Middletown transcript., 1876-03-04

and to whom Marie Rose had been il
the habit Of secretly bringing food
The words of the prophecy being $,
strange the child fully remembered
them. They were as follows "Goot
little missy. me saw in the night
great bird-mount up-up-very higl
in the air with rose in its beak. Yo,
are that rose you will be very un
happy-you will be a queen-ther
comes great tempest-and you perish
"And yesterday" said she II was I
queen. and now l ain expecting the
tempest which is TO carry me away"
"Never fear, Mademoiselle," replied
Pierre "'if anything happens to the
Heron you have only to seize hold o
my belt, like this see !-and with tht
help Of God and my patron saint you
will be towed ashore as gently as &
sloop by three-master
Marie Rose. somewhat reassured by
the words Of honest Pierre, rewarded
him by singing song, the words Of
which embodied the prophecy Of the old
negress. But hers was an age when
melancholy thoughts impress the mind
but lightly. and the following day she
was dancing as gayly as ever. utterly
unmindful OF the negress and her weird
prophecy. Days and weeks passed with
out wearing away the high spirits of the
child. but alas, not without wearing
her little shoes.
The last skip Of a farandole carried
away the fragment Of thread which held
them together and the wardrobe Of
the ladies heing very scant (havine de-
layed purchasing until their arrival in
Pari-). poor Marie Rose was soon forced
to spend her time seated BY the side Of
her aunt, hiding her little bare feet in
the folds Of her dress. able only to
move her head, the loss Of her shoes
holding her captive, like the princess
in the story. awaiting the coming Of a
cavalier to deliver her.
The cavalier came in the person of
Pierre Hello.
ALLOW such pretty feet to 60 bare u
said he Indignantly. "One must be
without heart"
But if, as the poet says, indignation
makes poetry. it does not follow that it
can make shoes.
Pierre reflected and scratched his
head. turning his quid from cheek to
cheek. The quid is to the mind of the
sailor as the hands are to clock-
when the mind is working the quid is
turning.
And Pierre had undertaken to think
out problem difficult even to mathe-
matician-to make something out Of
nothing-a problem that God alone has
determined.
"a piece Of leather! My pipe and
my medal for a piece Of lea'her!" cried
Pierre (lke Richard for horse).
He searched all over the ship. and
peered into every crevice where even
mouse might have been concealed, when
suddenly he gave cry Of joy-a cry
such as might have come from Har-
pagon when he found his treasure, or
Rousseau on discovering a new plaut.
But it was neither flower nor treasure
that Pierre had discovered; it was
something Of more value in his eyes.
1t was boot the boot Of soldier
who had been killed during gale.
Aud this boot had been tossed aside, no
one knows how. while its mate was
lying at the bottom of the sea, or per
haps 10 the stomach of shark. think
ing, like the rat Of La Fontaine, tina,
the things Of earth concerned it not
But Pierre Hello decided otherwise
With the assistance of bis knife in
lieu of an awl be cut aud shaped, in the
course of an hour. that which we should
be glad to call pair Of shoes, but can
dor forbids.
What he did make was not exactly
shoes nor slippers, buskin or moccasin
it was something entirely new in the
art of shoemskipg. something original
and without name. nevertheless
thing perfectly secure and fully reliable
as protection for the feet. When
they were flushed brave Pierre hasten
ed with the Offering to his little mis-
tress, and. amid much laughter and
great coaxing, persuaded her to put
them on then placing her on the floor
be stood with arms akiDbo and admir-
iDgly exclaimed, .Viola p
An hour later she was dancing away
with weight on each foot, to the vigor-
Gus applause of her admirers. having
gained a double victory. for there was
in this dance ombiuation Of art and
strength-it was Taglioni and Mime.
Saqui in one body.
At last after long voyage the good
ship arrived at its destination. and the
time came for them to disembark
The leave-taking of the little Creole
and the old sailor was really touching
Il will never forget you, and will
keep your shoes as souvenir. as
relic" said Marie Rose trying to con-
sole Pierre. who passed the back of his
rough hand across his eyes, which look
ed suspiciously moist.
"Oh mol" responded be. sadly shak-
ing his head; "you are going to Paris
where you will soon forget your old
friend and your little shoes"
Il will never forget" she repeated
as she was led away by her aunt, but
continued looking back as long as
Pierre was in sight. But Pierre Hello
never knew whether she kept her word
or not, as he was killed in an action
not many months later.
But what of Marie Rose?
In the midst Of our story comes the
great French revolution food of war
and carnage. which we will not dwell
upon. but closing our eyes pass on to
the time of the Empire. and proceed at
once to the home of the noble but un-
fortunate Josephine. a widow in the
e H. L.