The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-12
II II E.
VILLAGEO THE LIFF.
BY MISS THACKERAY.

1t had required all Fontaine's per
suasion. backed by the prestige Of hi
municipal authority, to persuade Jus
tine to open the drawing-room shutters
to allow Catharine to use that long
abandoned territory. With many mum.
bles, and srumblipgs, and rumblinys Of
furniture, the innovation had beer
achieved few days before Madame
Merard's return; Monsieur Fontaiue
himself assisting in most of tho work
or it never would have been accom-.
plished. He was not the man to dc
things by halves. Cathariue wished
for dlawing-room and piano; poo,
Leonie's instrument was standing there
it is true, but cracked and Jared; and
with a faded front. Soon a piece OF
bright new red silk replaced the sickly
green, the rosewood complexion was
polished to brilliant brown by the in
defatisable master Of the house he
would have tuned it if he could, but
this was beyond his powers, and the vr-
ganist was mysteriously brought in by
a back door, while Toto was desired to
detain Catharine on the terrace until a
preconcerted signal should announce
that all was ready for her to be brought {
in, in triumph. Monsieur ie Muirc
was delighted. He led her in With
both hards, and then stepped back to
contemplate the result Of his labors.
"Now We shall make music," he said
"Come, Catharine, place youself at the
piano. Another day, perhaps I. my
self :" Catharine looked up with
her dark grateful eyes, aud began to
play as she was bid,
Monsieur Fontaine contented him.
self at first by beating time to his wite's 8
performance with great spirit and accu.
racy; but one evening somewhat to her
dismay, he produced a coroct, which he
had dislnterred from its green baizs
sarcophagus, and rubbed uo during Of.
fee hours. He had practiccd upon it
in his early youth, and he now amused
himself by accompanying the move
ments o: Catharine's gentle little fin
gers with'sudden sounds, somewhat un-
certain perhaps, but often very loud.
Justine sulkily called it "vacarme"
as she banged the kitchen door. Pass
ers-by, driving their COWS or plodding
home with their fsh-baskets, stopped
outside, astonished, to ask what it
could be. The old cider-bibbers at
Pelottier's could hear the rich notes
whep tho wind blew in that direction.
Poor Madame Fontaine herself burst
out laughing, and put her hands up to
her ears the fist time she heard her
husbands music; but Monsieur le
Maire instantly stopped short, and
looked 80 panied and disappointed that
she begged him to 90 on, and imme.
diatel7 began to play again. Only she
took care aiterward to select the calm.
est, and the most pastoral and least i'm.
passioned music in her repertory.--
When she came to the passages marked
con erpressione or with orpeggios, Of
when she saw fjJ's looming appal
lingly in the distance, she would sci
her teeth and brace up her courage fo1
the onslaught. By degrees, however
Fontaine's first ardor toned down, O.
Catharine's nerves grew stronger To
to thought it great tuu, only he wishe:
they would play polkas and waltzes, q
he stood leaning against the piano viii
bis round eyes fixed upon Catharine'
face. People always look their bes
when they arr making music; how oft
en- one sees quite plain and unlnterest
ing faces kindle with sweet sound int
an unconscious harmony Of expression
Catharine was no great performer, bu
she played with feeling. and precision
There always was charm about her
which it would be difficult to define
aud now especially, with her dark hca.
bent a little forward to where the Ii gh
fell upon her music.book, she woult
have made a lovely little study-fo
Dick Butler, let us say. "a Woman
set to Music" it might have been call
ed; she felt nothing but harnony o
sound at such time, except, indeed
when the cornet burst in With a wroo.
noto. Monsieur Fontaiue, between tn
intervals Of his own performance, like
to look at her proudly and adnirlnyly
Any stranger coming in would hav'
thought it a pretty picture of a bapp.
family group, and carried away th
pleasant image.
Justine was not SO easily taken in
Having banged her door. sho woul,
shrug her shoulders down in her kitch
en- below she could bide her time
Madame Merard was coming. She va
not fond Of music any more than jas
tine. u y.
Footaine felt as If some guilty secre
was buried in his bosom, when, for III
first two nights after the old people
arrival, he tried t. make excuses for r
naming down stairs in the dinine.rool
l------ Z