The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-09-26
APPLES.

stltched, glltterlDg IN the sunlight, shed
a reflected lustre ON her black hair,
her tinLless face, the bits of coral in her
well-set ears.
A~high window this, into which the
sunlight streaming illumines the sitter
very high-the topmost in the ram
bling, jambling, wheeling old tene-
ment.
Madame prefers to be ON the top
story, she says. One is there away
from the dust and noise of the street.
Also, it costs less. Also, she will tell
you gayly, she can see the tops Of the
sails, and the sunlit masts of the ships
that come and go at the wharves to-
ward which this dingy street looks
down. The ships bring wealth and
plenty to somebody. Some Of them
come from France ! All, beautiful
France f! 1t is like being poet, or
having fine imagination, to own u
window Que can see the world out of.
Should any one pity Madame, or Of
fcIously offer her sympathy, she will
shrug her shoulders magniGcently,
spread out her bands and say, "What
will you? ?" glancing toward her win
dow as though the world was at her
feet. Has she not her sunshine, her
sewing, and her little Fifne, who fits
up and down the ladder.like stairs like
butterfly? Fifine has black eyes
and dancing smile. Fifine is Mad.
ame's poem, her princess she does not
know poverty. They had been poor
in Paris, but Fifine had never gone
hungry; they had wanted many things
in Paris, but Fifne had always her
gay frilled dresses and her tiny polish
ed slippers. Was not her father pro-
fessor was not her mother Il lady /?
Should they, then, associate on equal
terms with that degraded and degrad-
ing thing called poverty? Nay, indeed!
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. Professor Pierre would
come here and teach the people French.
1t was a wide country, a roomy coun-
try, and the people needed education.
Professor Pierre sci sail, and died on
the passage.
"Ah, but he was a scholar y says
Madame, signing. "lf he have live
(Madame's English is not quite SO per-
feet as her French we shall by this
this time have the little maison cham.
petre, the pretty place in the country,
and the little school, and the garden
which we have talk of and dream of so
much 10 Paris. For there is of room
in Amer ica-ah, so much of room T.
$50 says Madame, looking down on
the crowded, dingy street and the
swarming tenements.
She looks up, smiling, from her
work, as a light footstep comes flying
along the ladder-like stair.
$50 come the angels !" said Madame
devoutly, as Fifne dances in. She has
her tiny apron full of red apples, which
tumble out and roll upon the floor.
The sunlight, cleaning on Madame's
scarlet sewing. seems to recognize the
ripe, round fruit, and glows anew as
having met it elsewhere in sweet famil.
lar orchards and on sunny slopes of
far.away hills.
GAIL for you, mamma, he will give
me ride in the great wagon out to
the beautiful country and the little old
mother !"
Madame's cheeks flush, her eyes
scintillate with an angry light.
"What is il you say, Fifne? And
who gave you these p
But the child only answered breath
lessly and confusedly. The apples
were delicious, and Fifne was happy,
but Madame did not like strangers nor
strangers gifts. She sat anxiously at
the high window next day, looking
down fer Fifne as she came from
school.
The street was long and winding,
grimy and decaying; but people
swarmed in it as if life was not unde.
sirable. They throve IN the scents and
sitting air; they laughed, they chat
ted, they congregated in the tumble
down doorways; and looking their
poverty square in the face, shook hands
with it, as it were.
But the street had its pleasures, too,
once in while, and its pictures. AS
at this instant, when Madame, looking
down from the high window, saw a
wagon'load of apples come jolting
along, ruddy, shining and mellow, A
boy in a brimless hat and a blue shirt
sat in the midst OF the heap, and tall
sunburned young fellow, with trousers
tucked in his boots, walked alongside,
hand in hand with child, who danced
about him, with her golden hair flying
aud her pretty eyes twinkling, as she
~ IL IL IL