Tales for Young and Old
Various
English
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Below is a summary of Tales for Young and Old
TALES
FOR
YOUNG AND OLD
PREFACE.
When the older were considerably younger, and
young in infancy, the following interesting Tales were
written.
W. & R.C.
CONTENTS.
THE BRIDE'S JOURNEY
THE HOME-WRECK
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
LUCY FENNEL
BILLY EGG
THE PLEDGE REDEEMED
THE TREE AND THE FOREST
THE THREE FRIENDS
THE ARTIST'S DAUGHTER
THE BLIND MAN OF ARGENTEUIL
THE BRIDAL WREATH
THE DUKE OF NORMANDY
DUTCH ANNA
THE 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, an
officer in the commissariat department of the imperial army,
contracted an attachment for the beautiful Adelaide Hext, the
daughter of a respectable but not wealthy merchant. The young
Frenchman having contrived to make his attachment known, it was
imprudently reciprocated by its object; we say imprudently, for the
French were detested by her father, who declared that no daughter of
his should ever be allied to one of the invaders and occupants of his
beloved country. Thus repulsed, M. Louison had the good sense not to
press his suit, and proceeded to Vienna, where he was installed in a
lucrative office suitable to his wishes and abilities. Here, however,
he could not altogether relinquish the expectation of being one day
married to the fair Adelaide Hext, with whom he continued to
correspond.
After the lapse of a few months, the aspect of affairs underwent a
material change. Hext lay, as he supposed, and as the doctors told
him, on his death-bed, and, pondering on the probable destitution of
his family, he repented his rash vow, and stated to Adelaide that he
should no longer oppose her wishes. M. Louison, procuring leave of
absence for a few days, was speedily on the spot, and, with as little
loss of time as possible, was united to the daughter of the seemingly
dying merchant. As, in such circumstances, it would have been cruel
for Madame Louison to leave the bedside of her aged parent, it was
arranged that she should remain till the period of his decease, and
then join her husband, who, in the meanwhile, was compelled to
return to Vienna. The old man, however, recovered as soon as his
son-in-law departed, and he now almost wished the marriage were
undone; but as that was impracticable, he, with as good a grace as
possible, saw his daughter set out on her journey to Dresden, whence
she was to be escorted to Vienna by M. de Monge, a friend of her
husband.
Nothing occurred to interrupt the journey of Madame Louison, for the
intermediate country was tranquil, and she had the happiness of
arriving safely under the roof of her husband's friend. This person
was one of those who will act conscientiously in all situations of
life, until they encounter an irresistible temptation to error. Such
was the present occasion. Overcome with the beauty of his
unsuspicious guest, he basely attempted to divert her affections from
her husband--an attempt which the noble Friedlander repelled with
becoming scorn. To cut short a long tale, this mortification filled
De Monge with vengeful sentiments, at the same time that his fears
were awakened, as he could hardly doubt that the lady would acquaint
her husband with his treachery. He affected to pass off his overtures
as nothing more than a jocular trial of her resolutions, but secretly
suffered from the torments of fear and resentment, insomuch that he was
at length driven to the contemplation of a dreadful crime. The story is
almost too incredible for belief, yet our authority assures us that the
facts occurred as we propose to state them.
Having detained the lady in Dresden considerably beyond the day
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