Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-01-26
y \ e csp. MsIeu shan Hear ali, ii he

bl,1 We were only peasants" he began, -
wd sat down under the acacia trees and
liphted our cigars. I'VE. were born
feI miles from Foix, IN Afiege,, I and my
father. and my fathers father, before nm.
Nv father was, . vine dresser, When my
brother Pierre was mere youth, and y
little more than a. chald, my. father met
with an, accident that lameds him. and
after that he was unable 70 work az the
vines, and was glad to- take any odd jabs
| that came to hand. Pierre did not count
| fof much ne was idle. and had rowing
disposition. Instead ofs helping, he Was
slWays getting into trouble .eesiig.ls :.
"fwas q strong, wellygfownI lad; and
had no fear 81 work, and ! was ami pitious
| You win smile M'sieu. What has 2
peasant 10 do with ambition ~ you will
say. All, Welt the hearts Of rich and
poor are much alike, suppose, slya...si !
II had set my heart on one day being
| 4 proprietor; and whenI went To work in
the vineyard, I said to myself, / will che
day have vineyard Of my own. l had TO
/ labor hard, not only to keep myself, but TO
| help my poor old father. BY working
early and late, and bya bit OF carpenter
| ing I took up at odd hours not only kept
the pot boiling, bat, week by week, con.
trived to lays little by. Each vintage
added to my store, for had an end IN view,
you see, NJ 'sicu. sse. 49, q ~ 4,
ain a few years. expected TO have SAVED
enough to buy,a horse and cart. Father
could not do much among the vines, but
he could drive cart, and earn money as q
carrier. This would he beginning
After that we would be able TO hire bit
of garden ground, and, when father no
longer needed my help, | would bring
Toinette home. Sic would feed poultry
and attend to the garden. We could send
pouitry.and vegembles;tS the' markeE At
Foix, In WE esft, and. 70 10 would 60 aon
by degrees, till at last should find myself
muster Of vineyard. Oh, it was a beau
tiful plan OF life had laid down! A thing
To laugh at WIS it NOT, NJ hieu!~
/" Toinette and l had been plsyfellows
when we were children, and whenever
| pictured a home of my-pwp, il was with
! Toinette there I dareSsay- thefe-Were
prettier girls in the village do not know !;
only know that loved her, and love is
not critical.
years went on, andI grew from youth
TO manhood. i The little store accumulated
slowly, for you see IL was but a few francs
here and there that i could save. = But !
thought when father had the carrying
business, we should get on rapidly. TOT
nettc listened to all my projects, and
encouraged me in what was endeavoring
TO do j was now nearly twenty-five, and
j had all but a few francs ofSthe ssnt' ]
had been working and saving nine years to
gain. Nine long years!
4" I knew | should be able to earn the
rest Of the money wanted before the win
ter was over. Toinette was weaving some
pretty scarlet fringe to trim the harness
Of the horse l. was. going to buy. She
was TO meet me on the road home from
Folk, and have the first ride in the new
cart and when father was fairly started
as a carrier, | was to speak to the cure
about our mariage. We haaFsttlcd itall,
you see.
"Were you ever in our part of the
country, Msicu? No All! it Is grand
and beautiful there! There, instead of
this dead leyel,gwe have the anpuntains,
and the river flashes along ind rapid cur
rent, foaming and dashing against the
rocks when the SHOWS are melting from
the upper mountains. On the opposite
side Of theriver TO who're wee lived, was
an old ruined castle, onJthe summit of
rounded hill The ascent to the castle
was planted with trees, and was favorite
walk. Here, often, in the long summer
evenings when work was over, or on our
rare holidays, Teinette and ! used to wan
der, talking about our future. that was 10
be spent together always togather, Or
we used TO sit beneath the old walls Oyer-
looking the river, and were as happy as
the birds that flew in and out of the ivy
over our nehVt ,aalL,M. xnuA. ,.
ing the back of his hand across his brow,
and clearing his throat he resumed:
just fdrtthetmoiiient, N 'sis9 1t Almost
seemed TO me thai could henr the intlf'
,rnur of the river and Toinettes voice, that
was MS sweet as the lapse of waters, or the
song Of birds--at least lit was so to my
ears 4.
"Whcn we have fixed in our minds the
way we viii go in life, it seems that the
lgood Godfvfor, our benefit no Doubt
ent path altogether The time for
drawing for the conscription was, APP
proachi6g, but II gave ME no concern; /
1 had drawn a lucky. number before, and
should do so again, I,made no doubt i
had great fifth III iify luck, because all
had gone so well with me hitherto.
| "When the day came, Pierre and l, and
the other young men Of the district, as
sembled to draw theI numbers, M'sieu, /
thought the earth had given way from be-
meath my feet when the number held
was read out. 4haye no Doubt my cheeks
were blanclfcd,S fof the sergeant whispered
coward as he passed me. think when
WE were before Ssethasttopuf nc rpcHff6d his
word sa1 Till IL, .1rr,gA /, Liz, |.
meant. But it is no light thing to have
| all ones hopes and all ones efforts for
nine years ami Hated at blow-brought
! to nothing, like the ashessof this cigar
that knock away, 'e,'.a'lg Wy .'an re
cat first I had some hope that Pierre
| might offer 10 take my place; for when
father was angry with, him for his I'M
steady ways he used 10 talk Of going for =
soldier. But talking and doing are two
different things, as found. Father urged
me to pay for d substitute, But 4 substi-
tute was not easily to, be found. II would
have taken all my money-just all that ]
had saved.
II "Toinette. too, begged me to stay; but
TO what ehdY We could not marry, if
had nothing but my daily work as cigns-
ron, and father and mother to, keep i
n might have beeh better to do as they