New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-08
FOOr Chrlhtine.

AlIly years ago | stood before 1t as are stand
ing now, and | think the very same birds were
building their nests then p over the porch there.
Look how they hy in and out! How many rene
rations Of them lave lived there, do YOU think,
my bow"
They stood in the omen square with their hacks
TO the cafes and the gay shops the sunlight falling
tenderly on the great gray SCULPTURE of walls be.
fore them, lighting up shalt and Capital and niche
with all their kinGIy GROWING, : with all their
wondrous workmanship Of living form and cus.
tered pinnacle.
Fifty years ngol" he said again, softly,
"Poor Christine -
Fifty wears ago Frank Liston had snent srrn.
mer holiday in RDuan: he was aboit ninetenn
then. a hirh.Ininded. enthusiastic yontL iii
father was dead ana he was edrratinT himself
to be m artist and vaI Iola,ng fnr,y,rJ win
all The eagernrs+ Of a rrnproIIs no+,Irn "a tLp
time Wlisu lie shonIa NJ Ain. Ii removn iii
mother who was poor now above mi want
Youpe. a. he vas he hqd lvort..d 81, Eord olrodI,
that lie Had more than onee earnpd snmetbinft f11r
her and with a flushing chpaK had nopred his
golden cuineas into her Ian. and she nv hard
pinchinE, had saved some Of these gnjnens and
This sam@cF because in striving ofter ,srrh carly
wages he had berun 10 ontrun his strength sbIg
made him take q law cr them aooin ma semt KIN
across tile channel to visit fwhot in his heart she
knew he loured to see) some one ar two of The
old picturesque French towns,
Il was BRIGHT June weather when lie reached
the fist of thhm Mt which he Inaout tn boI+
Rouen, and saw from far away the dark oid civ.
towards which for wears his artigt's Eaart ID
tended stretched oui amidat The ,gindinrs' az tho
Seine He mad heen Iauohah at Nv, I,4 ar two
before II started IN his iGIIrnev IA hsd Ran
told that tljs old R0en wa nt,tbiny Init a rniaaro.
bic town of erimy totterinr houses ana black.
ened churches. I'M Tia vonfb Lad gaiIr ratrynad
largh tar IaraE Ia Inpyy vii 97,,i't L iG
crossed the sen to spnj; and no Emay, 1fat be
Should nat fail ia fr1 If Nov all ia TIa fonT6
il even II the midst If tboga dpra,.nn honsns and
moulderinr cElmcIes: he found Il in narrow
streets and in nenlccied corners: and whercso-
ever l4 discovered H. Whether III omen ednaTa
or hidden alley he hailed it as men hail rhe sight
of lonc.songit, Ionr.uuseen friends faces, He
had brSarbt his skeicEnn board mi all 6s mate.
rails for drawing with lin. and, holiday though it
was he meant to work tbr0urho1t if. hnt the
novelty and Ioyeliness of everything about him
distracted him so at first. thai few DAYS had
Dassel before he ronld do onvthing hut roam md
gaze around him. He lad bsen lar thrre favs in
Rouen before al length he took his most one morn.
ing bG19re the west front of fine cathedral and
began to draw. 1t was a mild, warm summers
day, and the sauarc was very auipt. 0nIv a few
people passing in and ont .of the church and
Occasionally child or two, attracted by curiosity
to steal near and stare nj him. disturbed him A.
he worked and hDur after hour nassrd hannily
over him. During hour after hour, too. there was
one person besides himself who. having come to
the sqrare before him remained till long nj tar he
had gone awaya Girl selling rosarjps and little
images at the cathedral door, After he had been
working for some time he noticed her. When his
work Vas over, and he came forward before he
turned homewards to enter for few minutes into
the church, he stoned when he came to where
she sat in the cool shadow Of the porch, and
looking into Ier basket took uD in his hand little
rosary Of coral beads.
'.How auch?n he asked. ..-.
. "a franc, monsieur she said.
She smiled and thanked him as he gave the
MONEY to her. and he took his heads and naesed
On. He thought for moment, What tai pleasant a
smile she hast" and then he thought no more of
her iii the next morning, when he came back
to resume his work, and found her in her place
again
That day he took note of how picturesque the
Quaint Old Normandy dress looked on her, the
great high cap SO scrupuIoHsIy starched and
white. tie short petticoat SO bright in hue. A
neat, trim figure. too. rounded and light. and firm
young, brgltface, not beautiful, but pleasant as
lsunlight TO look upon. He should like to make a
sketch some morning of her. he thought, and that
! day when his work was done he went up where
She sat. and entered into talk with her He had a
frank fearless bOyish habit Of talking to every
kind Of nerson who came across him. man or
woman, gentle or simple. For wears already, ever
since lie had thought of becoming a painter, he
had been accustomed to roam about the country
ATTACHING himself sometimes in ali simple faith &c
Strange enough COMPANIONS. falling into odd ad
ventures, running occasionally some risks and vel