Selected Miscellany.

THE CROWN ---0r, a Hundred Sous.

PROM THE FRENCH OF EUGENE GUINoN
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1t was past midnight, and the bride
had already been some time in the
nuptial chamber, when the young
spouse succeeded at last in escaping
from his friends and leaving the ball,
room, when as he ascended the stairs
upon one Of the landing places Of
which waiting maid met him and
modestly told him to enter.


The new husband tapped lightly
upon the door, and threw himself at
the feet Of woman who was waiting
for him, seated near the fire in an ele-
giant night-dress.


"Rise, my friend," said she to her
spouse, giving him her hand.
"No, no, madam" replied the young
man, seizing upon a white hand,
which he clasped between his own,
and carried TO his lips. "No, leave
me at your feet, and do not withdraw
your hand, for l fear lest you might
escape me; fear that all this is only
an illusion; it seems to me that ! am
the hero Of those fairy tales which ]
used to hear when chstd, and that at
the very moment Of being happy, the
malicious fairy is going to fly away, to
laugh with her companions over my
despair"


"Be assured, my friend, that yester-
day was Lord MeIvin's widow, now
l am Madame de la Tour, your wife.
Dispel from your imagination your
childhood's fairy. The tale is but a
fable"


Nj. Frederic de la Tour had some
reason to expect that superior geni.
US interfered with his affairs, for, with
in the last month, either chance or
inexpIicable good fortune had render.
ed him rich and happy 5eyond his de.
sires. His age was twenty-five, he
was an orphan, and barely lived upon
an employment in which he was en-
gagged, when, passing one day the
street Saint Honore, splendid coach
stopped near him and an elegantly
dressed lady leaned over the carriage
door and called out to him, though not
by name.


The driver descended, let down the
foot board, and, hat in hand, respect
fully invited M. Frederic to be seated
by the side ofthis woman, glittering
with jewels. The coachman then
drove on.


"Me, MADAME" replied Frederic.


"Yes, sir, you--Ah!l beg your
pardon, sir, but you so much resemble
a person Of my acquaintance, that l
took you for him-Ah, sir, excuse
me--What must you think? ln-
deed the resemblance is so striking
that any one in the world would have
been deceived as have been"


Before this conversation was ended,
the coach stopped in the court of STU
perb mansion, and Nj. Frederic could
not but offer his hand to Lady Melvil.
Frederic, dazzled by so much grace,
was easily subjugated. He congratu-
lated himself upon the happy chance
which gave rise to his acquaintance
with the Lady MelviI; he accepted her
invitations, and in few days became
one of her most frequent visitors.
The rich widow was surrounded with
adorers; but they dropped off one by
one, and things we're so arranged be-
fore week rolled by, that the little
clerk made the. widows house his
| home. Marriage was soon agreed
upon, but it was she who first proposed
it.


| Frederic would sometimes place
himself in the morning before bis 1T
tie looking, glass and consider himself
with attention. He was not ugly,
neither was he handsome. His dress
moderate, as must be that of clerk
with a salary of eighteen hundred
francs, did not permit him TO attribute
! his good fortune to his tailor. He was