The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-11-12
JUVENILE COLUMN.
THE oRrHAx.s cHoIcE-A sroRro OF FRANCE.

THE ORPHANS CHoIcE-A STORY OF FRANCE.
Q couple OF little girls, not moro than thir-
some distance beyond The |Bois de Bon
l0gne, near Paris. These children much
resenbled each other, but wero quite dis
similar. They had both dark brown hair,
both we're tall, slender and graceful, and of
the same height and size but the forehead
Of one was high and broad, while the other
was low and narrow one had q sweet, in
telligent and loving expression ofcounten-
ance, indicating judgment and fortitude,
impetuosity and recklessness that would
give great energy, but which would very
soon weary under continued annoyance.
As the children sat crying by the road
| side, with their arms about each others
necks, an honest looking farmer came sing
hidden them from his view, and, asto nished
by the sudden apparition of the little weep
efe, lie stopped short and exclaimed:
What now my pretty ones! Has the
mother bird flown away, or have you
s stray d from your aest' Why do you
calais! we are orphans, Pauline and l."
said the low browed one. I" We have no.
body to care for US. We have come out
here to die"
"Soul Of my mother! exclaimed the
honest farmer, throwing uRs&iss hands,
"spirits so young and yet weaek If wipg-
who could have imagined it! Are you
sistersf" esa
"No," replied the one who had been
called Pauline, ?" Camille is my cousin;rher
father was my mothers brother"
By kind questioning, Jean Hudelt, ~
that was the farmers name, learned that
the little orphans had come from Provence
to Paris with the mother of Pauline to find
an uncle, who would have protecte2t hem;
bat, alas ! the good man had Dfpre
their arrival, aud the mother an hon
died also; and now they wen pc,
without friend in the worl lie
again said they wanted to me
said her mother had taught st in
God, and that she should tIustq0 Lam.
elbow intelligent they SEEM" soliloquis
ed the farmer; but Pauline is an angel,
while Camille is little rogue-that
is plain enough to be seen. can't
leave them, here to die, poor things nor
can support them at my home. My good
Marie would welcome them, to be sure, as
she would every suffering creature, but
that would not keep them and us from
starving. wish the good Josephine was
still Empress; I'd take them to her but
this new blue-eyed wife of the Little Corpo-
raj is as cold and sour as Dutch cheese
besides, she don't know that saved her
husbands life in Egypt"
:. At that moment an open carriage, drawn
by six milk white horses, dashed around
the curve in the road, and as Hudelt leapt
! to one side to avoid being run over, he
recognized in the occupants of the carriage
the Emperor and Empress, who were taking
one. of their accustomed morning rides,
with only postillion and two footmen for
their attendants. Napoleon had also rec
ognized the old soldier Of Italy and Egypt,
and with the democratic impulse which
gave him such hold upon the masses, he
ordered the postillion to rein up and beck
believing his old comrade~ to be beth ON
nipotent and omniscient, was frightened
lest he should divine his uncompli nentary
reflections upon the character of ais "new
blue-eyed wife;" but, telling t.e children
to remain where they were, he approached
poleon extends ed his hand to him, and cor
daily embracing the hand Of the farmer,
said:
"Ah, my brave eomrade, it is you, then
and you have turned your sword into a
ploughshare, eh But, as you were not a
lancer, where did you get your pruning
hook 2"
Then gaily pinching the cheeks of Marie
Louise, he iaughiugIy added, You see
that l am familiar with the prophecies.
THIS brave man here saved my life in
Egypt. Do you not love himf like to
meet my Olu graves CuuS III tuc SaCO Va
peace aud smelling of clover. But tell me-"
he added more seriously, :" are you safe
against want ID case of bligh. or sickness
Confide in me.'
The good farmer, overwhelmed by this
spontaneous kindness on the part of his re-
nowned master, could hardly articulate
word. But he finally managed to say that
he did not own the farm lie worked, and
that he was far from being prepared for
env aarious misfortune
As soon as the Emperor understood this
much he impetuously interrupted Hudelt
and said, "Leave that to me. Give me
your address. Your family shall be pro.
vided for before the sun goes down. And
now, have you any particular request to
make. Speak. Don't hesitate. We did
not. hesitate at Lodi, nor at Mount Ia
Dor, did we-eh, Hudelt 2" said Napoleon,
with beaming smile.
While the Emperor was speaking Hudeit
had been earnestly thinking of the two or
phans, and whether he had better present
their case to his old commander.
Napoleon's last words and friendly smile