The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-10-19
who he was, or what became

She shook her head placidly.
o. What would be the use I could
not find out, she said.
" No, you could not find out but you
might try to fancy them all at work
here, might you not )? and how they
came, just as you come, day after day,
all these hundreds of years, and set up
stone after stone, and carved figure af.
ter figure. Think how they must have
watched their work and grown happy at
the sight of it. Just think of them all
here, with their hammers striking the
stone, and the noise of every blow in
the air, all Of them talking in language
that would be almost like strange
tongue to us now. You know it all ,caS
so; why can't you think of it?"
1t may be easy monsieur to think
Of the dead" she answered, simply,
" but tor me I do not find it easy, un.
less it may be Of the blessed saints, !"
and she crossed herself; but then we
know that they lived while as for those
others she said, and slightly shrug.
ging her shoulders, broke off her sem
tence with a dubious smile.
He had nearly burst into an answer
about the saints that was more impctu
GUS than reverent; but happily he check
ed himself in time, and, instead of speak
ing, stood looking tor a minute in silence
up over the great, dark, glorious church
front, aud wondering at what she had
said. Out from the gray, solemn stones
there seemed thousand voices that
spoke to him: how could it be, he
thought, that this girl had passed her
life under the shelter of its shadow,
and that to her every tone of it was
dumb.
"Thch you don't care for it?" he
said, abruptly, at last, turning to her a
again ?
"Nay, monsieur is mistaken, " she
answered, gently. See, it is like home
to me here when it is hot summer, |
sit here in the cool shade when winter
comes, shelter myself here within the
porch. 1t is like good friend to me /;
other things change but it never chang
es. When l am glad go in and kneel
down and thank the blessed Virgin, and
when | am sad l 90 there too, aud say
my prayers. No, monsieur is wrong |
cafe for it. "
She raised her face with a sudden
smile as she paused, and, eager to be
lieve that all the world cared for what
he loved, eager for universal sympa,
thy with his own enshusiasm, he looked
with pleased contentment into the girls
clear, honest eyes, and
Well l am glad you like it," he
said, heartily. Il thought you could
not have lived here so many years, and
have cared nothing for it. You have
lived in kouen all your life, do you say
how long time is that?"
4" l am twenty" she answered.
" Are you?' Why you are older than
l am, then And what is your name "
"Christine, monsieur" she answered,
Some one passing into the church
had stopped beside her basket, and was
beginning to look over its little stock OF
images and beads. She had to run
round to attend to HIM, and then before
his purchase was made another custom
er came, Frank fingered and looked
on for a few minutes then he said
GOOD by" and the boy and girl smil
ed to one another, and parted with Q
friendly nod.
He went home, and there was some
thing pleasant to him in the thought
which crossed him once or twice during
the remainder of the day, that in the
morning he should see Christine again
Several times her face rose brightly W
before him, with its. contented, homes
smile, and sent kind of warmth int
his heart for, fair and dear to hiu
was this old Rouen, yet he moved as
stranger in it, and no other lips thai
those OF hers had given either greetin!
or kinkly word to him. And so, whel
he went to his post again next day, AM
she, who had been watching for him, a
once when he appeared nodded an'
smiled to him across the square, instea'
of stationing himself in his accustome'
place and beginning his work, as he ha
meant to do, he walked straight to her i
"A sudden imnulSa of Gratitude for he