Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-03
From the American Miscellany.
AN ADMIRABLE WOMAN.

The last number of the excellent French
journal, the New York Courier des Etats
Unis,' contains the following interesting
and touching story, extracted from dis
course delivered before the National So
ciety of Agriculture, Science and Art. held
at Yalenciennes, in France:
At Valenciennes, in one of the small
streets in the neighborhood of Place
Verte," there have lived for many years
two old women, now aged respectively
seventy and seventy-three years, long re-
duced to the utmost poverty, but as ten
derly devoted to each other as sisters:z-
One of them, who, by her feeble eyesight
and primary education she had received,
is prevented from participating in any
hard labor, attends, as well as her mfr
mites will let her. to the household cares.
The other, almost as infirm as her COM
panion, but evidently more accustomed to
severe exertion, is still able to do a little
washing and ironing, and thereby adds
small sum to the modicum of nine francs
a month, allowed to each of them by the
Board of Administrator of the Public AS
sylums. The first one was the wife of
respectable merchant of Valenciennes,
well to do in the world the second was
her hired servant. The first saw her
family thirty-ive years ago, suddenly ru-
ined by reverse of fortune the second,
during the last thirty five years, has vol
unfairly been the support, the providence
of her old employers and their children.
The name of the first will not mention i;
but it affords me pleasure to tell you that
Of the second, and relate to you some
traits of her life of devotion and patient
courage.
Marie FRANCHISE Bultez was born on
the 18th of August, 1878. She entered
the service of the family, I have men
toned at the age of fifteen, and remain
ed there until 1916. having become noted
for her honesty and activity, and her e.
deity to the interests of her employers
The good qualities of this worthy woman
had not yet, though, attained their limits;
and number of sad events came to de-
velope the rich resources of her labor
loving character. In 1910, injudicious
speculations, bankruptcies, and the sad
results incidental to commerce that is sub
ject to the caprices of government, sud-
denly brought ruin and misery on the
family of FRANCHISES employers. They
were no longer able to pay the wages of,
or even give sufficient food to the humble
servant, who for twenty-three years had
faithfully and cheerfuly performed the
most disagreeable and fatiguing tasks Of
household labor. Her services were,
Notwithstanding, of the utmost necessity
to this broken and disconsolate family
FRANCHISE felt it to be so, and she immedi-
ately took her resolution. She determined
to remain and to serve gratuitously, to
nourish even, if it became necessary, those
who were not accustomed like herself TO
private labor and fatigue.
From that moment, began for this no.
Bile woman a long life of absolute abnega-
ton and deyotedness, continued to the
present time without cessation, without
complaint, with the most admirable mo-
desty. First, all her little savings were
given up to satisfy the most pressing
wants of her masters family. This fee
BILE resource was soon exhausted. Fran
coise then bethought her of small house,
sole Inheritance left by her parents,
which was situated near Vendergries-
The little cottage was sold without hesita-
ton, with a Joyous feeling, even, and the
portion of the proceeds that appertained
w AohOOlSS nnS auuCu W Int ullnlnullNe
means left the L. family from the
complete wreck of their fortune There
were in the family young children to
raise, to be taken care OF, to be dressed
properly. The servant-girl, without a
murmur, without letting any one know
the extent of any of her sacrifices, gave
up her tr0ueSsou, or marriage dowry,
which she herself had scraped together
during many long years of hard labor
the clothes, the linnen, the modest orna.
ments, ribbons, combs, &c, of the poor
girl were disposed of for the same purpose
as her savings and her mothers cottage.
Thus passed the first years that sue
ceeded the ruin of the L. family.-
FRANCHISE had given all she possessed.
but she was still her own mistress. Those
she had saved from the depths of misery
might at last create some resources for
her themselves, and permit her to conse-
crate to her own modest future her active
industry and inexhaustable courage
Was 1t not time for her to think of herself
OF her own "to morrow 90 No, not vet
Providence had reserved for this admira-
BILE character all the duties of a mother
all the sufferings of friendship, all the tri,
ais of devotedness.
Mons. -, the head of the family
and its only hope, died, leaving a widow
and three children without bread. witbon,
roof But FRANCHISE was there, ALWAYS
present, always ready. like the guardian
angel; and her humble abode was joyful /
ly opened to receive the destitute mother
and her young children. FRANCHISE had
been only their friend before now she
became their mother, their sister Her
sleepless incessant labor recommended
The hope that. aided by the small sum
allowed her by the Board of Public A.
sv1unns she coulb st;lI boo. :