Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-06-16
CLAIRETTE, OR THE HUSBAND.
HUNTER.
A eAscoN sToRY-TRANsLATED FROM THE
FRENCH.


A eAsCoN sTORY-TRANsLATED FROM THE
FRENCH,
CLAIRETTE lost her father and her
mother when she was but thirteen years
of age. She was good-natured girl, but
had rather a flighty head, and always
looked at things upon the surface, and took
very little pains t) get at the sense which
lay hidden beneath them. She according
ly allowed her uncle and guardian to
neglect her property, paying no attention
TO it; and liked better to frequent fairs,
markets, the festivals Of patron saints, and
60 enjoy Sunday amusements, rather than
to hoe in her fields, spade up her garden,
and lead her sheep to the pssturage.
Clairette was by no means indolent or
inactive she would pass an hour every
morning dressing herself, and two more
during the day smoothing her ribbons,
doing up her scarfs, and putting away her
skirts. After this came walk heLe and
a promenade there, so that the poor child
had not moment to spare. To make
amends she had several nice companions
how many one has at her age! The
ceild seems to make stores of friends, and
all the more because at every step it takes
II
young girls had attended school and made
their first communion with Clairete after
this important act, which brings us out Of
our infancy, and which resigns to us our
place in the great workshop here below,
each was allotted her task in the family.
Marghelide did sewing during the day and
spun in the evening; Biebe looked after
the house and carried out meals to the
field hands; Lixandrine took the sheep
and the COWS to pasture.
Clairette, alone, as idle as little savage
she called this liberty-was proud of
her independence, and pitied her poor
companions who gave themselves so much
trouble in the world. "Of what use Isl ,
Is Biebes Sunday dress any the better for
plodding along muddy paths strewn with
briers? Has Lixandrine finer complex
ion for getting tanned in a scorching sum
mer son, tending her cows?"
The time came, however, when, in spite
of her pride in her half-vagabond life,
Olairette was less ambitious of indepen-
dence, and felt disposed to come under the
dominion of husband. This very ma
tural desire, but still vague one at eight
cen, besides being subject to circumstances
became impeTious, like the satisfaction of
point of honor, when Clairette returned
from the wedding of Marghelide with the
tailor Latane.
Marghelide was the younger. By what
inexplicable grace of st. Joseph, the pat
ron OF spouses, should she take the lead
of her associates? She was assuredly less
pretty than Clairette, and likewise less
amiable-who would dispute that? What
charm had given her the preference in the
eyes of the brisk young Latene?
All, here it is! Marghelide wore a
splendid red petticoat as brilliant as a
poppy, and which scared away the cattle,
but which produced a quite different eff
foot on all the young men; the color of
this lucky petticoat relieved so sharply on
the green of the meadows and the gray
of the brambles as to be very easily seen
half league of. Latane, completely be-
wildered, must have run for the petticoat
the same as lot OF frogs after the baited
hook on the end of a hsh-line.
Woman is naturally disposed to regard
her toilet as sort of talisman, and not
alone the city dame, but the simplest
young girl OF the fields. 1t sutf1ces to wear
a petlicOat 10 possess an instinct for colors
and caicoes. Cldirette had it in the high.
Gst degree she was sure that she had dis
covered Marghelide's secret; she ran off
to sell six of her sheep, and bought the
deepest scarlet peJticoaL she could fad in
the market.
From that day forth Clairette never
went to the spring, to church, to ball, or
to fair without wearing the attractive
garment in which the lucky Marghelide
had captured the tailor Latane.
In vain, however, did she glide through
the crowd and thus display herself The
women found her tawdry, the young girls
looked enyious, while the young men po-
htely invited her to dance but no mother
ever dreamt OF selecting her as wife for
her son, and no son ever uttered word
about taking her for housekeeper.
A year OF fruitless efforts had passed,
and not whisper of proposal of mar
riage. What bad luck Soon her friend
Biebe followed the same delightful road
as Marghelide, and espoused the farmer
Menichot,
Cairette became Respondent. She had
lost fifteen months in displaying her red
pettieOat, and she could not imagine the
cause OF her failure. Was Biebe, then,
the more charmingy Nobody would dare
maintain that falsehood. 1t was sufficient
TO see them alongside of each other at
dance. Clairette always had thirty part
ners more than her rival Was she more
entertainingp Biebe could not put togeth-
er two consecutive ideas, and when her
beaux spoke to her, she answered only
with downcast eyes.
II have it," said Clarette, meditating,
and eagerto know the cause of her disgrace.
"Biebe wears distaf at her side constant
ly, even with the water jar on her head
AID when carrying the basket with the
workmen's meals"
The distaf, it must be admitted, had
about IL certain matrimonial virtue which
enticed young men anxious to marry, the
same as mirror attracts looks. Clairette
was determined to have one of these
magical utensils. II a plain willow distaff
proved SO highly advantageous to the
hOusekeeper Blebe, what would not be the
effect OF handsome distaff of hazel, ex-
quisitely carved by the best workmen of
the village, decked with the finest white
wool instead of coarse fax, and entwined
with red ribbons instead of pack threadP
The young girl fits herself out; she
buys the choicest spinning apparatus in
the country, covers II with wool rs white
as snow, adorns it with ribbons artistically
arranged in bows, and never shows her
self outside her door, in the street, or in
the village, without this elegant implement
of all good aud industrious maidens.
One point only had been forgotten, and
that was TO twiTl the spindle The
motionless distatf at her belt always dis.
played the same flock of wool
Now what happened? ClaiTette's ele-
CANT Instrument TOVed TO be less efilca-
cious than the rude willow stick of the
industrious Biebe. The year passed away.
Olairetts, at every festiVity, found dancers