Pere Antoine's Date-palm

Npíit the levee, huö not fr from the old Fiech Cmliedral, in New Orleanp, and a fine da'e-plm. tliirty feet iu beight grow'.n out in the open air ng - urdily a if its eiouous ruots weresnk ing e'rength from their natheeanh Sir'Cliarles Lyll, in his "Fecond Visrt to the United Stntes,1' mettions et otid : 'The irte if Fevei'ty or eig ty ynars ld ; for Pere Antoine, a kuin.ni Catholiu Prieft. who nid about 'weuty yer8 iiyo, old Mr. Bririgier ba hfilanted it hiinni-lf wIlUD he was youtig lo his wil he provid-d that tbt'y wlio fuccei ded to tbit lot f arnund should f tir'u it if they cut d wu thp pil in. W ich'og to learu cometliing of' Pero Antoine's hitory, Sir Chai les Lyell mai'e i i uir f8 ainnng the anci'iit creólo ui) bitauts -I tho faubnurg. 'I hit tino il niert in his lust diivs brcamu vcry eiuci ted, that he walked about the ai reets lik a mmnmy, that he radually 'liied up and ñnally blrw ttwujr, wus the meagre und unsutii-factory result ot' tho touri-t's iuvfdtiíístions. This is all that ih f.eurally told of Iero Aotoine. I the Bummcr tf 1861, while Ntff Orlai)8 was jet i'ccupied by the rt;bel Forow, I met at N , (d the cast of New Jingla;. i], a lady fnm Louisana - Misv Üudeau hy who gave intthe substance of tbe flloning legend tiiuching Pure Antoinc md bis wooderful dtite-ptilm. If it fhould appear taaie to the r.adir, it will be becaui-e I h-veu't a bUck ribbed-silk dress, and strip of pointliioe around my throat, l;kn Mist Badeau; it will be because I haven't her eves und lipa aud Suuthoru musió tu teil it wiih. When Pere Antoine was a very young man, he liad a fiiend whom he loved alii loved his Ulo Emi.e Jardín returu cd his paosion, tiiti the two, on acoount of tbt-ir fritudi-hip, beeame the marvel ol the city here ihey dwelt. Oue'was neviT seen witlinut the ott'er ; for tbey -tudied, w:ilkei, ate, and slept together. ai d Kuiile were prepnring tu eiiter the eb inch ; indeed, (boy liad 'aken the reli'iiinsrv steps, wht-n a. ciicum-laticn ocnurred whioli chttuged theculor of tlieir lives. A foreign lady, frrm (ome fr-ofl isl 'lid in tlie Pacific, had f e v mniitlibt fore moved iwo their neihb'irboud lhn lady diej suddenlv, leaving a girl fsixteen or seveuiecn eutirely frieudleps and unprovided {r. 'J'he young men had be-o kittd to the comau duriig hi-r illne-8, aud at her deuth - m-ltihg with pi tv ii t the forlorn BÍtuatin ot Aughce, he daughter - fwore botweun Il.eni8"lve8 t loe and Wbtch over her na il che wcre ihi-ir cihter. Now Anglice had a wild, strange b auty thai madu other women seem tauie beside her, and iu the courae of time the young men found thenisilvc rfgHrdiuK ihi-ir ward uot so iuuch like brulluTs 88 at filHt. Tliey Mruggled bravely wiih their destiny, iDontti alter mout h, for he hol v "nters whieh the v were about to as urm; precludcd tbe dea of love and luarriage But every day taught them tn ba more fond of her. Even pricnts are humuu. 80 they drifted pb in a drtam And 8' e ? If Analice slaied their irouble her ftice told no i-tory. Tt wi;b 1 ke 1 he face of h saint 011 a c htdral winilo. Once, however, as slie catue suddtiih up"B the two nirn, and overlierd words that seemed to burn like fire on tbe lips 1 f the speaker, her eyes grew vt rj lumiuouH for an iiistxnt. 'J beu ehu ojo ed 011, her fce as imuiobile as before in iis feitmtf ol wavy galden hair. "Erter or et ronx Dieux Ut e long chovenx." Oue nighi Etnila Jardín und AngÜ09 ere not to he t"'und. They h ii flowu. bui wlii liur nobudy koew, aud nol d. , ave Antoine, cared. It wiiB a h avy blow to Anioine, for he hd mide up bis mii'd to ruu aay with b'-r hi-iiHo f. A strip nf piper slipped from a volume on Antoiuu's dok, and flutturcd to bis feet. 'Do not be ngry," aaid the bit of paper, piteously ; "forgiye u, for we loye," Threo yenrs went by wearily enough Antoine li.nl en'ered the oliuroh, hiu! wh8 Irei'dy looked upon bs a rit-ing min , but his t'ce uaspa'eund ii is heart leaden, for there was 110 sweemess iu life for hiiu. Four yenrs h;id elapscd, when a letter, coverud witli outlundish posr-iuarks, was brought lo the young pne-t - a letter fr"in Anglice. Shc was dying, would he forgive her ? Emile, the yenr previ. ub, huil folleo a vietim to the ft-ver thutraged nu the isUnd ; and th'ir child, little Anglice. was likely to follow h i in. In pitiful terms fhe bfgged Antoine to take charge of the child uiitil she was old etumgh to enter a convent The episilewas fi'iished hagiily by anothcr band, ufurming Antoine of MadaT.fi Jardin's death ; it alvo t 'ld iiiin th.-it Aogliee had been pl'ced on boaril a vensel shortly to leave the ïaluud for some western port. The letter, dolayed by torm and ship wr'ck, as hnrdly read and wept ovdr wh"n little Anglice ar'ived. Ou bfh'kling her, Antoine uttered a cry of joy und surprise - nho was so like the woma'i he had worahiped. Ar i man's t.-a-s ur.i mie pnthetic 'han a wouiauV, io is h'H love more intense; not more onduriog, nor half so Htlhtle, but io'ensi'r. The pas ion that had been crowded down in his heurt breke out and lavish G'.' its richiiH.ss oo this child, who wis to hm not oiily the Anglice of yeara ago, bnt his friend Emile Jardin h!so. Ang ice posse-'sed the wild, trance bfimiy of her mother, the bendn'fi;, illowy form, the tich tint of kiu, the large tropio.il eyes, that had almost made Antoine s sucred robe a mookery to rijm. For a month or two Anplice was wild ly unhiippy in ber öew home She talk ed coiitinually of the bright country where she ws born, the Iruits, and fl-iwers, atd blue ekies, the tall, fan-like trees, and the stroitms that ent mur mui ing through thein to the sea. Antoinecould not pacify her. By and by stie ce-ised to weep, and weut alout the c titile with a dreary, disconaUte air that cut Antoine to the heari. A lo g tüilrd paroquet,, wbich she had brougM wiih hr iu the ship tvalked soleinulv beliiud her from room 'o room, muely piuing. it scemed, for th'-se beiivy oriënt ai s that ustd t" ruffl-; itt lirilünnt plnmage. Before the yearended he noticed that the ruddy tinge hi.d 11 d Irom her check that ber eyes h id grown languid, and her t-Yigiit figuro uvjre wiiiowj than ever. A physioiíin was conpultprl Hecoulii discover DOthibg wrong with the chilri, except the fading and drooping. Ho fiiiled to ai:eoinit for that It was some vague diseque of the miud, ha eaid, beyond his kili. So Anglice faded day after day. She 8 Ido n left the room now. At last An'oine conld dot hut out tbe fact tha' the chil 1 was paxeiiig uway. Ho had lc!rnd to love her eo. "Deur heart," he said, what is't that iiils t er ?'' "Nothing, mon pere," for so sbe callod liim. The winter passed. The balmy spring uir bad come, nd Aitglice seemed to revive In ber 1 i 1 1 ■ e bumboo cliuir on tho porch, she swayed to and fro in the frnjrant breeZ'-", with a peculiar uudülatiDg iiiot:on, like a gracefi.l tree. Al titm-s so'iiething sei'ini'd to weiph upin her nli'd. An oine notioed itand waited At lergth shespoke. "Neir our hou?e,'' said lit Ie Anglice - "neiir our house, on !he ilaud, thf plm-tTPfis are wvirg under the blue ky. Oh, how beautiful ! I seera to lie benfath iheio all d .y long 1 tn very, very happv. I yenrned fur theu) so much thai I gru stek; dou't you think it was so mm pere ?" "Mon Dieu ! ' exclaimed Antoine, siiddenly. "Let us basten to tb. ose pleasmt iliuds where the palms are waviug." Ancuco stniled. "I aui going tiiete, roon pere !" Ayn, iiid.ni. A week from th Ion the was caadles bui ried at her fetu aud forehead, liglttiug her on her journey. A!l was over. Now was An'oine's heart cmpty Death, like another Euiie, had ctolen h8 uew Analice. He liad nothing to do but to lay bis büghted fluwer awny. lVrc Antuine mude a shullow grave in bis giirden. and heaped tho freth brown nmid over hi idol. In the tranquil ppring eveuiogg the pri et was neen sittii g ty ihe tunuiid, tiis finger clo.-ud u the unread prayorbok. The nummer broke on the sunny land ; and in the cool oiorüing tilit(ht, and xfier niglitfal!, Antoine lingured by the iiravi-. He could never be with it tuough. One mnrning he observed a delicate gtrm, wiih two curiously shaped emerblü 1' avi-s, spriiiging iip from the center of the iimuiid At fit he merely uoticed it L-aually ; but at lengtn the plant grew so lall, and wa so Btrangely uuliku any thing be had ever seen belure, that h ezurniucd it with care. How straight, Hud gnicefo], and exquipite it was! When it bwuqk to and tro wil h tliti suniiner wind in tbe twiliht. il Bfeilied to Antoine as jf little AnfIiou was standing there in tho gardei. ! The diiyMole by, and Antoine tended the Iragile ahoot, wo'idering wh it ort Of 1'loïSOIIl It WOuld UiifoliJ hit, O: arariet, r golden One Sundny u a runger, wi ti a bronïed and weath.!rleaten faue like u tilor's, leaned over t.e garden ruil and Mid tii him : " Wht h fine yeuDg dute-palm you have there, sir !" "Mn Dieu !' cried Pere Antoiue, ''and ia it a plm ? ' "Yes, iudted," retnrned tho tnn. "I had ii idea iho tree would flourmh in tliis limnte." "Moq Dieu !" was all the priest oould ay. If Pere Antoine lnved the treebeforn hv wohiped it n iw. He watered it, and coul I have clasped it in bis aruis Here wero Enii o aud Aaglice and the child. all in on; ! The years g ided away, nd tbe dtepilm aud the pritst grtw t"getber- pnly ine becnnje ygojrous and 1H0 other leo ble. }?erp Áptoipa hd long piHsed the meridjan of íife. Tbe tree wai íd ite youtb, It no luoger stood in an isolated gorden ; for pretenliuiis bliek nnd marble hnuses had clustered abnut Antoinn'8 cottage. They looked down rciwling on the humble thatobed mof. The citv wan edging up, trying to orowd hirn off liis land. fiut. he clung to it liko tbe lcbon and ref sel to sell. Speculmors piled oíd on his doorto[ s, and he Uiighed at them. Sometimes he wan hungry and cold, and lliin1 ulnd ; b t he luughed none the lea. "Get time liehiud me Hatan !" said Iho old prieht'e sinile. P' re Antiiiiio wa very old nnw, scarce ly abl to wjlk, but he could xic under the pliant, oarei-iting leuves of his palm, loving it like tin Arab ; and tliere he aitt till the gritnme-tt epecul-itor came to Ii ï in . Bilt even in death Pere Autoioe wa f:iithful to hia trunt. Tbe owner of that land loses it if he harm the date-tree. A"d there it stands, in the narrow, dinsy street,. a bentilul dreamy strao icr, an exqui-i;e fore'gn laily, whyse grnue is a joy to iheeyi',the incensé of whor-e brcath makes the air enamnrert ! May the hand witber (bat touches her ungently ! "Bueaute it grew f rom the heart of littlt Angliee, ," said Miss Bdcau, tenderly.