Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-09-15
MARIE OF yILLEFRANCHE.


to see Maf1e The villagers had thttr heaiS
tied up in biilliant-colored handktrchlefs, |
contrasting pleasantly with the white
snow, and they sbuffled quickly over their |
enands in their clinking sabo,s There
was good deal of talk and laughter |
among them, but all the faces looked |
pinched and cold
Where did Marie la Veuve liver"
a'ked. All knew, and all were willing to |
show me the way, for Marie was the vii |
lage favorite," as one of the gossips ex.
planned to me: "she kept silent tongue
in her head had been good daughter,
sister, and wife; was helpful to all those
in trouble, and joyful with those who re-
joiced utthings were going badly with
Marie since the birth of her fatherless
child, and there was no hope ofpeace, and
these coQuins de PrusSis1s were eating up
Whent entered Marie's room she was
lying on her bed, white and sill, with a
little swaddled bundle beside her. "This
is my babysl she whispered, setting up
right the little stiff image. The baoy
opened its dark eyes, and looked at me
with that entire want of speculation IN its
gaze common to its kind. Marie said no
more, BfFher face was as speaking in in
terest Is Her chid's was vacant; she took
my haud and held it in both of hers
Tuere was not silence in the room, for be-
side the bed stood the voluble little
motherin7law telling me all the symp
toms; how. there was no milk for the
little one, how feverish the mother was,
what sleepless nights what exhausting
days. sEhe doctor says tits because there
is trouble on; the mind. OF course there
is trouble, with the husband dead, shot
down before the eyes of his brother, on
the heights above Sedan, on that fatal day
of August 31st; of course there is ,rouble,
with nothing to eat, and all the little
savings going; is itnOt all true, ma mere =
And the little old woman turned for cor
roboration, to bent figure sitting at the
further corner of the room, stretching out
lean long thin fingers toward the glow
from the little stove "Yes, yes" MUIR
INJURED this other ait is the war, famine,
and fever that have done it all 1 have
just this and that" taking up the hem of
her dress and petticoat Just this and that,
all gone and then the smell of powder
and blood r.
Never mind her." said the other to me,
apologetcally; "her mind is gone, but
she is Msrie's mother, and in her day was
the bslle Of the village; she married well,
and had a farm of her own, plenty OF
linen, and three great Its Dlorltes. Marie
was not the only child; there was another,
a boy, humpbacked, and of weak intellect,
rie, and her whole lie was devoted to
him until he died. My son never laughed
at him as the other village lads did, but
would spend long hours in amusing him,
and the boy was never stubborn or wilful
with JACQUES. And then Marie married my
son, and all the villagers said she might
have done better, but man who is gentle
with children is sure to be gentle with
women, and a son who is thous htful fol
L.. l. a. l., i
band; and so / told Marie and to Jacque:
l said, Never leave off asking her unit
you get her; and in the end he did wiz
her. And now he has died fighting for his
country, and l am proud and satisfied
though am not happy" The brave little
woman paused here to lift the corner o
her apron to the dim old eyes.
All this time Marie lay back upon he
pillow, fearless and still. She was not {
strikingly pretty woman, but there was
supplicating sadness in her large, darl
there Wasa wealth of tenderness abou
the full slightly compressed lips that len
to her whole face a strange, fascinating in
terest.
Had this sweet, silent woman, won
der, dtifted unknowingly into matrimon,
-wasIt 'tiuxtaposition in fine?' or was
that deep, sensitive gratitude that grow
so near akin to love in woman's heart
Jacques had not ridiculed the idiot boy
and she, so loving to her brother, and to-
young 70 sound the depths of such a sac
riice, had given herself to Jacques for re
compehse. And now trouble had come
and she had been near to death, and, a
the woman said, all the little savings ha
gone. lAThe case was bad, but Marie wa
not sofdowncast as had expected; pei
haps she had at this moment forgotte
much that she had suffered perhaps, also
she was experiencing great and underline
relief What if there should dawn neJ
life for her, with health, and her child p
life without breads or suppressed wear
ness, or smothered incompatibilities. 81
only could livel" said the speaking eye
So, at least, 1 read her story. Otherwis
it might seem almost strange that sh
should wish for life, with nothing to loo
forward to but widowed loneliness. Sh
and had hardly uttered word togethe
but as che held my hand in hers, l fe
arising between us sudden sympath
that springs up between two people, r
cognihing spontaneous trust that nee(
no outward expression.
Thesdoor was now opened softly to az
nit a German soldier, one of those co9ut,
de PTNsste1s, carrying an armful of smal
cut logs of wook. l had noticed him, as
door. He gave me military salute as
passed On tiptoe TO the little stove, whe
he began to replenish the dying fam
moving about silently and softly. The
stood little saucepan of milk on Il
hearth, which the women were neglectinI
he moved il to little distance from Il
fire, and, stirring it, saved it from beiI
burnt He then opened cupboard, al
drew out little packet Of corn flour whi'
-, 1, i,
"Ahl had forgotten" cried la belle nasl
quickly drying her eyes; she ought
have had that an hour ago. Go and g
some water from the we'll, Heinrich, viii
mix some in a cup" Heinrich reach
her a cupand spoon from a shelf, and pas
ed out as quietly as he had come in.
was powerfully built man, with a gre
head set rather clumsily ON square u
right shoulders there was gentle digI
ty in his mar ners, and good reselute e
preston in his deep, gray eyes. One fl
he was the reposeful element in that lit
household; the women bad taken the pa
of IeQuisitioning the enemy, ana makil
full use Of his kindly helpfulness while
the strong one, was being bullied, becau
of his strength, by the weak ones.
"Do you not think there is danger
whispered Ia belle mere, as she accompaui
me to the door, having that great Pm
sian in the house, with Marie so young
what do you meanY" asked, astO
ished.
"I dontsay that he is not all that
conUenable, and Marie is entirely engross
with her baby; nsdis Gpres4 How long
it to lssti asked myself. When a
these Germans to be sent awayf Marie
good woman, and he good man, NJ
withstanding that he is our enemy.
has, too, such way of doing things