Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-07-13
tclloneous.
FTJIN BITCkWDOH
THE WIFES SECRET.

From Blackwood.
THE WIFES SECRET.
Within two hours of the birth Of Paul Yer
dot, his mother died and lis her husband had
departed this life some six months previously,
little Pa"l was Left an orphan almost as soon as
he well could be; and bat for his grandanc
Truqnct, manufacturer and vcndlr of sabois in
the ancient town Of Amicns, in the department
of the Somme, France, the little fellow must
have been conveyed to the basket of the entans-
t'ourcs, and consigned to the lions care of the
good nuns attached to that anti Nlulthusan es-
tablis.ment. Kind Dame Truquct having en-
folded her tiny grandson carefully up in her
lap, carried him safely home, and by dint of
careful n>rsing, unstnted sco!lins, and stripes
not few, contri>cl to bring linn crcdtahly up
to young mans estate, with only one mis!iap Of
any consequence. TS occur:.d one diy when
Paul was al,pat three years old. Madam Tru-
quct kept staEi in the mark t-place on Satur-
day, for the more ready disposal of her wares,
and one or two likely looking customers coming
up as she was danllins Paul affettionatoly in
her arms, she too hastily popped lin down on
lofty and loose heap Of saJots just deposited
Oh the narrow stall, which, unable to support
the sudden and struggling weight, slidoycr, car
rying the Child with it, who fell heavily upon
the pavement, and broke his right leg. This
unfortunate u,blc res ,ltcl in his permanent
Lm.ncss, the wounded limb when cured being
a',o"t two inches shorter than its feow--a Ca
lamity not withouti;s compcnsiting benefit i'll
asmuch as it rcndcr4l Paul forever inclg gihlc as
ii candidate for militagy glory; in other words,
deprived him Of the honor of contributing IL
unit to the conscripion lists. Nothing other
wise especially notcworthyis recorded Of paul's
boyhood. lie very carly mastered the art and
mystery of the sabot AinuhS6isH rsp.1 .at LIS
own reqsrrtf f+r |!l|lll
SO that he mi sht thereafter b avg TO co:nbine
the twin trades Of wood and lcathcrshocmakin
Paul finished his time attwcnty, s4nd but for IL
mshap which bcle!l hin at that Susceptible age,
he would at once have set out with light heart
like other young men Of lis class, for IL two or
three years tour through France, to acquire cx-
pcricnce in his cryN and such general knowl-
edge of the waysdf the world as would qualify
him to settle down qnictly and comfortably at
Amicns, with " Truquct & Vcrdot, boot, shoe,
,,l s,Lot ,n,nn f, RI 1rnra :, ovor thn obno ,l,or
This first stumble, as It may be called, upon
the very threshold Of life, WAS caused by the
bcwildcring black eyes of Lucille Borlase, IL
young shocbin1rcss employed by his master, at
whose dwelling poor Paul used frequently to
call for the work which had been given out to
the miscllicyous dansol, and he was only too
happy, when occasionally asked to sit down and
wait awhile till it was finished. At those times
Ills Paul subsequently confessed to his indignant
grandmother he felt Lucillc's merry glanccs
shoot through,and through Ills heart and back
again, just us her bright needle pierced in and
out of the less tender binding she was sewing
on. This revelation, made on the day hisappren
ticeslip expired, would hardly, perhaps, thcr
have bubblcd over his liTs, but for the grca
additional lcrvency impaired to his passion by
the numerous wine-culs he Lad been drainin;
on taking final leave of his camarads de boutique
"Lucille Borlas.!" exclaimed Madame Tru
; quct, with explosive wrath "why, Paul, yo,
Q must have lost your s,nscs The Borlascs hsv
: been children Of tho devil time out of mind
> The men, sots, idlers, spendtlrifts the women
!, two-faccd, assembling hussics, that would de
y ceivc Satan himself, much more poor gawb
y like you."
I Come, come" broke in Paul, with grea
1t heat, " not such gawhy ais you may suppose
1t boanc mere. Besides, Il girl ism talways stir
'e for having been brought up in a convent; Il
|. for Lucille, parbleu! she is simplicity and ca,
l. dour itself. One can scei it in her looks. Oh
" The long-drawn sigh with which Paul cor
L cluded, completely ovcrsct the old lady's p;
ticnce-ncvcr too steadily balanced and she +,
9. piled to it in II way not uncommon with he
a when very angry, by shying sabot she W.
g vanishing at the dclinqucnls head, accomp,
r MED by volley of expetivcs not necessary
t. repeat Frequent practice enabled her gran,
4" son to easily avoid the dangerous missile; an
'n her words went equally astray Of their mar
ig after few moments, as Paul hastencd aor
ed towards the slandercd damsel's residence, an,
re arrived there, poured forth, with all the cnerp
d. and distinctness swift speed and ardent afectie
d, permitted, the hopes, tribulatons, wishes, an
gu ictics excited in his bosom by the too charuir
le, Lucille.
You do not know, then, replied that mu,
ed amused baggage, ''you do not know, then, n
d, poor boiteur, that"
to Boiteurr' echoed Paul, springing indi
he nantly from his knees to the full height of |
ne best leg" that is true still, if one is lit
he lame-"
ers "One may be six feet up one side, interru
lily ted Lucille, with the same delightful mocke
II as before. "No doubt; but | would say,
,us permitted, that you do not know, it seems, II
fe am betrothed to Jaques Duprc, the masc
!