Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-22

woman, ana nc good man. notwlthstandiu
that he is our enemy. lie has, too, such
way Of doing things for me before ask hin
seeming to divine all we want Ny Jacquc
3 was always willing, but not forethouehr
iul, as this one is. ! have nothing {
complain Of in Maric's conduct; she scold
him aud he never answers her back and sh
sends him about and he always goes. MAJ
aPres2 In my day it was an impossible thin
Tor a young man and woman to live togotho
without falling in love, but the young ar,
more reasonable now-at least Marie, know
Is reasonable; she and Jacques we're YER
different from mo aud my man. Whoeve
would have thought that | should grow to b,
an old woman, livingon all alone"
" don't think you need anticipate any
thing said marie. baby is her great in
;erest."
If only he were like the rest Of them
cruel and exacting should feel easier. anc
could complain" she muttered to herself a,
she re-entered the cottage
On the following day iourueyed to
! nolghboring town TO pay visit to an ombu.
lance in which | had nursed during tn,
troubled times that followed the capitulatior
Of Sedan and almost forgot Mario's little
household, in the interest Of renewing old ac.
quaintanccs. As | arrived at the door of the
well known sombrc-looking house, young
man hobbled up to me, and, seizing my hand
shook it heartily.
Don't you know me" he asked IL am
the ono out of the FIVE amputatcd that sur.
ylycd in that crowded little room. Look
here what splendid support have got.
lie went on displaying a clean wooden stump.
strapped on to his shattered limb "And this.
too, pointing to decoration on his breast
ayes can hold up my head proudly among
all these Prussian dogs for | fought wildly
Tor France but to what use is it2 What
has come Of it} We are betrayed first by
our Emperor, then by our Generals and
even our women cringe aud Singer to these
loalilng barbariaus. Few Freuchmcn can,
like me, hold up their heads, and feel satisfied
they have done their utmost for their coun-
try And off stumped my quoudam patient.
followed by little troop of gamia admir-.
ers.
The wind is tempered to the shorn lamb, -
thought |, as | watched the poor manned lad
imping about so gayly.
found things in progressive state inside
the walls; the French came up to me, you-
bic and and hearty, recognizing in me friend
whose pocket might possibly be filled with
tobacco and cigars, if not the bearer of i'm
portant news from the outer world. The Ger
mans were silently digui6ed and gloomily
hopeless about their own recovery "Could
write brief poem to distant lady love2'
No" "Well, would ask the doctor tc
prevail upon the cook to make some stronger
soup" Yes | would do that" "Ilad
by chance cold sausage in my pocket ?'
NO could do anything else2" | nquir-
cd Yes, Madame might make some"
Some weeks after my return home from my
visit, | went again to see Marie | had heard
she had been getting on well, and found her
up and much better, with a new and brighter
expression on her face. Her mother had lust
been discussing the advisability of retiring to
bed she had tired of her coffee roasting and
knitting, and the afternoon was gloomy and
cold. helped the tottering old woman into
an inner room, where, in sort of berth hol.
lowed into the wall, she lay down aud soon
fell asleep. While | was with her, the Ger.
man Heinrich came in and went straight up
to Marie. Why don't you tell her You
can trust her and she might help US" |
knew he meant me. Speak Marie, he went
on, bending over his great head, with the
strong, shOrt-cropped hair. lie was all pow.
erful. Marie would have done anything loi
him, and he knew it, and she knew that he
knew 1t and yet he was pleading and tender
and gentler than she was. Her eyes had fallen
under his gaze, and her lips pressed themselve.
together she had struck pettishly the great
big hand that enclosed hers 1t is only the
strong and the great who are gentle; it is the
weak who strike out cruelty aud recklessly to
save them from falling came out from the
inner room and sat down in the old mothers
chair, on the other side Of the fire. Heinrich
came and stood before me, erect and resolute
Madame he began, " love this French
woman, Marie, of VilIefranche, and | wish tc
marry her; but if we made our intention.
known in the village, either she or [ would
be torn in pieces by the people, for at this
hour there is no love lost between the despoil.
ed and the despoilers. In loving Marie / do
not forget my country, nor does She renounce
hers | only find that love, when it comes
triumphs over all other feelings and consdera.
tions. Could you not speak to the cure for
us, and get him to marry us priyately?'
" But l interrupted, surely ii is too short
a time since the death of Maries husband y
" have beenin the house for months, and have
to-day received marching ORDERS" he put in
" And he has been everything to me, and done
everything for me, and | cannot bear it any
longer" added Marie, in passionate, low
voice. Then the big man knet down, and
kissed and stroked the pale hands that held
with effort her baby's weight.
On my way home that evening, called at
the cures house. gave my name, and b,
came shufiing along the little garden walk
with sabots pulled over his shoes, so as to open
the gate to me himself We bowed and
scraped to one another, and we remarked on
the depth Of the snow as we made UT way tC
his sanctum. ln the centre of the roo stood
a writing-table, covered with greasy-lookiun
volumes, thin letter paper, ink and sand
there was an open fireplace, filed with ashes,
and two logs placed ready for lighting. The
cure Immediately stopped down and lit q
match Though protested), and the room was
soon lighted with the sparkling flames. On
the mantel-shelf stood small dusty images of
the Madonna and the Crucifxon, balanced
by pipe and tobacco pouch a cupboard
happened to be half open, and on its shelves
were ranged TASKS ofyarious sauces and spices,
and moudy bottles of sealed wines. He mo-
toned me to chair, and drew a little mat in
front OF it for my feet and with his snuff.
box in his hand, and his head meekly bowed
down, he listened to my tale. 1t was diff
cult story to tell, and | suffered and stam-
mered over it, but the priest was all attention.
" That is all very right" he said in a reas-
suring way; there are much more compi-
Gated cases than that in the village And so
you think they should marry ?" he wont on,
lifting his sleepy eyes to mine.
Yes, indeed | do, and any little expense
Marie may incur shall most gladly"
"Of course, understand" he interrupted,
waving his hand in deprecating way. "Poor
Jacques, he could neither read nor write,
but, as he said, that did not prevent him from
serving the country. Well we will try and
arrange matters in quiet way some time
'oon, and in the mean time Marie and this