Litchfield enquirer., 1876-11-09
From Scribner's Monthiy.1
Mere cirald's Little Daughter.


 "PRUr t'' said Annot, her sabots c1atter- ing loudly on the brick floor as she nov ed more rapidly in her wrath. o"Prut Madame Glraud, indeed There was time, and it was but two years ago, that she was but plain Mere Giraud, and no better than the rest of us and 1t seems to me, neighbors. that it is not we'll to show pride because one has the luck to be favored by fortune. Where. forsooth, would our Madame Giraud stand if luck had not. given her a daughter pretty enough to win rich husband? as 8i l
 "Trhe, indeed !" echoed two of the gos- sips who were her admiring listeners
 But the third, comedy, fresh-skinned matron, who leaned against the door, and knitted stout gray stocking with fast clashing needles, dld not acquiesce so readily, HE ...t ... .y,.-s .,f.F l.. !,
 "Weli, we'll, neighbors,' she said, for my part, I do not see so much to com plain of. Mere Giraud-she is still Mere Giraud to me-is as honest and kindly 8 soul, as ever. It is not she who has call ed herself Madame Giraud it is others who are foolish enough to think that good luck must change ones old ways. If she had the wish to be grand person age, would she not have left our village before this and have joined Madame Le- grand in Paris. On the contrary, how ever, she remains in her cottage, and is as good a neighbor as ever, even though she is fond of talking of the carriages and jewels of Madame Legrand and her es- tablishment on the Boulevard Male sherbes. In fact l ask you, who of us would not rejoice to be the mother of 8 daughter whose fortune had been so good?" "+T a-F tat " f r
 ''That also is true,'' commented the amiable couple, nodding their white-cap- ped heads with sagacious air. sE:"True, without doubt .....
 But Annot replied, with contempu- ous shrug of her shoulders:
 "Wait until Madame Giraud is invited to visit the Boulevard Malesherbes," she said. "We have not heard that this has happened yet"
 ''She would not go if she were, at least not to remain. Her heart has grown to the old place she has borne her children in, and she has herself said tos me most sensibly:.La is young, and will easily learn the ways of the great world; I am old, and cannot ;; I am better at home among my neighbors Doubtless how ever, in course of time she will pay Madame Legrand visit at her home in Paris. or at the Chateau which Monsieur Legrand of course possesses, as the rich and aristocratic always do" E. |
 Doubtless J! said Annot grimly; doubtless -... .... TIE
 Honest Jeannie Tallott passed the sheer by, and went on with stout gravity of demeanor: s. -'- x
 'There is only one thing for which I somewhat blamed Mere Giraud, and that is that she has scarcely dose her duty toward Valentin. He disappointed her by being an ugly lad instead of pretty girl. and she had not patience with him. Laure was the fayorlte. Whatever Laure did was right, and it was not so with, the other though I myself know that Valen. tin is good lad; and tender-hearted. "
 "Once," put in white cap. ''I saw her beat him severely because he fell with the little girl in his arms and scratched her cheek, and it was not his fault. His foot slipped upon stone. He was carry ing the child carefully and tenderly enough. You are right in calling him a good lad, neighbor Tallott He was a good lad, ,-Valentin Giraud, and fond of his mother, r,-notwithstanding that she was not fond of him." .4..... IA -..
 ''Yes," added her companion "but it is truth, that he was great contrast to the girl. Mon Dieu! his long, limbs and awkward body. his great sad eyes and ugly face While Laure. she not tall and slender and white, like a lily in garden. And her volce was like the ring ing of silver, and her eyes so soft and large As an infant, she reminded one of the little Jesu as on one sees him in the churches No wonder Mere Giraud fret ted at the difference between the two. And Valentin was her first, and what mother does not look for great things in the first |? We cannot help feeling that something must come of one's own charms if one has any, and Mere Giraud was a handsome bride. An ugly bantling seems to offer one sort insult, particularly at first, when one is young and vain. ''
 'There was no more beautiful young girl than Laure Giraud at sixteen," said Jeanne Tallott. @i$="
 'And none more useless" said Annott loudly. .'Give me young girl who IS industrious and honest. My Margot is better provided for than Laure Giraud was before her marriage: but her hands are not white, nor is her waist but span around. She has to much work to do. She IS not d tall white swaying creature who is to good to churn and tend the creatures who give her food. have heard 1t said that Laure would have worked if her mother had permitted it, but I don't believe 1t. She had not a working look Mademoiselle Laure waste good for the labor of humble people; she must go to Paris and learn fine, delicate trade. 1-a
 "But good came of Il, put in Jeanne Tallott. It proved all the better for her.'
 ''Let her mother thank the Virgin. then. y cried Annot. contemptuously.) ''It might not have proved the better; it might have proved the worse; evil might have come of it instead of good Who among us has not heard of such things !? Did not Marie Gautier go to Paris, too'?"
 "Ah. poor little one, indeed. ."sighed the white caps. sr.so 5a5 tl' 5'.7s Sa-i
 "And in two years," added Annot, her mother died of broken heart" 1s' # s' 1&
 But, said cheerful Jeanne, somewhat dryly, '.Laure's mother1is not dead yet, so let us, congratulate ourselves that to go to Paris has brought luck to one of our number at least, and let us deal chari- tably with Mere Giraud, who certainly means we'll, and is only naturally proud of her daughters grandeur. For my part, can afford to rejoice with her."z&aa1. , She rolled up her stout stocking into ball, and stuck her needles through it, nodding at the three women. u @ <
 .I promised would drop in and spend few minutes with her this morning, !" she said; so I will hid you good-day. ' And she stepped across the threshold and trndged off in the sunshine, her wooden shoes sounding bfasely upon the path It was only a little lplace,-St. Croix. as N e will call it for want of a better l name, "a little village of one street, and of many vines, and roses, and of much gossip. Simple people inhabited it. simple ignorant folk, who knew one another, Rand discussed one another's faults and grape-crops with equal frank ness, worked hard. lived frugally, confess. ed regularly and slept well 4a Devout people, and ignorant, who believed that the little shripes they erected in their vineyards brought blessings upon theil I T 4 T. n