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

1t was cold, snowy day when went t,
see Marie the villagers had their heads tie,
up in brlliant-coorcd handkerchicis. con
trasting pleasantly with the white snow. anc
they shuiied quickly over their errands il
their clanking sabots There was GOOD
deal Of talk and laughter among them, but
all the faces looked pinched and cold.
" Whore did Marie Ia Yeuye live ?" |
asked. All knew, aud all were willing TO
show me the way, for " Marie was the vii.
lage layorite,' as one Of the gossips explain.
ed to me " she kept silent tongue in her
head had been a good daughter, sister and
wife was helpful to those in trouble, and
joyful with those who rejoced but things
were going badly with Marie, since the birth
Of her fatherless child, and there was no hopc
Of peace, and these coguih de Prnssieas
were eating up the land
When | entered Marie's room, she was ly.
ing on her bed, white and still, with little
swaddled bundle beside her This is nv
baby she whispered, setting upright the lit.
tic stiff image. The baby 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 but her face was as
speaking in interest as her child's was vacant.
She took my hand and held it in both of hers.
There was not silence in the room, however.
for beside the bed stood the voubIe little
mother-in-law, telling me all the symptoms !;
how there was no milk for the little one, how
teyerish the mother was what sleepless
nights, what exhausting days. 4" The doctor
says it Is 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 81 Of course
there is trouble, with nothing to eat, and al
the little saving going is it not all true, ma
mere ?" And the little old woman turned
for corroboration to a bent figure sitting at
the further corner Of the room, stretching
out lean, long fingers toward the glow from
the little stove. Yes yes" murmured this
other ; it is the war, famine and fever that
have done 1t all. | have just got this ana
that" taking up the hem of her dress and
| petticoat " Just this and that, all gone aud
then the smell Of powder and blood 60
Never mind her." said the other to me-
apologetically; " her mind is gone, but she j:
Marie's mother, and in her day was the belle
of the village she married we'll, and had a
farm of her own, plenty of linen, and three
| great Its moates. Marie was not the only
child there was another, boy, humpback-
ed, and Of weak intellect, who showed no
love for any one but Marie and her whole
life was devoted to him until he died Ny
son never laughed at him as the other vii
lage lads did but would spend long hours il
amusing him, and the boy was never stubborn
or wlltul with Jacques And then Marie
married my son, and all the village said she
might have done better, but a man who is
gentle with children is sure to be gentle with
women, and son who is thoughtful for his
mother is likely to make good husband
and so l told Marie and to Jacques | said
Never leave of asking her until you get
her and in the end he did win her. And
now he has died lighting for his country
ana am proud and satisfied, though am
not happy The brave little woman paused
mere to hit the corner of her apron to the
DIM old eyes.
All this time Marie lay back upon her pill
low fearless and still. She was not a strik-
lngly pretty woman, but there was a suppl
eating sadness IN her large dark eyes softly
Veiled by black lashes and there was a wealth
OF sweetness and tenderness about the full,
slightiy compressed lips, that lent to her whole
lace strange fascinating interest.
iiaa thls sweet, silent woman, | wondered,
drlited unknowlngly into matrimony; was it
Juxtaposition In hne, or was 1t that deep,
sensitive gratitude that grows so near akin to
love IN woman's heart
jacques had not ridlculed the idiot boy,
ana she so loving to her brother and too
young to sound the depths Of such sacrifice,
mad gwen herself to Jacques for recompense.
And now trouble had come, and she had been
near to death, and as the woman said, all the
little savings had gone. The case was bad,
but Marie was not so downcast as had ex.
pected perhaps she had at this moment for.
gotten much that she had suffered perhaps
also she was experiencing a great and upde.
fined relief, What if there should dawn a
new life for her. with health, and her child
"a life without breads, or suppressed weari.
ness, or smothered incompatibiities. "If
only could live - said the speakino ewes
So at least, | read her story. Otherwise il
might almost seem strange that She sbould
wish for life, with nothing to look forward tn
but widowed loneliness. She and had hardly
uttered word together but. as she beld nv
hand in hers, felt arising between us a snj
den sympathy that SPRINGS nm between Two
people, recognizing a snontaneons trnst tb,t
needs no onward exnross;on
The door was now onened softly 70 odmi,
a German soldier one Of ,hose coo,,;,,s 40
Pyussieus CARRYING an ormG,I of smaII an,
LOGS of wood bsd no,;eod h;no .aI 80
in' cbopping them nm in From, of ,ha [ Joor
He gave me A militarr salute as ho nassoJ ~ on
tiptoe 10 the little stove whero ho a0. ho"on ~ ~
renlenisb the dvin, Somo ~ or;n =. arsat oaa ~
lentlv and softly Tbece 1901 n, oo,,aa o.
nan of Mill on ,ho hoo.,h -. '.t''0 ~ aauoo