of a man disturbed in the
midst of his dinner.
'I come sir,' said Jean firmly, 'to inform
you of a plot against the king's life.
I am informed of such plots every day,'
replied the prefect, who was used to pre
tended denunciations from persons aiming
at exciting attention and gaining money.
But let me hear the details.'
Jean related ill the reader knows, and
added that the attempt on the king's life
was to be made on that evening at the re
ception on the occasion of the eve of the
fete of St. Louis, when it was usual to
present the monarch with boquets of flow
ers. One of these was to contain a poison
so subtle, that the king on smelling it,
would fall as if struck with appoplexy.
Belisle looked at Jean. Ilis mien was agi
tated: lie was profoundly moved. Iiis
handsome and honest features were exci
ted, as if by deep indignation: The pallor
of horror was on his countenance. But
the prefect of police, remembering the
pretended revelations of La Tude and oth- i
ers, was not wholly convinced.
'Are you sure,' said he to Jean, 'that
you have heard what you tell me? Be
careful. If you have done this from a
mere motive of cupidity, and invented a
fable, you will pay dearly for it: the Bas
tile for life '
'Put me to the rack if you like,' cried
Provost: 'it will not alter my words. I
repeat the king is in danger. I offer my
life as security lor my truth!'
'Enough. I believe you. We will go
togciher to Versailles.'
It was a very short time after, when M.
de Belisle and Jean Provost entered the
royal palace of Versailles by the stairs of
the CEil de Bceuf, and arrived secretly at
the king's private apartments. Every
precaution was taken to conceal the pres
ence of the minister of Police from the
courtiers, as thus the conspirators might
guess the discovery of their atrocious plot.
Louis XV. received the lieutenant, and
had with him a long and secret interview.
In fact they parted only when at eight
o'clock, the monarch went into the Hall of
Treaties, to receive the respectful homage
of all the foreign ambassadors, princes,
and courtiers, who on this occasion were
all received in state. The lieutenant of
the police joined Provost, guarded in a
private chamber by two exempts, and sat
down to a hurried meal, in which he invi
ted the frotteur to join him without cere
mony. Meanwhile Louis XV. had entered the
Hall of Treaties and seated himself on the
throne at the end of the apartment. Before
him was the magnificent round table given
to Louis le Grand by the Republic of
Venice, and which was now destined to
receive the spected and rare boquets offer
ed on this occasion .by the royal family,
the grand officers of the household, and
the members of the diplomatic corps to
the king. The crowd was gay and gor
geous. Every variety of costume, bright,
rich and resplendent, shown beneath the
blaze of light which showed off the bril
liance of the diamonds on the women.
The king, who despite his frivolity, had
great courage, and a fund of good sense,
which with other education, would have
made him a' different man, was by no
means moved, but smiled graciously on
Madame de Pompadour, and carressed
her favorite spaniel, which sat upon a
stool between them, and at their feet.
' "This it not borrowed from the poisoning of
Catherine dc Mcdicis. Tiic narrative is his.,
lorical. uurl t be founl in full detail in the
Archives of the nolice.
The ceremony commenced. The king,
as was the custom, took the boquets oue
by one, thanking every giver by some
sprightly word. Pretending to play with
the spaniel, and to repress its indiscreet
caresses, he placed every bunch of flow
ers near the animal's nose, and then laid
it down on the mosaic table. Madame de
Pompadour laughed, but hid her laughter
with her fan.
If they feel hurt?' she said in a whis
per. It is your spaniel, countess,' replied
the king gallantly,
The foreign ministers had precedence,
and had presented their boquets. The
members of the royal family came next,
having courteously allowed the diplomatic
corps to precede them. The king took the
boquet from the hands of the nearest blood I
royal, who stepped back bowing. He
held the flowers to the spaniel's nose; the
poor brute sniffed it, reeled and fell dead!
Madame de Pompadour turned pale, and
would have shrieked, but the king had
warned her by a look.
'Not a word,' whispered he; 'it is noth
ing! Drop the fold of your dress over the
poor animal. It has died to make true the
saying, 'Son of a king brother of a king
-never a king!' '
The ceremony continued, Louis XV.
completely concealing his emotion, while
Madame de Pompadour smothered her
alarm and curiosity'. As soon as all was
over, the king retired to his chamber,
and sent for the lieutenant of he police,
who was at once struck by his solemn
manner.
Am I to arrest the guilty, sire?'
You are correctly informed, Belisle.
Last year the dagger of Damaines; this
time a bunch of flowers; and always from
this quarter. I cannot, nor ought I to pun
ish. 1 ordered you to desist from enquiring
into this mystery. Where is the man who
saved me?'
Close at hand, sire;' replied the lieu
tenant, who knew well whence the blow
came, and also that it descended from too
exalted a hand and too near a relative to
be noticed.
Bring him to me.'
'I am at your orders, sire;' and the lieu
tenant of the police bowed. M. Bertin de
Belisle was far to honest a man to do as
most of his predecessors would have done
used the discovery and kept all the mer
it to themselves.
'I have brought this good man with me,
sire,' continued Bertiu; 'he is in the guard
room, all confused and alarmed at being in
a palace in his rude working dress.
'So much the better,' said the king;
'it is at least an honest costume and an
honest occupation. Bring him in Mon
sieur; I will receive him better than I
would a courtier.'
Bertin went out, and returned leading
the frotteur by the hand. Jean Prevost
bold, stout fellow though he was trem
bled, held down his head, and turned and
twisted his cap in his hands quite unawares
that he was pulling it all to pieces.
Embrace your king,' cried Louis XV.,
with a grateful tear in his eye; 'this is your
first reward.'
Sire,' said Jean, falling on his knees,
'I ask no reward but the feeling of having
saved your majesty.'
Come hither,' and the king seized him,
and kissed him on both cheeks.
I am unworthy of such honor.'
'What can I do for you?' asked Lou
is XV., who was capable of very good
emotions.
'I ask nothing, sire.'
But I insist. Whatever you ask you
shall have.'
If your majesty could give me Pauline,'
whispered Jean Provost,,
'Oh, oh!' laughed Louis XV., once more
himself again; 'a love affair. Come, the
frotteur shall sup to night, with the king
whose life he saved and tell his story.
Belisle, send a coach for him in the morn
ing, or rather come yourself. I will give
you further instructions about this matter.
But silence, my friend: not a word.'
The lieutenant of the police retired, and
Louis XV., who was always delighted at
novelty and unexpected amusement, took
the frotteur just as he was, to the Trianon,
where he was to sup with Madame de
Pompadonr; and there, in the presence of
the beautiful court favorite, made him tell
his story, which Jean did with a naviette,
truth and sincerity which deeply interested
the king, used wholly to another atmos
phere. Next morning Louis, after shak
ing Jean warmly by the hand, and hold
ing a private conference with Belisle, said
you shall have a house in the park, my
friend, near the Trianon. You shall be
honorary head gardener, with a hundred
louis a month for your salary, and every
morning you shall bring me a boquet. I
shall thus never forget you, nor the cause
which compels my everlasting gratitude.
Next morning at an early hour, before
the business of the dav commenced, and
while a porter was taking down the shut
ters of the shop, M. Boulard called his
wife and Pauline into his little office.
The good man's air was grave and a little
annoyed. He had gone out the previous
evening, and returned at a late hour.
Pauline had long since retired to rest, but
M. Boulard had held a long conference
with wife. The excellent citizen spoke
with animation, and not without a little
anger, but finally cooled down before the
soothing ot his wife.
Besides,' said he triumphantly, 'she
can never hesitate. Bah! prefer a wretch
ed frotteur to a substantial citizen nev
er!' Pauline,' began M. Boulard in the mor
ning, 4I must speak seriously to you. It
seems your marriage must be decided on
at once, since high people have troubled
themselves about it. But that I have spo
ken myself with the minister of police I
should think never mind; I am not a fool.
But of course I should be wrong. Well,
Pauline, you must this morning decide.
Two lovers are at your feet Alexis; and,
you will never believe it, Jean Provost, the
frotteur! Isn't it ridiculous?'
Dear father, excuse poor Jean,' stam
mered Pauline.
I knew you would forgive him, child.
But now you must decide freely, of your
own will between them. We have our
wishes; but that is nothing; we leave you
wholly unbiassed. Speak out like a good
girl, and speak frankly.
But my dear father, I have no wish to
marry.'
But child, you must. You shall know
the reason another time. So now, child,
you must speak out. Which is it to be
Alexis or Jean,'
Must I speak now?' said Pauline blush
ing.
Yes, child.' put in Madame Boulard;
'it is absolutely necessary.'
Then, dear papa dear mamma, if its all
the same to you, I like Alexis '
I knew it!' cried the delighted Boulard.
Very well; but I love Jean.' And
Pauline buried her pretty, blushing poul
ting face in her hands.
The perfumer looked at his wife, his
wife looked at him, and both cried 'I never
would have thought it!.
But perhaps it's for the 6est,' said Mad
ame Boulard resignedly.
Perhaps,' replied Boulard with a mel
ancholly shake of his head. 'Oh woman,
woman!'
A knock came to the door, and then
Jean Prevost entered, so well dressed, so j
proudly happy, so handsome, that all
started.
I am come to know my fate,' cried
he, but the rogue had heard the last words
of the old conple through the half-opened
door.
She is vours.' cried M. Boulard with a
sigh, 'though what a poor frotteur can want j
with such a wile is more than I can ima
gine.' I am not a poor frotteur, 'said Jean, 'I
am honorary head gardener of the royal
gardens of Versailles, with a hundred louis
of monthly income, and a house large e
nough to hold us all if you will come and
live with us, and sell your business.
That you may understand my sudden rise
I may tell you my new parents but nev
er repeat it that I have luckily saved the
king from the attempt of an obscure assas
sin, and that Louis XV. has shown his
gratitude to the poor frotteur.'
Monsieur Jean
The young man smiled; he
had
never
been called Monsieur before.
'Monsieur Jean here is my hand. We
accept and are very glad, since Pauline
loves you. It was for her sake we hesi
tated; There take her, and may you both
be as happy as we have been;' and the old
man looked affectionately at his wife, and
at the young couple who had scarcely
looked at one another.
They were married and they were hap
py. They went down to Versailles to live
in the house the king gave them, and liv
ed there long after Louis X VPs death, the
place being kept for them by Louis XVI.
Jean became gardener in ideality; and for
the eleven years, that the king lived he
neer wanted boquet of some kind when
at his palace of Verssailles, and far more
wonderful, he never forgot the action of
the frotteur, nor ceased to bear it in grate
ful and pleased remembrance. At his
death there were two who shed genuine
tears, and cast many a garland on his tomb
and these were Jean Provost and Pau
line his wife.
i-sr Kesolutions in lavor ot the annexa
tion of Cuba to the United States, have
been introduced iuto both houses of the
Vermont Legislature.
Give me a kiss, my charming Sal,'
A lover said to a blue-eyed gal;
I won't said she", 'vou lazv elf.
Screw up your lips and help yourself.'
Short Patent Sermon.
BY DOW, JR.
Text. My friends I earnestly beseech,
You all to practice what I preach.
Ay Hearers: It should matter not to
you whether I practice what Fpreach or
not, so long as 4ho medicine that I admin
ister to your sin-sick souls is free from
poison, and calculated to have a salutary
effect. Good and wholesome advice should
never be rejected even though it comes
from a thief on the gallows; and I flatter
myself that, with all my mutual abomina
tions, I am no worse than a condemned
culprit. I don't want you to DO as I do,
but as I SAY, and difficulties like deep
fogs at a distance, would disappear as j'ou
approach them. Don't watch your preach
er's movements from day to day, nor dog
his diurnnal tracks along the serpentine
walks of morality. I know that I often
lose my way in a labyrinth of error and,
no doubt sometimes guilty of somnambu
lic derelictions from the true path of virtue
not unfrequendy become entangled by
briars where I expected to have found noth
ing but beds of flowers and now and then
find myself up to my shirt collar in a mud
hole. But there can be no earthly reason
my friends, why you should follow my
footsteps in all my wayward wanderings.
When you see me go astray, be warned
by the dangers and difficulties that be
sought me, and pursue the right path.
When you behold me in the pulpit, clad
in the garments of grace and sanctity, with
a face as long as a petition to Congress,
and a heart heaving with the billows of j
desire for your temporal and spiritual wel
fare, lose, I pray you, all sight of the man
of flesh; and listen to the preacher of truth
and morality. You are the sheep 1 am
the sheep s head; le. the head of the sheep.
Perhaps you think that all I care for is the j
wool, and let your carcasses go to the dogs
or to the devil; but, oh, my little flock
you greatly mistake my disposition. I
want to feed you with the salt of salvation
tu rn you into the green pastures of pure
and heavenly pleasure let you ramble
along the flowery dales of delight lie
down beneath the cooling shades of con
tentment drink from the refreshing foun
tains of hope and shelter you from the
bleak winds that blow in life's wintry
season. This is my pride, my ambition,
my end; and I dont care a counterfeit cop
per whether you cry bah' at my efforts
or come forward andlick my hand in grat
itude. My dear friends: the grand aim of my
preaching is to make you all happy. As
Grandfather Whitehead says, I wish I
could make the whole world happy. If
I could only bind you together in the
bonds of perpetual love and friendship, I
would end my labors in peace, and sink
to rest as calmly and gloriously as sets
the golden-circled autumnal sun. I want
to do away with all this jarring, jostling,
bickering,backb:ting, envying and quarrel
ling, with which this world is so easily
infested. There is room enough in the
thoro' fares cf the world for us ail to pass
without sticking our elbows into each oth
er's ribs, and space enough for us each to
occcupy without trespassing upon the
rights and privileges of our neighbor.
Oh! I long for the time to come when
universal peace and harmony shall pre
vail among the children of earth nations
as well as individuals shall be joined to
gether by the silken ccrd cf affection
when swords shall be beaten into sheep-
shears, and muskets into mouse traps. It
would give me unbounded joy to see the
oldest country now in the face Jehovah's
toad stool extending us broad arms like a
kind father, and all the nations of the
earth affectionately huddling together in
its parental embraces. 1 bat s the sortot
universal love, harmonvand union, that I
want to see brought about; and don't care
whether you consider Texas as a tin-kettle
yet to be tied to the tail of territory or not
so long as you entertain a friendly feeling
towards that and every other country on
the face of the globe.
My hearers: it has been said of old that
it is much easier to preach than to practice
let me tell you it is no easy matter to
preach. If you don't think so as a broth
er once remarked, should like to see you
get up and try it. The case is with me,
1 can't bear to have my sentiments leaked
out in driblets they must come out with
a grand rush, or not at all. My bosom
oftentimes becomes so flooded with feel
ings as to sweep all my ideas into the
thorax before they have time to be trans
formed into words, when they get wedged
together completely damned up for a mo
ment. Then a breakage takes place, and
down goes a perfect deluge of homely elo
quence, which, by right ought to wash
every old grease-spot of sin from your
syste.ns. But you don't seem to appre
ciate me and my sermons in a proper
manner. It is true that you look tad,
j pensive, gay and mirthful, according to
j the nature ol my discourse; but when the
contribution box goes found j'ou put iho
eno rmoussurn of nothing in it, and then
go away grumbling because j-ou havn't
got your money's worth. I shall keep
on preaching, nevertheless, so long as I
can draw an audience of a single listener
and eventually retire with the satisfaction
of having done the oest I coull ss the old
lady said when she tried to coax the pigs
out of the corn with an empty swill pail.
My worthy friends: to relish the pleas
ure of this world, you must partake of
them as lightly as the humming bird that
merely thrusts his bill into one flower and
then is of' to the next to secure health,
you must live temperately, rise early, let
rum alone, and take plenty of exercise
to accumulate wealth you must be indus
trious, economical and persevering anJ
to make sure of happiness, you must be
honest, kind to one another, contented
with your lots, and kling to the belief in a
better world to come, like a possom to a
persimmon tree. So mote it be!
Persian mode of Receiving a Foreign JSInisler.
A curious anddramatic scene is reported
to have lately taken place at the Court of
Persia:
The young Shah has been passing the
holy month cf Ramazan, which happens
this year to coincide with the dog days,
in a spacious garden not far from Teheran.
The Edvoy of the great Christain sover
eign, having demanded an audience of his
Majesty an hour was appointed for the
ceremony. His excellency, - on arriving
in due season at their royal encampment
was ushered into a tent, where he reposed
a moment, while his arrival was announc
ed to the Mehometan successor of Darius
and Aerxes. Scarcely had he taken a
! seat, when his ears were assailed by the
sound of repeated heavy blows, mingled
with the most piteous cries of terror and
agony. Scarcely had he time to compre
hend that a grand public execution wai
the cause of these distressing sounds when
he was seized by the Shah's attendants,
and hurried forward to the royal presence.
On his passage, a gieaterand more revol
ting shock awaited him. Executioners
dragging the yet palpitating trunks of eight
headless victims, decapitated before the
Shah, met him in his path, and rudely
shoved him aside to make way for their
hideous train of carnage mutilation. On
reaching the Court circle, pale agitated and
confused, he remained for some seconds
in an attitude of speechless horror. The
Shah, with an air of composure which
would have done him honor on the field of
battle, inquired if the Envoy was unwell;
and then, for the first time in language of
just indignation, learned what even the
most despotic court of Europe would think
of the bloody and barbarous reception just
given to its representative Besides the
appearance of insult offered to a friendly
sovereign, no light shade of odium was
cast upon the throne, when thus converted
from a seat of judgment and mercy, into
the shambles of a butcher. It is rumored
that the king of kings, abashed by so well
deserved a reproof, hung his head in the
silence of youthful shame; and that the
indignant envoy, on repeating his com
plaint to the Prime Minister, received the
consoling assurance that he had probably
earned by twenty minutes of annoyance,
the satisfaction of puttirg an end to a bar
barous and hateful practice, which 'though
belonging to the good old times of Persia,
was not the less scandal to the age, and a
dishonor to the crown.
Kr'Thc latest definition of a 'kind hus
band' is one who sits and smokes after
breakfast, while his wife, with a child cn
one arm, and pail of water on the other,
pursues her washing.
Our chambermaid Sally, who 'expects
to have a husband of her own when hor
turn comes,' says 'if that is a description
of a kind husband, it's a meaner 'kind'
that she wants any thing to do with.'
She says her idea of a kind husband is 'a
nice young man, who will fetch the wcol
and water, do the churning, shake the
carpets, cord the bedsteads, run errands,
rock the .' Sally having forgotten
some thing up stairs, suddenly leaves
the room without finishing the bentence.
Exchange
Don't dear,' said Mr. Partington
to a child playing with a powder horn,
don't touch the pesky thing, for it may
go off, and then you'll get burnt as the
poor little boy did that got bloweJ up by
a pound of shot.'
What's the state of moral in your
district?' said a long faced reformer to a
farmer who recently visited town. 'Pret
ty good, replied the farmer; 'every body
teems disposed to mind hib own buiincs
in our part;.'