The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales for Young and Old, by Various

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Title: Tales for Young and Old

Author: Various

Release Date: December 14, 2003 [EBook #10454]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES FOR YOUNG AND OLD ***

Produced by Roy Brown

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