Huntington independent. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1871-1874, 1873-12-25
RACHEL.
TRANSLATED RY PAULINE.

Once upon time in the cay bfule-
wards of great Paris, there was a tiny
little girl. Sh: had eyes like the spark
ling stars, and had dainty, high-b:ed
manner of walk and bearing that was
especially attractive to the deLonndir
crowds that filled the Champ Elysees,
in the sunny times that crowned the
wicked old city, with It's glory Of per-
fame and song This little girl w;s
like a leaf of u white rose, so fragile
AID f:ale she was, and the shadows of
care and want held their orgie in the
brave young face. Shc had a finely
modulated voice, and in her wanderines S
through the great thoroughtlres, was
accompanied by a queer looking old
dame, who seemed to take a strange
pride in the little sclfsh-looking mai
den. The old witch carried always
with her strangely discordant harr,
with a swinging cup Of bronzeatta: d.
The harp she swept with her bony fn-
gers, while the cenSeL was swung by tie
same touch, and gave for h bewildcr-
ny perfume of rarc' sweetness and be
witched the senses of the crowd, while
the delicate music of the chi!ds voice
as She sang with the old harp accompa-
nimcnt, touched the hearts Of her hear
crs with the mournfulneSs of its song,
and the wistfulncss of the sad-facel
child was a strong appea! to their gen.
ero,ity of feeling. Many Of the patri-
clan people would call her to ther side
and bestow private Charities upon her,
and these kindncsscs were never lost
upon the observation Of the wiercd
locking attendant, who always fol owed
the weary child to tn, carriages Of the
no1il ty, W en they beckoLed her tu
hr,n ate one Of her melancholy songs
The g'mins Of the lower million" all
knew the headquarters where her sweet
ST ,ong, Were sung, and by some Won
lcrful-almost supcrnatural-.mean'
they would occasionally pat a bright
title penny (haying polished it for her
bcn,Gt) in tn frail little hand, and
with a galIantry-nothng in their live.
.ouId interpret altogether delicate and
gentle, th;y would never say rude things
her presence, and called her the Lily
of the Champ Elysees."
The dark-cycd sorgStreSS disappeared
from the accustomed place in the Paris
Parks, when the leaves of Autumn had
aurtercl to the ground, with their col
,rs of crimson and god, and came again
with the carly birds, and the curious
id woman with her CcnSer OF bronN
md discordant harp, was close b"sid'
her. and seemed 10 cling to mortality
flr the sake Of her wan faced charge
No cne new aught Of the strange pail
ave their presence in the Park, where
The little oae rerited portions of Van
drans and Corncille, and her g'oriou;
voice, in her Italian and French song'
filed the souls Of the idle people w'tl
wonder and pity for her poverty strick-
en- lie For several years she was q
part o. the Champ ElyecS and the t.
tied people, as well rs the Bourgeoisc
we're happy always 10 see her there
with the sunshine and singing birds.
The great cloud Of war came ovcr
Paris. and amid the carnage and Tam
nc that befell their w:cke lne.s and pros
peritv, the "child Of the people" who
sung the beautiful songs was forgotten,
and she came 40 more with her witchery
of censer and music bursts of beauty t.
crave aims Of the country people, whose
hearts were now flied with greater
things. The reign Of blood Was gon'
from the stricken city and once more
the shine of spIcndor and glory cam.
to its gates, and the high-born pee
p!e. made glad the souls OF the star
v.ug papulace, and sonnet ing like th'
old lie, lived again in the mighty city
A ncw Imperatrice was to make he
debut on tie boards Of the grand liz
ternat:oiallc, and Paris was AWAY
ready to Yield its homage to a new sen
sltion, and waited to crown the brow
of this new 81 ger with the 'auTcls {
it> transient tame. The great play wa
uvcr aud Paris was mad with cnthusi
asm over this new suppIiant for her IA
vor, and the dark-cyed stranger wa
rich with the baubleS Of gold and pre-
cious stones OF which the nub!es wer
ever lavish to favored ones. The tim
Of p-rfune and flowers, Of song an'
glorious success, had gone away wit
the opening night al d great Paris wait
ed with batcd breath for the next tr
rmph If the new star. The color an
bloom If flashing gems and a;tlreS
tropical ,plendJr covered the thousand
= Of expc TAM hca IS and the curt1i
res on scene so natural and urlooi
ed for. that they were in "A frenzy Of aE
p ause and Joy. A simple scene tha
: represented a small portion Of th
hamp Elysees, and beneath a sylvia
tree 4 withered dccrepid cd wolna
swung a censer cup of bronze, and
tattered weircd-voiccd child sung one
again a song that they had heard yea
before, whenit was a daily thing to tn
same world Of fashion and gold. ri
childish voice was strangely Ike the oI
time, and they remembered the lit
songstrcs', Of the Champ EiyseeS, tn
had disappeared from their sight AZ
well-nigh been forgr tten, but the fa'
that gave the world of at her Racbc
. gave to Paris an enthusiasm that on
lived he- years Of unriyalled fame az
c glory.
e The tiny child Of the Champ Elysce
vas the Rachel of two worlds. and Il
! marvellous gcnins Of her song gift, az