clothed its steep banks. Now and then luxuriant fields of corn
covered the level lands with an emerald mantle, while sheep and
cattle roamed through the adjacent champaign; and in the calm, cool
morning air, a black smoke-serpent crawled above the tree-tops,
mapping out the track over which the long train of cars darted and
thundered. Mr. Paul Murray, the first proprietor of the estate, and
father of the present owner, had early in life spent much time in
France, where, espousing the royalist cause, his sympathies were
fully enlisted by the desperate daring of Charette, Stofflet, and
Cathelineau. On his return to his native land, his admiration of the
heroism of those who dwelt upon the Loire, found expression in one
of their sobriquets, "Le Bocage," which he gave to his country
residence; and certainly the venerable groves that surrounded it
justified the application. While his own fortune was handsome and
abundant, he married the orphan of a rich banker, who survived her
father only a short time and died leaving Mr. Murray childless.
After a few years, when the frosts of age fell upon his head, he
married a handsome and very wealthy widow; but, unfortunately,
having lost their first child, a daughter, he lived only long enough
to hear the infantile prattle of his son, St. Elmo, to whom he
bequeathed an immense fortune, which many succeeding years of
reckless expenditure had failed to materially impair. Such was "Le
Bocage," naturally a beautiful situation, improved and embellished
with everything which refined taste and world-wide travel could
suggest to the fastidious owner. Notwithstanding the countless
charms of the home so benevolently offered to her, the blacksmith's
granddaughter was conscious of a great need, scarcely to be
explained, yet fully felt--the dreary lack of that which she had yet
to learn could not be purchased by the treasures of Oude--the
priceless peace and genial glow which only the contented, happy