American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-08
IS And Won do not know then that his

afte.. they had LETT land. sickness for home
and sickness of the sea killed her. and she
had to be thrown overheard. All, what
a terrible iatel'' And Madame CagOt
STARK. hard into Nannette's gray, stony
face.
siImust get out into the air, madame, -
Nannette said, jumping up.
IS But why ~ exclaimed Madame CagOt,
frightened at her new guests fixed look
a iittles''
"No, no; this trouble is SO sudden. I
shall be better outside.'' And not wait
ing For more argument. she rushed out,
and ran along past the few houses on the
quay, hoping She should find some place
where, Unseen, she Gould realize this new
ly found agony.
Should she go back to Wire without
looking again on the face of him who had
proved so cruelty false?
Oh, my God'' she cried, 'sThou who
knowest my misery, show me what to do;
leave me not now that am indeed forsak-
en- of all Othersp' And then she laid her
poor burning head on the wet sea-wced,
and thought of all she had hoped, all she
hat feared. Many terrible things had Oft
en- occurred to her. but never aught like
this.
81 rejoice" she cried out ffercely, ''that
he has heavy trials, that be suffers horri-
| BILE pain! l am glad that he will de!
would not hold cut Thy finger to''-and
hefe God had pity, and her good angel
touched her poor stony heart, and in a
moment the tears were raining from her
eyes, and she was implOring that his life
| might be spared.
| So she went back, and Madame Cagot
not being in the way, she went up into
| the room where RaOul still lay sleeping.
She took chair, and sat looking at his
poor thin face, until her whole nature was
so filled with pity, that she forgot all else
but sad grief that they must let him go.
for there was no installing that the seal
OF death was upon his face. She had sat
some time before the door was pushed a
little way open, and a pale faced child,
looking nine or ten years old, put in its
little head, and then stood staring silently
at Nannette, who, feeling sure who she
was, beckoned her forward.
g am your papa's sister," she whis-
pered. 'sThOu must love me, my child"
And the little one held up its face, and let
Nannette fold her in her arms.
Babette Is down stairs, said the child.
s'Wilt thou fetch her too? She cannot
walk up stairs. and she will cry without
me-"
So Nannette went to the top of the stair
case, and Madame CaRot gave into her
arms the little one. Babette, who soon
went to sleep, while Marie, sitting at Nam
nstte's feet, amused herself quietly, as
children accustomed to sickness and suf-
fering can. Therefore, it happened that
rested upon Nannette, with his two chill
dren nestled close beside her. He knew
her in a moment-indeed. he called her
little changed. But he could not do much
else than hold her hand in his and call
down blessings on her head. Twas Nam
nette's tears that flowed.
Towards evening he seemed to grow
kxr-n bot oil he
called her to him, and told her that he
| well knew his days, perhaps his hours,
were numbered, as the doctor had told
him that he could not live through anotf-
er outburst of bleeding flor it was of Il
consumption he was dying), and he want
ed to tell her of things that we're upon his
conscience. Nannette begged he would lei
her go for priest.
EYES," he said, 8. that too, my good
angel, thou shalt do, but first must speak
| to thee, Nannette - and then, madame.
he told piteous tale how, in a foreign
land, away from all he loved, to drown the
grief which, after he had put the sea be-
tween himself and us. seemed to take pos
session of him, he fell into bad ways.
The poor woman he afterwards married.
was but little better than the others by
whom he was surrounded; and, though
both he and she were making W ,ges
| enough to have been looked upon at Wire
as a fortune, they were often in want of
food and clothes. He received the letters
| which we sent to him by the Angelique.
and the love they contained seemed, he
said, to poison hie whole future. Even in
his widest mirth, those words sounded in
his ears like funeral bell, and their men,
DRY was often his first awakening to con-
seriousness.
Nannette,'' he said, miserable as had
ever been, twas happiness compared to
the agony that took possession of me,
when I first awoke to what l might have
been, and the full knowledge Of what ]
was. The only prayer for years dared
to utter, was to beg happiness for you"
"And God heard that prayer, Raoul,"
| said Nannette, 81 had your father TO love,
friend, that my life has been one of sorrow;'
and hoping to comfort him, she told him
how good Jeanne Ferouelle was to her.
and that her place at the hotel now was as
daug liter, not servant and in her poor
| way, madame, she tried to make him see
| that God, who ordereth all things well.
had ordered that in life these two should
be apart, but that in death they should tie
again united.
About five O'Clock the priest came, and
before he left. he spoke kindly to Nam
| nette. and told her that he would see if
anything could be done for the children.
whose welfare alone now troubled the
sick man; But Nannette eased him of
| that burden; and when she :, ent to Raoul
again, she told him that he must give his
children to her, and she would be moth
er to them and after that great peace
seemed to come to him, and he began to
hope that God would yet grant him the
pardon, that for three long years he had
| sought with sorrow and despair. Two
days after this he died, madame, calling
down blessings on her head, and bidding
Marie remember. that Babette and her.
self owed everything they had to their
bonnie Mere Nannette.
| Madame could not credit the goodness
which everybody showed to me at that
time. The little money RaOul had was
spent in paying Madame Cagot's bill, and,
bad name as the people around gave the
woman, she refused to take a single sou
for Nannette; but in parting. whispered,
would she pray for her. The seamen,
who seemed SO bold and rough, made to-
gether a sum to carry the poor one to
Wire, so you will know that never since
has sailor gone empty from the Hotel
st Pierre. The good priest went surety
for the undertakes bill, and wrote a few
weeks after to say friend of the church
had paid it; and so with such help, Nan
nette was able to lay Raoul among his
people. Jeanne Ferouelle scoIded a little
about the children, but in the midst she
broke down, saying their food would new
er be missed, and they should not be part
ed from Nanuette.
The time had passed for grief to strike
sharply into Marcel's heart, and he was
greatly comforted, poor old man, by the
grand funeral Monsieur lie Cure gave his
son, about which he talked with pride I'M
til his death.
After a few years. Jeanne Feroulle also
died, leaving all she had to her cousin