The Morning herald., 1876-06-12

| Eighteenth century, and they VIII Lnd tfial
abduction, murder, and all manner OF
crime stalked abroad through the beautiful
city, setting the law and those whose duty
it was to enforce the law, at defiance.
CHAPTER II.
| MOTHER AND SONS.
"Knives 10 mend, scissors to grind,
knives to grindp'
Among the large class of people who gel
| their living from the street. as 1t were, none
seem to haye as few customers as the scla-
sors- grinders, although they are the most
useful Of their class, and it is not strange
that on the day when the Normandy coach
was to bring new victim to the Marquis
de Presles, Pierre Frochard, the crippled
scissors grinder, should have traversed q
large portion Of the city without having an
opportunity of adding much to his little
heard
His plaintive cry, "knives to mend
cissors to grind y was unlike great ma
| jority of the street cries, inasmncr as il
seemed to be the cry of a wounded soul
striving for something beyond it, reach, in
stead Of the rough, unmeanining jargon
which venler5 give utterance to in sing
song manner, and which expresses nothing
save a confusion Of gutteral sounds.
Pierre Frochard was a young man Of
about twenty years Of age, but whose snf-
ferings caused him to have the appearance
of one many years tlter. His face was
pale and distorted, his form bent and mis-
shapen, and yet he was one whom the
careful observer would have become deeply
interested in, and the chartabIy disposed
have bestowed aims upon, had Pierre moi
been one of those few Of his class whom
aims hurt worse than a curse.
Weary and footsore, the poor scissors
grinder had, toward the close of the day
; found himself near the Pont Nellf and af
! ter ascertaining that there were none nea
who were in need OF his services, he place.
his machine near one of the buildings an,
was resting bis aching limbs.
Chance I'D brought him near the Nor
mandy coach house, and he resolved t.
:, await the coming of the diligence in tn
hope of earning few SOUS by carrying tn
baggage ofsome traveller.
There was also in the vicinity q drink
ing saloon, filled wish noisy revelers, AM
whenever fresh burst of mirth from with
in was heard, Pierre shllddered visibly.
The cri ,,pe leaned against his machine
as Though long association with the woo'
and iron had endowe. it with sympath
for his slferings. The poor creature, al
though he had mother and brother, ha,
: ! Never known what it Is to receive on
word of pity or consolation from huma
being. and what wonder he should clin
aHectionately to the rude machine that &C
. companied him everywhere, even If it, wa
the work of his own hands, and endowe
with action only when his poor, withere
foot pressed the treadle.
For some time he had remained in thi
: position when he was aroused from hi
reverie by the closing of the door Of tn
:. cabaret, and looking up, ne saw stou
Is middle-aged woman approaching him.
! She was in manner and appearance a
= exact opposite to the cripple. Her clothe
y were whole, and enveloped the stout forr
Il in manner indicative Of great comfort t
g the wearer. A pair of small, hard, gre
% eyes twinkled from the fat, round fact
which was bordered with short, black hal
T that formed a distinct beard, and one o
r. seeing La F1ochard for the first tim
i. would have Judged her to be an easy, haI
d by old soul, whose only care in life was
provide a COED dinner, and whose onl
want was the material Tor good dish (
is gossip.
A change came over Pierre's face as h
saw her. A change which plainly tol
d that his poor, bent form was to receiy
some insult which would cut deeply I'll
great, honest heart which il held.
In painfully limping manner he al
d preached the woman, and in tender, ln
pIoring voice, said:
"Why, mother, is that your" -,
s. eyes, it's me, you lazy good-Ior-noti
o ingv' replied the affectionate mother,
she gazed at her dcformed boy, while
2 look Of scorn passed over her face, con
2 pleteIy changing lIer into hard, grasp'ln'
\ Wy wv