The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-09-13
APPLIES.
How Madame Became am Amer
I. lean. ,lD 80, ~, F,

y. lCSehts f 49,. ffit f'f %
From Harpcr's Weekly,
Madame sat i'm the sunny, window
sewing. The needle twinkled in her
rapid fingers, and the scarlet stuff she
stitched, glittering I'm the sunlight,
shed u reflected luster on her black
hair, her tintless face, the bits of coral
in her well-set ears. A high window
this, into which the sunlight stream
ingiiIumines the sitter-Very high
the topmOst in the rambling, Gambling
wheezy old tenement. Madame pre-
fers to be 0n the top story, she says.
One Is there away from the dust and
noise of the street. Also, 1t costs less.
Also, she will tell you gayly, she can
see the tops of the sails, aud the sun-lit
masts of the ships tha. come and go mt
thewharves, toward which this dingy
street looks down.. The ships bring
wealth and plenty for somebody.
Some of them come from France. All,
beautiful France! 1t is like being q
poet, or having a fine Imagination, to
own window one can see: the world
out of. ,i,f'.' bst"
should. any. one. pity madame OF
ofticiously offer her ssympathy, she
Win shrug her shoulders magnificent
ly, spread out her hands, and cay,
what will you" glancing toward
thewindow as though the world were
at her feet. Has she not hersunshine,
her sewing and her little Fifine, who
fits up and down the ladder-like stairs
like q butterfy?n Fifine has black
eyes and q dancing smile.a Fifine is
Madame,s poem, her princess; she does
not know poverty. They had been
poor i'm Paris, bus. FifiAs had never
gone hungry; they had wanted many
things in Paris, but Fifine had always
her gay frilled dresses and her tiny
polished slippers. Was not her fathe
o professor? was not her mother q
LADY,? Should they, then, associate on
equal terms with that degraded and
degrading thing called poverty? Nay,
indeedl It might own the house, but
it should not sit at the board. 1t was
poverty that had driven this family,
thoughtlessly thoughtful, to America.
Prof. Pierre would come here and
teach the people French. 1t was q
wide country, a roomy country, and
the people needed education. Prof.
Pierre set.sail. and died on the pas
Yah, but he was q scholar!" says
madame signing. 'If he have live''
(madame's English is not quiteso per-
feet as her French), we shall by this
time have the little naaisOn chdDl21etre,
the pretty place in the country, and
the little school, and the garden which
we have talk and dream Of SO much in
Paris. For there is Of room In Amer
ica-ah, SO much of roomW So says
madame, looking down on the crowd
ed, dingy street and the swarming
tenements. @sL ~ ee.aa. !,
She looks up, smiling, from her
work, as a light footstep comes flying
along the ladder-like stair. So come
theangels!n says madame, devoutlyl
as Fffine dances In. She has her tiny
apron full of red apples, which tum'
BILE out and roll upon the floor: The
sunshine, cleaning on madame's scar
let sewing seems TO recognize the rlpt
r0und fruit, and gl0ws anew rs havine
met it elsewhere in sweet, familii
orchards and on sunny slopes OF FAR
away hills. ~
"All for you, maman," cries Fifine
looking down on the treasure. "And
OH, meInap, heswill give me ride in
the great wagon out To the beautiful
counts and the little old mothery'
MadSume's cheeks flush, her eyes
scintillate with an angry light. "Wha
j. so Y 'yS Ss ssy' Fifines And who gave
= Hut the child only answered breath
lessly and. confusedly. The apples
were delicious. and Fifine was happy
but madame did not like strangers mol
strangers gifts. She sat anxiOusly a
tile high window next day, looking
down for Fifine rs she came from
school.
The street was long and winding
sgriny epd 4 tlecaying; but people
ByamH n u asifIife was not Sunde
sirabie. They strove i'm the scents
and sounds and stirling air; they
laughed, they chatted, they congrega'
ted In the tumble-dOwn doOrways
and, looking their poverty square IN
the face shook hands with itas it were
But the street had its pleasures, too
once in while, and its pictures. As
mt this instant, When madame look q
down from the high window, saw .
wagQn,load of apples come joltinl
along, rudy, shining and mellow. A
boy In n .brfmless hat and blue shir
sat I'm the midst of the heap, and tall
sunburned young fellow, with trouser'
tucked I'm his boots, walked ,alongsid,
hand.in-hand with a child, who dane
ed about him, with her golden hal
flying and her pretty feet twinkling, "a
she pointed up laughing to the ia
window where madame sat-
In one sudden moment she saw TIN
little one caught up, deposited In
half full basket, and both lifted od tn,
young mans shoulder, disappeared In
the house. Upstairs they came
tramping, laughing, and Fifine, eager
joyful and breathless, was deposited
f, 1t the door.
"Oh, mamanW she cried, clappinp
her hands. ''see what we have brought
YOU! And here Is Monsieur Jack"
4. Outside; absshed, bIushing, stood
the young man with his basket. Ma
dame appearing. on the threshold pu
s a,% bs ss y SaSssss lisp n''
What will your" queried sh'
'.Excuse ms ma'am, p was the STAN
.Inering reply, as, the intruder dofiet
his great straw hat 81 mean-I dit
not mean---that n, promised TIT
little one ride"
"And7" said madame, sternly.
"Ahdy answered. the youth, gather
ing 10 oouraee. his Honest, kindly ey'
looking straight into herr, yshe need
2 little change; . ride would not harm
"it Il liberty objectionable. n
Z my country II ~ nat kn0~n that {
q vefldogT-a sfFeet ryendor-will In
tryde himself On y. 2 !sdy's apartment
% / beg your psfg10D, madam. You
are riGht,b interrupted the stranger
his cheeks flushing Is0tly, "But this y
: American, not Paris. d0od, day.
y He was gone. The place was blanI
and des0late. 4 The apples lay on tn
flye window. Fiffne set upa frightfu
cry 81 disappointment Alb no ride
~ Measure, no delights In prospec
nov, she did not 50 dancing OBJ :.
csl,s ess,e isck with headache, carry
ine Il aIoomlngly up ~ the top foo
md the waiting mother. Two DAYS