Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-06
LIE CURE.

x
"Will il please you, mademoiselle, that
Jean will see YOU 1t is about the
grass" And her strong white teeth flash
ed out in 4 smile
That one lovely little meadow. belted
by the trees Of the plantation. has been a
bone of contention between Jean aud my
self tor some time Every day fora week
he has threatened it with the scythe and
| have begged another days grace.
What do care. JEAN have said.
.'if the COWS won't like the hay so vel |?
They must eat it and make the best of
it, AS we all have to do sometimes.
cannot let my pretty field go yet"
And then Jean shrugs his shoulders,
and goes of muttering, snd Llzette
laughs ami shakes her head over her
SauCepans.
Now feel the hour of doom has come.
and | follow LiZette with 4 sinking
heart through the stone-paved passage
and INTO the clean, sweet, sunny kitch
en-. In the door stands Jean, a new de-
termination in his face; l mentally give
in at once before the decision visible IN
his eyes.
We'll. Jean
Jean shuties his feet little. You
will know, Inademoiselle. that it must be
that the grass will be cut to-day The
cows, puurre enfantS, must be con-
sidered."
Poor Jean is apt to WAX pathetic over
his cows. | catch at one hope | have
left But, Jean, YOU have 10 men;
and they are busy with the harvest
pardon. mademoiselle." and Jean,
who sees through my little srtitice, looks
at me with kind Of respectful cen
tempt --.pardon but old Pierre and
Pierre ills are already here. | told them
Yesterday
So then, while imagined myself An
absolute monarch in my little domain.
see that Jean even quietly deties me
and takes the reins of government into
his own hands. | have grown accus-
toned to LiZette's good-natIred tvran-
nv. but this is new blow to my digni-
tv. walk out of the kitchen without a
glance al the offending Jean. Alas, my
pride receives another wound | hear
him whistling ga.Iv as he passes the
window; he has come off conqueror,
and his beloved cows are sure now OF
the sweetest hay that can be found.
walked to the window for one more
look at my pretty field sleeping in the
warm. still sunshine. | have watched
il every day in its changing beauty, in
the morning coolaud green, i'll the noon
tide with Il warm, sunny haze lying low
over it. and at evening rustled with !
little breeze, and the tall shadows OF the
trees living straight and dark across IT.
must bid adieu to this now-to the rust
lIu. murmur ut its many tongues; to
my pretty. frightened shadows, nying
across tue grass when the wind stirs It
Already | hear Jean whettlng his scythe.
turn my back resolutcly TO the win
dow, and what is this? There is real
" a tear ou the pages ot my book
Llzette comes in with a bustling cheer
tulness She asks if she shall make 1
pudding for the mems dinner; then she
goes to the window and looks ont.
But. made moiseIls, they have be
gun" she SAYS in her high voice-''Jea
aud old Pierre; and it is right the grass
will be cut. Jean has been much troubled
about the hay"
And l have been much troubled by
JEAN | answer.
Lizet,e laughs "Oh Jean he IS goot
he has kind heart; maiS-' She
leaves the sentence unfinished. Hel
heels click along the passage; by-and
by | hear her singing little harvest
song The mowers aO look picturesque
| see that Is | pass the window. Olo
Pierre has ON the scarlet cap which he
wears both summer and winter. Pierre
fl> is quite L dandy in his way: his caf
is perched on one side of his head; he
has tied bright blue handkerchief witt
orange spots about his neck. By-and by
take nv hat and saunter away through
the glowing sunshine to the green bank
under the shade of the trees. The ner
pull off their caps as pass them. Jean:
face is radiant
There has not been So fine grass
no. not for wears" he SAYS. Mar
guerite and Jeanette will be pleased
Marguerite aud Jeanette are the COW 5
} 1t is pleasant under the trees. and at
ter a while send Jean to the house fol
nv book. There is a drowsy hum in tht
air-a great brown butterfly settles OF
my dress-yonder 3 black spider i:
} mending his web. have Just liberated
poor fly from his meshes. and my rude
touch has disturbed his tiny staircases
A little further on, grasshopper i:
whirring in the sun.
bon Jour, madam.
> The brown butterfly fiutters away
and look up TO see standing before m,
in the sunshine the dark figure OF m,
friend, the Cure. We have had man,
. long talks togethcr-this grave. sad
faced priest and myself. | am an ole
woman and Il hereto. and he is young
tive-and-thirty or thereabout,-and :
rigid follower of the strictest sect H. tn,
: faith and yet somehow we have ioun.
out that we are not SO different after all
We both love the same Saviour, an,
both are trying to follow Him, though
perhaps we place our feet little dit
) fereully. Who walks closest IN tn,
blessed footprints? who can say So i
happens that sometimes the Cure vii
come to me. when there is any sorrow
or distress among his people where h'
thinks woman's hand is needed. anC
help him all can. and we never
mind about the points Of doctrine whert
we differ. Sometimes he will sond me
plate of early cherries from his gar
den, and then ! tell Lizette to take hin
. one of her little curd cheeses when she
goes to market.
A smile lights up the Cure face fol
4 moment. AS l make room Tor him or
the bank beside me, and we commenc,
to chat about the weather, and the har
vest, and the fruit. He turns his face tt
the sunshine. and notice that he il
tired. We have grown to be iriend
enough to be silent together, aud so
sit and watch the changing expression
of his face. How love them, thes,
northern French faces! with their clear
pale skin, dark expressive eyes. and tn,
wide. high arch of forehead Th'
'Cure's slendsr. nervous fingers wsr'