The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-04-06
Se1ert Shrg.
CLAUDE LORRAINE.
BY ELIZABETH CONVERSE.
From the New York Observer


Almost three hundred years have pass
ed since Claude Gelee came, little help
less baby, looking much like other little
French babies, into the home of his poor
father and mother, in the province Of
Lorraine in France, | suppose that his
mother dreamed great many sweet
dreams over him while he made the
house bright with his baby-face, just as
other mothers have dreamed ever since
Ewes Cain was born. (Aas that so
many have been as sadly disappointed
as Eve herselfD The real things that God
means to give to those who keep hold Of
His hand and follow His voice are always
better than any that even their mothers
can plan for them.
Claude's father and mother hoped that
their little son would not have to work
as hard as they had to. He must go to
school and learn some easier and better
way to earn his living To school he
went, and was as sweet-tempered and
studious lad for his years as his parents
could expect him to be. But something
seemed to be wrong with the little head,
Try as hard as he would to stow away
the lessons in his memory, they almost
all slipped away, and Claude seemed
little the wiser for them. His father felt
sure that he never would be scholar,
and took him away from school. Fathers
make mistakes sometimes. Of course
Claude must be educated in some way.
If his head could not do much for him,
his hands must lend their help. In
France great many men are cooks. To
a cook who had charge of large estab-
lishment Claude was bound as an ap-
prentice, when he was ten years old.
According to the terms Of the bargain, he
was to stay three years. 1t was hard
place for the poor little fellow His
memory was about as careless Of the
ways of making cakes and pies as it had
been of school lessons.
You can't much wonder that our little
hero was scolded many times. 1t wasn't,
of course, very pleasing to his master to
find an ovenful of dainties burned black,
because the little boy who ought to have
watched them had forgotten all about
them; nor could he naturally like to see
his customers making wry faces over his
soup, because it was altogether too salt.
The other boys in the establishment
made great deal of fun of poor absent
minded little Claude, and he led pretty
sorry life. The master hardly knew !
what to do with him, for it would never
do to let him go on spelling and wasting |
So he concluded to let him carry things |
to peoples houses. Claude liked this ar
rangement very much. 1t gave him a
chance to get away from his rude COM
panions, and to have long, delightful,
pleasant walks, with great many pleas
AIT sights for his eager eyes. He espe-
cially liked to stop before shops where
old and curious things were sold, and if |
he found pictures, he was happy indeed. |
One day an order had been received |
at the cooks for dessert, which was to |
be sent to the home of some very rich |
people in the city. The master took
much pains to make it as delicious and |
elegant as he could; and, af it was all |
ready, it was given to Claude to carry,
with charge to make haste to deliver it. |
Off he started with his basket on his
head, meaning, l dare say, to be careful
and obedient. But on his way, he caught |
sight of two new pictures, and was at
once charmed
"lll 60 right on, and stop when / come |
back" he thought. But the beauti ul |
pictures drew him 30 strongly that he |
stopped in spite of the good thought. "A |
few minutes won't hurt the dessert" he
reasoned: besides, l will make them up
by walking faster"
Nearer he came to the pictures; the
basket on his head hindered him. He
took it off and placed it upon post near
by.
Poor little Claudel The five minutes
that he meant to spend multiplied them
selves by six while the hungry eyes feast
ed themselves on the beauty of the pic
lures, everything belonging to bakery
quite forgotten. Suddenly the little |
dreamer came to himself, and turned to |
take his basket. But no basket was
there Some one, more greedy than |
honest, had stolen it. Here, truly, was
trouble for our little boy. What should
he say to the master? He might tell
him that some thieves had robbed and
beaten him. The though passed through
his mind, as, distressed and crying bit,
terly, he turned homeward. But / am
glad to tell you that he was too honest
and noble to tell a lie. He just told the
true story to his master, who was very
angry, and, his patience quite gone after
SO many trials, he turned Claude out of
the establishment.
1t was quite as plain that he was not
born to be cook, as that he was not born
to be scholar-a little palmer, perhaps,
you will think, when you have read his
story through. But what should he do?
Claude's father had died when he was
twelve years old. He was now tall boy
of thirteen. whose gentleness and hon
esty gained him friends in spite of his
very troublesome faults.
What should he do? He would try
to be a servant. One master after an
other employed him, bore with his care
lessness and blunders for while. and
then dismissed him as the pastry-cook
had done. The world was a hard place
for our little dreamer-the bustling, busy
world that must have wide-awake work.
BIS. y the right work was waiting for
Jlaud