Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-05

peasant people, who prospered so long as
they kept to their caps and labored in their
fields; but who lost all their prosperity when
they threw off their homely head-gear and
went away in fine feathers and ribbons to
walk in the streets of the neighboring
towns. Then came the sprites to clear their
stores, to ruin their farms, to suck their
eggs, and milk their cows, and the hens
ceased to lay, and the crops dwindled and
dwindled, and the fish failed in the nets. 1t
was very self-evident little apologize, but
Binnie and little Anne firmly believed in it.
| MariOry, who was older, had her doubts.
Meanwhile, we all took to calling the place
white Cotton Nightcap County" They
are playing at Ogres in the courtyard in
front Of the house to-day. ii. and | sit
listening to the happy little voices that reach
Us in a cool, green-lighted room, which the
| priests once used as a refectory, and whence
we hear all the choir, of flutes and dulc-
liners, of sweet childish prattling and piping
in the sunny court. Our landlady looks
out, in her camisole, from bowery shutter:
the priests, who Is lodging in the empty
wing Of the house, crosses in the sunshine,
with long shadow zigzagging after him.
The little golden-headed Ogres stop short in
their game to watch him 90 by. As he
pushes at the great gateway, lean, black
robed figure thrusting at the rusty bar. the
swinging bell begins to ring, the great gate
suddenly fly open, the priest starts away,
and stranger walks in quickly.
He carries no breyiary in his hand, but
newspaper under his arm. lie wears
straw hat, no black robes flap about him;
but as he comes towards Us. walking straight
and quickly across the yard, H. and /, who
from long habit guess at one another thought,
glance at the retreating priest, and then
look at each other and think of preachers
who, coming in commonest garb, teach true
things to true men; preach the love that en-
dures truth preach, with living voice and
clear-eved looks. Scorn for oppression and
for the mean surrender of the strong
preach help and wisdom tor the weak
preach forbearance to the inpatient preach
sacred endeayor men, standing on the high
step of mighty altar. whose voices We OF
the great congregation listen to, day 10y day,
aS their noble words
Touch enough
The verge Of yastness to inform our soul.
This friend has walked five miles from his
village. "best loved Of sea-coaSt nook-lull
Normandy" to welcome us. There is
little goo>eberry and pear-tree orchard at the
back Of the house. where the vines are
ansling green. Albnia and her husband
have been sitting there for hours past on
Madame Valentine green bench. Kind H.
carries of our friend to see her new-come
children, who have travelled SO many Indian
miles to hold her hand once more, and our
.l,,s-
4 cup of Angeles good coffee. after his hot
and tiring walk lie must rest for an hour
in the shade, while the day Is burning on
and ripening among the messy things the
the golden flames are in the pears hanging
overhead, IN the great dahlias blazing in
gloomy splendor the birds seem on fire as
they flash past Us the clouds in heaven are |
tinted the children come up in unwearied |
proceSsion-they are fairies now, they say |
except Francis, who Is tired. and wants al |
ways to be an ogre Then the bell begins |
TO swing from the Norman tower.
Angelo come out and brings cups OF milk |
and lunches of bread, and pinaiores to |
match, and Immediately the fairies become |
little children again, and quite ready for |
their tea. And meanwhile we elders sit in |
this apple-tree bower, talking over one
thing and another. As we talk on. Of
Angelo with her wooden shoes and Tapping .
zap, Of the fiat country, Of the evening
light, the quiet seaside place, that we like
we know not why, the people living near
he poet puts a meaning into hom=ly words,
md toucnes Us with his wings, as poets do, /
md out Of common talk and of diScordant
things his genius strikes the keynote
dominating all.
Long after our guest had taken leave and
walked home by the sands, we sat on in our
garden. Madame Nalentin came mysterious
y through the twilight, carrying a lettuce
or her supper she also had a letter in her
and, which she was scanning in the NOON
ight
That gentleman who had been here did
ie expect a letter. she asked. WAS his
lame Hug. Gourle?' The postman.
,nowing We were English, had sent the let
er bv the miller's wife Madame Nalentin
Explained he was gone home, his aunt was
u and then she showed letter. addressed,
n commercial hand. to "Mr. Hugh
iouray, Chateau de Latouche. .Joyeux.
-alyados."
But why do You not send it to the
.hateau - said H. : ''it Is not for US"
Madame Valentin thought this a good Sug-
,estien she had forgotten for the moment
hat they had English relations at the
.hateau. Mademoisele Blanche's mamma
vas an English Protestant Mademoiselle
vas n good Catholic, notwithstanding. She
vas to make her profession next month.
Next month - asked H.
Certainly, it was true, said Madame Val
,ntin. There were those who, with Madame,
hink it a pity, but she was not one of them.
de Latouche the elder was
aintly woman, and would never force her
liece's inclinatiOns. .. IL. had heard n
liffcrent version.
The crimes that people commit are not all
lone in a minute they seem to come into
Existence little by little-one by one-small
elfsh considerations. jars, vanities, indo-
ences they do not even come to a climax
always. 1t Is not a consoling reflection that
the sum Of the evil done by respectable and
Easy going life may he greater in the end
perhaps than that of many a disastrous
career. Notwithstanding Madame Nalentin
opinion, it seemed to me that old Madem-
oiselle de Latouche put all her yanitie~, her
-elii-hneSS, love Of domination, into her re
li-ion. No wonder it was feryent She
kept herself from the world because She was
lazy and loved her own comfort better than
ANYTHING else. She let the widows and
orphans come and see her, or wait at her
door till it was convenient to her to admit
them it rather amused her to dole out her
small benevolenceS, and to hear their un-
reserved thanks. She certainly denied her
self to. but not for, Others
She had made up her mind that Blanche
was to edify tine religious world of .Ioyeux
and St Rambert. The sturdy Chatelaine
did not feel that her health was equal to the
rigid rule Of a cOnventual life but Blanche
was younger, and of less nervous tempera-
ment.
When any one spoke ola different fate
for the little thing, Mademoiselle replied
upon entering the cloister. and that it was
subject she did not care to discuss. 1t was
her hour for repose or meditation. and She
must beg leave TO retire.
There were few people more difficult of
access than Mademoiselle de Latouche, who,
between her excessive pieties and vanities
and long hours of slumber and refreshment,
found life well filled, and scarcely suficing
to its enjoyments above all, to its necessary
repose. Woe betide the household if
Mademoiselle was awakened suddenly Ii
Is possible that there may have been little
sameness in Mademoiselle's life which was
50 entirely devoted to one person. and that
person so disagreeable a one, as H. once
said. But | think H. scarcely did the
Chatelaine justice. Many people had
thought her charming in her youth. She
had curious power of influencing people,
of fimpressing her own opinions upon them,
and leading them her own way. So few