Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-29

began to plead with her for some legends
and stories, such as they loved to hear
Leon and Annette lived In Brittany, In
a little old cottage not far from the sea,
and few miles from the town of ST.
Malo. Their eldest and only brother,
Louis, had gone as a soldier two years
before, and was at Toulon with his regi.
ment. Once in great while they heard
from him, and his last letter but one had
told them he was married. They were
looking for letter from him now, for il
was six months since the last one came,
and they said:
"Louis will surely send us message
for Christmas"
This Christmas Eve the father and
mother had gone into ST. Malo, to be
present at the midnight mass and Christ.
mas morning service, after which they
were to come home, and the children
bad been left with their grandmother
Since sunset the snow, which had been
gathering overhead all day, had begun
to fall, and was rapidly covering up the
well beaten road, on which for many
weeks no fresh snow had fallen.
Tales, tales" said the old woman,
"you have heard them all many times,
my children. have no new stories for
you"
Then tell us old ones, dear grand
mammal
They say, then, little ones, and ]
have heard it since | was but half your
size, that on the holy Christmas Eve,
when the hour of midnight strikes, all
the oxen and cows and asses can speak
like us human creatures, because they
stood by when the Blessed Mary laid the
Holy Babe in the manger," and the old
woman made the sign of the cross de.
voutly.
I" But is it true, grandma9" said little
Annette, eagerly.
II cannot say for myself, as / never
heard them speak, child; but why should
not poor brutes have voice given them
for once for sake of that blessed night,
and that they may praise God? There
was Antoine" she old woman went on
murmuring to herself, sat up on pur.
pose to hear them one night, and at
twelve he went out to the stable, but the
poor fool made such Gathering in un-
doing the door that the beasts in st.
Malo might have heard them through
their sleep, so the ass and the COW were
we'll warned, and never a word would
they speak before him; and they were
wiser than some folk if they had secrets
to talk about, for everything Antoine
heard he went straight and told it; and,
indeed, l believe he could not have
helped it if he knew he was to swing for
it the next minute; but he is dead now,
like many one once knew. May he
rest in peacep
"But did you never know anyone else
who tried it?" cried both the children at
once.
"Only Pierre. Pretty Madeline, old
Jacques the miller's daughter, waited up
one Christmas Eve, and, when midnight
drew near, she was too afraid all at
once to stir out in the dark alone
for anything so strange and won
derful, so she sent Pierre, her
cousin. He had heard nothing, he said
when he came back; but nobody thought
that counted for much, for though Pierre
was clever fellow enough, and could
even read in the newspapers all by him
self, without the priest to help him, ev.
erybody knew he wouldn't have heard
the church bells, if they had all rung at
once and he in the tower, if he were
thinking of Madeline; and that same
evening didn't the miller-Jacques was
lame then-ask him to give him his
crutch, and put stick on the fire, and
didn't Pierre put the crutch on the fire
and give Jacques the stick, and Madeline
was but just in time to pull the crutch
out of the flames, and it was scorched
ever after? So you see he was not much
to be depended on, till he married Mad
cline and settled down.
Madeline was only gOose-girl, but
she was a stout, comely maid, with
cheeks like roses, and Pierre from boy
had always been fond of her. He taught
her to read while she was minding the
geese. and there never was storm so bitter
that Pierre wasn't glad to face it if he
could only help Madeline home with the
geese. All, they've risen bit since that
day, for Pierre turned out thrifty fell
low, and The saints shield us!
Leon, what was that?" ....
81 heard nothing but the night.wind
blowing" said Leon, gravely. But An
nette clung to her grandmother, and the
grandmother laughed lightly to think
how slight thing startled her in her old
days.
The little girl listened for some time
longer, while Mere Maturin wandered on,
telling old stories of the people she had
known in her youth, but Leon was
strangely silent. A thought was work
ing in his brain. Why should not he,
that very night, find out with his own
ears if this were true? He would not
tell Annette, for she might be afraid and
cry or make a noise, and spoil all, and
he would succeed no better than did An
tome, whom his grandmother knew. So,
when Mere Maturin said it was time to
go to bed, he undressed, and said his
prayers, and climbed up to his little mat
tress in the loft. He had grown too big
for it, but it was the best he had, and
his sleep was always sound. Grand
mother and Annette would soon be
asleep in the room off the kitchen, and
Leon lay in bed watching the faint glim-
mers and shadows that fell on the loft
stairs from the remains of the fire that
burned low in the wide kitchen chin
ney. They had had a larger fire than
usual, for it was very cold weather and
Christmas Eve, and Mere Maturin had
said: " We must be warm to- night, if we
are cold all the rest of the winter.
He kept his eyes open for some time, but
fell asleep at last, and started awake
again in sudden fright, lest the magic
hour had slipped away from him in
his sleep, and he would have whole
year to wait before he could try his
chance again. The clouds had all
cleared away, and the moon was shining
brightly in through the diamond-shaped
panes in the little window. Leon slipped
out of bed and into his clothes, and then
softly crept down the stairs. He could
just see the face of the old clock in the
corner, and he was in time. 1t wanted
five minutes of twelve. He crossed the
kitchen so softly that he did not disturb
his grandmother and sister, and, un-
fastening the door, stood alone out in
the night. Leon was brave boy, so no
thought of fear came to him, but he
shivered in the nipping winter air, and
pulled his cap further down over his
ears. He could easily see by the