Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1875 — Beauty and the Beast. [ARTICLE]

Beauty and the Beast.

You have heard of Mrs. Beast, she that was Mias Beauty. Ah, there was a daughter for you! There are not many Btich dutiful daughters nowadays as she was. It is a,touching story of a wealthy family’s decline from affluence to poverty, of a father’s strange fatality, of a daughter’s filial devotion and her sister’s selfishness and cruelty.ln the absence of any particular social sensation this week we are constrained to tell the story of “ Beauty and the Beast,” although the incidents related took place a great while ago. Beauty was the youngest of three daughters, children of a very richj merchant. .Like all merchants’ daughters' they were reared in luxury, and allowed xo do pretty much as they pleased. They could go into the store and help themselves at the raisin-box whenever they wanted to. As we said before, Beauty’s sisters were jealous of her. Everybody called her Little Beauty, and, knowing how little beauty they had tliemselves, the sisters got mad: They went to parties and balls, and made all sorts of fun of Beauty because she preferred to stay at home and improve her mind by reading dime novels and playing Don Pedro. Of course they had beaus—there are no rich merchants’ daughters too jiomely for that—but they had set their mark high. Nothing less than a Duke or a Centennial Commissioner would answer for them. Beauty had good offers, too, but she always said she had rather stay at home and take care, of her father than assume the risk of lookingout fora husband. But reverses came. The merchant invested his money in a California bank and lost it all. Nothing was left save a small cottage in the country, so much out of repair that he couldn’t rent it. Thither he proposed to repair, though he couldn’t repair the cottage. To this Beauty readilyassented, but her proud sisters said no, they would stay in town and marry one of the rich young men who had so often proposed matrimony to them. But they found that, however inclined these gay young men mighthave been to matrimony when there was money in it, matrimony without money they would not consider. So they had to join their father in that cottage by the sea, he ' having taken that cottage by the sea-son. Beauty had to do all the housework , of course, for her sisters .laid abed until ten o’clock, but she was sm happier than they. We have always noticed, where there is a family of girls, the one who has all the drudgery to do while the others lie around is ajways the happiest. Singular, too. At length the merchant heard that a ship of his, which he had given up for lost, had arrived safely in port, and he started to ascertain if it was true. When lie got there he found that one of his creditors was ahead of him, and kad attached the ship and cargo, besides running up a big bill against the merchant forexpenses. So he started for home very hurriedly. He got lost in a deep forest and, all of a suden, came upon a splendid palace brilliantly illuminated. Everything was magnificent, though not a soul could be found. He determined to stay until morning and w 7 ent to stable his horse; but the stable was so splendid, too, that he hesitated for a minute wdiether he shouldn’t put his horse in the parlor and sleep in one of the stalls himself. But he went to bed sumptuous bedroom, after partaking of a bountiful lunch which he- found -ready spread. After a good sleep he aw-oke, in the morning, astonished to find a new suit of clothes in place of his old ones. (It is no unusual thing for men who get into other people’s houses to find themselves provided with a suit of clothes, but they generally have stripes running around them.) Beauty’s father found a warm breakfast awaiting him, too, and after doing full justice to it he started home. Passing through the garden, he stopped to pluck some roses for Beauty, when a frightful beast came toward him, with a loud roar. The merchant was greatly frightened. His first thought was that he was in the neighborhood of the Cincinnati Zoological Garden, and that another animal had escaped; but the beast proved to be the owner of the place, it being customary for beasts to support magnificent establishments at the period of which we ■write.

The beast threatened to kill him in a quarter of an hour for stealing bis roses. The merchant fell on his knees and begged for his life. He said he ought not to die for a handful of flowers; why had he Ottar of Roses ? The beast gave a savage growl and warned him not to try that sort of thing on again. He had written some for the comic papers himself. He finally told the merchant he would let him off if he would suffer one of his daughters to come and die in his stead. It was rough, but what father with daughters on his hands that he couldn’t many off would have hesitated? Besides, don’t daughters find themselves helplessly in the power of a beast of a husband frequently? So home he went, promising to return in three months unless one of his daughters would consent to make the sacrifice. - He related his adventure to his children, when Beauty declared at once she would take her father’s place. He held out against the arrangement for a time, but at length gave way, and they started for the beast’s palace together, the merchant feeling,that as liis (laughter was a total stranger to the beast it would be no more than proper for him to go along and give her an introduction. Every* right-think-ing father must feel that the merchant was right. They found the palace, and "a magnificent repast as before, to which they sat down. Beauty was touched by the thoughtfulness of the beast in thus endeavoring to put her in good condition before trying to worry her down. But many a beast is a good provider. While they were eating there was a roar and the beast entered. Beauty trembled, and her father expected to see her devoured right before his eyes. This was more than a father’s nature could endure; he turned away his head and—helped himself to another piece of oyster-pie! But the beast did not appear to be in any hurry to devour Beauty. It was more Beauty than he was able to take all at once, so he expressed a hope that they would rest well and, bidding them goodnight, retired. In the morning Beauty prevailed upon her father to go home and leave her with the beast, believing that no harm would come to her. She remained there for weeks, the beast meanwhile paying her the most delicate attentions. Her table was supplied with all the delicacies of the season, and everything the market afforded was at her disposal. They became very much attached to each other, and he actually attempted to make love to her, the beast! Beauty conquered him completely, and was unquestionably the greatest beast-tamer of her time. In fact, you never saw a beast tamer than Beauty’s beast was. It was a beautiful, sight to see him hitched to a cart drawing Beauty around the walks of a pleasant afternoon. But it is unnecessary to make too long

a story of this. The beast turned out to be a Prince, whom some wicked fairy had condenlned to go about in menagerie attire till a beautiful lady should consent to marry him. As Beauty had declared that she could be happy with no one else the spell was off, and Beauty was enabled to take him as hex husband without first taking out a license for a performing bear.— Fat Contributor, in Cincinnati Saturday Night.