FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
On once gaining the wharf,
Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in
securing an immediate passage to France. The
fine packet ship Utica lay down the bay, and
only awaited the return of the lighter that
night to complete her cargo and list of
passengers, ere she departed. The young
Frenchman therefore took his prize on board,
and started for the ship.
Daylight was just making its appearance the
next morning when the Utica weighed anchor
and turned her prow toward the sea. In the
course of three hours, the vessel, with
outspread sails, was rapidly flying from
land. Everything appeared to be auspicious.
The skies were beautifully clear, and the
sea calm, with a sun that dazzled the whole
scene. But clouds soon began to chase each
other through the heavens, and the sea
became rough. It was then that Clotelle felt
that there was hoped of escaping. She had
hitherto kept in the cabin, but now she
expressed a wish to come on deck. The
hanging clouds were narrowing the horizon to
a span, and gloomily mingling with the
rising surges. The old and grave looking
seamen shook their weather wise heads as if
foretelling a storm.
As Clotelle came on deck, she strained her
eyes in vain to catch a farewell view of her
native land. With a smile on her
countenance, but with her eyes filled with
tears, she said,
"Farewell, farewell to the land of my birth,
and welcome, welcome, ye dark blue waves. I
care not where I go, so it is
'Where a tyrant never trod, Where a slave
was never known, But where nature worships
God, If in the wilderness alone.'"
Devenant stood by her side, seeming proud of
his future wife, with his face in a glow at
his success, while over his noble brow
clustering locks of glossy black hair were
hanging in careless ringlets. His finely
cut, classic features wore the aspect of one
possessed with a large and noble heart.
Once more the beautiful Clotelle whispered
in the ear of her lover,
"Away, away, o'er land and sea, America is
now no home for me."
The winds increased with nightfall, and
impenetrable gloom surrounded the ship. The
prospect was too uncheering, even to persons
in love. The attention which Devenant paid
to Clotelle, although she had been
registered on the ship's passenger list as
his sister, caused more than one to look
upon his as an agreeable traveling
companion. His tall, slender figure and fine
countenance bespoke for him at first sight
one's confidence. That he was sincerely and
deeply enamored of Clotelle all could see.
The weather became still more squally. The
wind rushed through the white, foaming
waves, and the ship groaned with its own
wild and ungovernable labors, while nothing
could be seen but the wild waste of waters.
The scene was indeed one of fearful
sublimity.
Day came and went without any abatement of
the storm. Despair was now on every
countenance. Occasionally a vivid flash of
lightning would break forth and illuminate
the black and boiling surges that surrounded
the vessel, which was now scudding before
the blast under bare poles.
After five days of most intensely stormy
weather, the sea settled down into a dead
calm, and the passengers flocked on deck.
During the last three days of the storm,
Clotelle had been so unwell as to be unable
to raise her head. Her pale face and
quivering lips and languid appearance made
her look as if every pulsation had ceased.
Her magnificent large and soft eyes, fringed
with lashes as dark as night, gave her an
angelic appearance. The unreserved attention
of Devenant, even when sea sick himself, did
much to increase the little love that the at
first distrustful girl had placed in him.
The heart must always have some object on
which to centre its affections, and Clotelle
having lost all hope of ever again seeing
Jerome, it was but natural that she should
now transfer her love to one who was so
greatly befriending her. At first she
respected Devenant for the love he
manifested for her, and for his apparent
willingness to make any sacrifice for her
welfare. True, this was an adventure upon
which she had risked her all, and should her
heart be foiled in this search for hidden
treasures, her affections would be
shipwrecked forever. She felt under great
obligations to the man who had thus effected
her escape, and that noble act alone would
entitle him to her love.
Each day became more pleasant as the noble
ship sped onward amid the rippled spray. The
whistling of the breeze through the rigging
was music to the ear, and brought gladness
to the heart of every one on board. At last,
the long suspense was broken by the
appearance of land, at which all hearts
leaped for joy. It was a beautiful morning
in October. The sun had just risen, and sky
and earth were still bathed in his soft,
rosy glow, when the Utica hauled into the
dock at Bordeaux. The splendid streets,
beautiful bridges, glittering equipages, and
smiling countenances of the people, gave
everything a happy appearance, after a
voyage of twenty nine days on the deep, deep
sea.
After getting their baggage cleared from the
custom house and going to a hotel, Devenant
made immediate arrangements for the
marriage. Clotelle, on arriving at the
church where the ceremony was to take place,
was completely overwhelmed at the spectacle.
She had never beheld a scene so gorgeous as
this. The magnificent dresses of the priests
and choristers, the deep and solemn voices,
the elevated crucifix, the burning tapers,
the splendidly decorated altar, the sweet
smelling incense, made the occasion truly an
imposing one. At the conclusion of the
ceremony, the loud and solemn peals of the
organ's swelling anthem were lost to all in
the contemplation of the interesting scene.
The happy couple set out at once for
Dunkirk, the residence of the bridegroom's
parents. But their stay there was short, for
they had scarcely commenced visiting the
numerous friends of the husband ere orders
came for him to proceed to India to join
that portion of the French army then
stationed there.
In due course of time they left for India,
passing through Paris and Lyons, taking ship
at Marseilles. In the metropolis of France,
they spent a week, where the husband took
delight in introducing his wife to his
brother officers in the French army, and
where the newly married couple were
introduced to Louis Philippe, then King of
France. In all of these positions, Clotelle
sustained herself in a most ladylike manner.
At Lyons, they visited the vast factories
and other public works, and all was pleasure
with them. The voyage from Marseilles to
Calcutta was very pleasant, as the weather
was exceedingly fine. On arriving in India,
Captain Devenant and lady were received with
honors the former for his heroic bravery in
more than one battle, and the latter for her
fascinating beauty and pleasing manners, and
the fact that she was connected with one who
was a general favorite with all who had his
acquaintance. This was indeed a great change
for Clotelle. Six months had not elapsed
since her exposure in the slave market of
New Orleans. This life is a stage, and we
are indeed all actors.
Clotelle or The Colored Heroine, A tale
of the Southern States
