Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-07-29
THE DAILY SPY.
Only a Servant.
BY J. b. sYME.
BY ]. b. sYME.

"Mercl Mesdames!' said a small feeble voice in
the ears of the ladies Froidart and Mecpur as they
walked arm in arm through the long street of
bHoude, one evening, during the Revolution, fol-
lowed by great numbering boy en- blouse whose
wooden sabots made dismal clatter on the hard,
loose stones, and who swung the anthorn which he
bore as II he had been wiII-o'-wisp making sport
with travellers eyes ''Merci Mesdamesr' sand the
little voice in the most supplcating accents, 81 am
cold and hungry
Madame Froidart continued to walk with a state
y composed air, down the street; but the piteous
voice Immediately arrested the steps of Madame
Melc9ur, and touched her woman's heart
"Where do you dwell, my petite?" she said, in
soft, kindly accents, she bent down and caressed
the infant "Why are you not at home?'
"Aiy father went away, yesterday, TO join the pa
triots at Grenobe, and left me aone,'' replied The
little girl, she turned her face towards Madame
MelcGur, and sighed if she had been widow,
instead of an infant.
Madame MeIceur smiled sadly, for the words and
looks of the child recalled her own saddest memo
rles; then quietly taking the outcast by the hand,
she led her to her own house.
''And what do you intend to do with the child,
Lucelle?" said Madame Froidart, who had waited
at the little wicket with Jochim, The anthorn bear
er in order to bid her friend good night.
81 shall share my bread and the protection of my
roof with her, was the reply of the kind hearted
dame.
The father of Marie, who had gone to Join the
patriots at Grenobe, marched to La Vendee to slay
the royaliss of that province. He followed General
Bonapare to glory in Italy, and fell asleep among
the SHOWS of Russia, shouting ViUe J. Emperor!
so that he never came back to Brioude.
Marie was homeless and parentless, when her
fathers heart ceased to pusate and his steps be-
came palsied in the career of ambition He had
welded himself to the fate Of fanatic Of war and
glory; and he died, leaving child of tender years
to depore his fanaticsm But thanks to that prov
ldence which has preserved in woman's heart,
through all ages the strength and purity of prmeval
love, the little orphan had found home and a
mother in Madame Mec9ur She was the widow
of notary Of Broude, who had been slain in
emeute by some heroes who had come to the village
of Brioude to propagate fraternity.
Left with of tender years and slender pat
rimony, the good widow had devoted herself to the
education of her boy, and the economical care of
her fortune BY Of those beautiful ordinations
of an omniscient and benevolent Providence, which
brings sweet from the saddest events, the sorrows
which had oppressed the heart OF Loucelle MecGur
and her Ernest, sofened by degrees into relig-
lous seriousness, until, as if in accordance with
unity of sentiment, the thoughts of the mother and
boy were both directed TO the ministry; and Ernest
IN his sixteenth year, was sent TO Geneva, to pre-
pare himself for the duties of Protestant pastor
Madame MelcGur had parted, few days before,
from her boy, when the little outcast Marie made her
appeal TO her heart, and the instinct Of maternity at
once prompted her to accept the appeal. Little
Marie Brloude soon grew up to be one of the fairest
maidens in Auvergne; and what was of far more
account, she acknowledged TO be one of the
most modest, intelligent and discreet. Marie was
not one of those damses whose beauty strikes the
| eye at the first glance, and then pals upon the
senses. When you looked in her face, YOU felt
your heart stirred with deep emotion OF beauty,
such as you might feel when sitting in church, and
! II.
could look into her eyes and feel that far down be-
low the blue, serene, pellucd orbs which illumined
her face there virtues shining like the refec-
tions of flowers in lake. Her hair was worn sim
ply parted on her high, polished brow like the tres
ses of Raphael's Madonna. Her dress, of the
simplest form and substance, always possessed
character of native elegance, which it borrowed
from the form of her who wore it, Her counte-
nance radiant with soul, and thought and
peace; and digent the hands of Marie
Brioude. =.
The house of Madame Melceur was little old
fashioned dwelling, with little old-fashioned gar
den, and high walls, and quaint old wicket. On
each side of the wicket grew linden tree, which
threw their branches over the walls, and formed
bower on the summer evenings, and curtained her
flowers from the searching beams of the sun. The
old-ashioned house, and the od-ashioned garden of
the good dame, albeit they looked somewhat monas-
tic from the highway, seemed always haunted by an
angel, and full of beauty Like some dligent little
fairy, Marie made the rooms of her good patroness
to shine as clean and brightly as her own bright
eyes. She sung so sweety, too, that the old men
would pause to listen to her soft voice from the road
and they would bless her light heart as they walked
on. The very flowers seemed TO know and love
her, for they were always more beautiful after she
had trimmed and watered them; and Madame NAL
ceur loved her, and counted her as daughter
Eight years sped away, and Ernest Malc@ur had
never re- visited Brioude The times were trouble
Gus, and the CONSUMPTION was ncessant, and SO Pro-
! fessor Zngles deemed il as well to send hattering
accounts of Ernes's progress to his mother, as to
send the lad home during the vacations; and as
Ernest's letters were full Of pious assurances of
resignation TO the prescribed for him. she did
not urge him TO visit her. 81 shall see him when
he has finished his studies, and has entered, strong
man, upon the work of the Lord. shall behold
him when the Master wills it, she would say; and
then these reflections would remind her Of her own
duties, and would prompt her to some new benevo-
lent scheme, which always taxed her means. but
not her heart.
OF the projects that inspired Madame Melc@ur,
that of educating the little outcast children OF
Broude seemed the most useful and Imperative.
| When she looked at Marie, and felt what priceless
blessing that little infant of the streets had sbecome
to her through care and culture, her bosom would
swell with emotions Of gratitude TO God: and she
would VOW to consecrGte her life to the education OF
the little Ishmaelites Of her native town. Unfortu-
notely. the widow was too poor to enter Immediate
| Nv into her design. She must needs save the funds
necessary for the establishment she proposed, and
before the requisite sum was accumulated, sudden
illness carried the benevolent projectress to an un-
timely grave. -