Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-07-25

little Babette, an occasional cloud ap-
peared on the horizon of the small
household. .u. -.. ..
A certain change came over the good
mother. Lines of care and anxiety fixed
themselves upon her face. Her very
character seemed to change. From the
most open-handed and generous of be-
ings she became close and parsimoni-
ous, always preaching economy, and
urging upon lazy, ight-hearted Jean
the necessity of working and providing
for his wife and family. Rumors went
abroad that this change in the widow
was in some way connected with a
scapegrace son of hers, by former
marriage, of whom no one had heard
for long while. But of this the widow
| said nothing.
"It was vexatious, this freak of the
good mothers" said Jean but he was
much too easy going and good-natured
to have any quarrels on the subject.
He would listen to all that the widow
had to say, make the best resolutions,
and for few days carry them out
working very steadily on the little farm
which was now, by the widows gift,
their joint property.
"Times are bad" he would say.
"The mother is quite right"
OF course he meant to work and he
would, until the next fair or pilgrimage
proved too strong temptation for his
newborn industry, and the good reso-
lutions were forgotten. Then, too, her
fit of depression past, the natural light
heartedness of the Frenchwoman would
return to the good widow, and rejoicing
in the happiness of her children, she
would join in their small pleasures and
excursions with all her old zest, the lit
tie Babette her constant and most cher
ished companion.
So another year passed on happily
enough in spite of occasional clouds
and threatenings of storms, until one
day terrible blow fell upon the little
household. The health of the widow,
never very strong, had been under
mined by secret worry and anxiety. An
epidemic startled the village, and al
most before her children could believe
that she was i'll, the good mother lay
dying.
Then she spoke of this trouble which
had so oppre essed her.
cit grieves me, children, that I do
not leave you as I could wish, rich and
independent" she said, holding a hand
of each. "But the last few years have
been sadly disastrous. We have lived /;
we have enjoyed our life, it is true; but
the tim es have been hard. War,
scarcity you know of these things, and
then my poor boy, too, must bear his
share of the blame"
"Dear mother, do not trouble your-
self now about these Matters" inter-
rupted Jean.
"We have been so happy" sobbed
Mariette.
"76ut must speak, my child" the
wild ow went on feebly. "The little that
remains is yours. There is the farm.
You must exert yourself now, Jean
you must work for-for her sake. Will
you not ?"
"Yes, mother, yes, said Jean, press
ing the dying woman's hand.
"And then see in that old bureau is
little sum put by for thee, Jean, if thou
shouldst be drawn for the conscription,
three hundred francs and more. But if
thou shouldst escape, then it is to be a
dot for the little Babette. Dost hear,
my son? Here is the key of the
bureau. Put it by the cord about thy
neck"
81 will do all as you wish, good
mother"
"Ah, that is we'll"
A few more words of tender loving
counsel, and then death came, with a
voice not to be denied, calling the good
mother from her weeping children, and
from the little home of which she had
SO long been the center and support.
Mariette and Jean had been married
just five years, when, in the year 1918,
an order for raising fresh conscription
J of one hundred and twenty thousand
men was issued by the Emperor Napo.
leon. Each new conscription put the
rural districts of France into yet
greater state of excitement and agita.
ton and Dinan was no exception tc
tie rule. The law was vigorously
carried out, the exemptions allowed SC
few, and the difficulty of obtaining sub
stitutes so much increased, that each
little household awaited the result with
lear ana trembling.
; Mariette, of all the young matrons ol
the village, was perhaps the most un
moved. For, she argued, if tho worst
should come, there was at least that
? little hoard of the good mothers in the
old bureau. Jean was safe. But as the
, time of the conscription approached
Jean himself was strangely restless and
s discomposed. Mariette observed it
and did her best to rally him out of his
depression.
, "There is no doubt that thou will
4 be able to get a substitute, Jean p
she had asked one day, little anx
8 iously.
! Mono" with sigh.
"Ah, that is we'll Then cheer up
Il mon brave You are thinking,
: know, about the poor Babette and hel
r dot. Well, it would be pity, truly
q that she should lose it. But she il
: young yet, you see and if we take this
now, we must save her up another do
a by the time she wants it. Must We
J, not ?" q.
1 "Ah | we are SO clever at saving
:, money, Mariette, returned Jean, rather
3 bitterly.
s The next day was the one which wat
s to decide SO many fates. The whole
d village was swarming and crowded with
d gendarmes. Mariette dismissed hel
husband with words of cheer.
Q The little Babette was that day no
o well, SO her mother was forced to re
9 main at home as nurse. But when Jear
d was fairly out of the house, Mariette'
heart. failed her. eff he should be drawn
o If substitute could not be found
| 1N,,l a. II