About: Tales for Young and Old by Various

TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD

Produced by Roy Brown

TALESFORYOUNG AND OLD

PREFACE.

When the older were considerably younger, andyoung in infancy, the following interesting Tales werewritten.

W. & R.C.

CONTENTS.

THE BRIDE'S JOURNEYTHE HOME WRECKLOVE AT FIRST SIGHTLUCY FENNELBILLY EGGTHE PLEDGE REDEEMEDTHE TREE AND THE FORESTTHE THREE FRIENDSTHE ARTIST'S DAUGHTERTHE BLIND MAN OF ARGENTEUILTHE BRIDAL WREATHTHE DUKE OF NORMANDYDUTCH ANNATHE LOCKSMITH OF PHILADELPHIA

TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD.

THE BRIDE'S JOURNEY.

BY MRS CROWE.

In the year 1809, when the French were in Prussia, M. Louison, anofficer in the commissariat department of the imperial army,contracted an attachment for the beautiful Adelaide Hext, thedaughter of a respectable but not wealthy merchant. The youngFrenchman having contrived to make his attachment known, it wasimprudently reciprocated by its object; we say imprudently, for theFrench were detested by her father, who declared that no daughter ofhis should ever be allied to one of the invaders and occupants of hisbeloved country. Thus repulsed, M. Louison had the good sense not topress his suit, and proceeded to Vienna, where he was installed in alucrative office suitable to his wishes and abilities. Here, however,he could not altogether relinquish the expectation of being one daymarried to the fair Adelaide Hext, with whom he continued tocorrespond.

After the lapse of a few months, the aspect of affairs underwent amaterial change. Hext lay, as he supposed, and as the doctors toldhim, on his death bed, and, pondering on the probable destitution ofhis family, he repented his rash vow, and stated to Adelaide that heshould no longer oppose her wishes. M. Louison, procuring leave ofabsence for a few days, was speedily on the spot, and, with as littleloss of time as possible, was united to the daughter of the seeminglydying merchant. As, in such circumstances, it would have been cruelfor Madame Louison to leave the bedside of her aged parent, it wasarranged that she should remain till the period of his decease, andthen join her husband, who, in the meanwhile, was compelled toreturn to Vienna.

The old man, however, recovered as soon as hisson in law departed, and he now almost wished the marriage wereundone; but as that was impracticable, he, with as good a grace aspossible, saw his daughter set out on her journey to Dresden, whenceshe was to be escorted to Vienna by M.

de Monge, a friend of herhusband.

Nothing occurred to interrupt the journey of Madame Louison, for theintermediate country was tranquil, and she had the happiness ofarriving safely under the roof of her husband's friend. This personwas one of those who will act conscientiously in all situations oflife, until they encounter an irresistible temptation to error. Suchwas the present occasion. Overcome with the beauty of hisunsuspicious guest, he basely attempted to divert her affections fromher husband an attempt which the noble Friedlander repelled withbecoming scorn.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98