Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-09
UNCLE JEANS STORY,

Louis Berthold, with his hoe upon his
shoulder. walked slowly down the path
toward the potato field. His Uncle
Jean, who was sitting among the hop
. vines. smoking, called TO him rs he
passed:
Where art thou going, LOUISE"
The boy stopped and resting his hoe
upon the ground leaned upon IL.
ITO hoe potatoes" he replied; but
don't want to-"
Don't thou?" said his uncle.
Louis looked at him mournfully
But my mother said must"
"That is another matter. Do you
Know, Louis, what once happened to
me when my mother said must?'
"No, Uncle jean" frankly replied the
boy. Il know very little of what hap
pened to you; and often think. when /
grow up and become soldier. that
when | como home again will tell the
boys of all that happened to me-
But | have never been n soldier" !"
said his uncle.
mo; but you are n sailor, and you
have been in many battles. You must
often think Of them, but you never talk
of them"
His Uncle Jean looked at him gravely.
at is not fair, Is it? There is Gustave
Ballou-his grandfather has many n tale
Of his old battles, and thou-thou hast
q glum and silent old uncle. who never
pirates of days gone by. Well. ii thou
wilt finish thy work and come back I'll
tell thee of this time when my mother
laid her order on me-"
Louis shouldered his hoe again, and
marched of He did not hurry because
Of his uncle's promise; but he probably
worked more steady. He did not stop
10 watch the robins; and the rabbit that
ran leaping over the field was not chased
by him. He thought of the story. and
Hoped It would be n good one, full OF
gunpowder and blazing ships; but he
was not sure. His uncle was the dis
appointment Of his life-that was the
truth; and, as Louis said it to himself.
he dug his hoe into the ground and cut
potato in two. When he was little
chap. he was forever hearing of his
Uncle Jean, who had fought so bravely.
and who, il was said. was thanked by
the queen herself The farmers al
around the country would ask his father,
"What of Jcan?" and out on the green
in the evening. when the young folks
danced and the old folks sat and talked
there was many a tale told Of what Jean
Berthold had done-how he had gone to
sea rs a boy Of all work, and how he had
been made captain, and had had a
medal given him for his bravery. lie
had fought desperate battles; he had
been a ri4oner; there was no end Of the
glorious things told of him; and Louis
often used to wish that il was he. in
stead of his youager brother who was
named after him. for his brother cared
nothing about heroes.
But one day Louis saw from an old
stone fence where he sat watching the
crows. noting how. M they flew. the
wife carried the burdens, that there was
commotion Of some sort at home, so he
ut once got down and ran TO see what 1t
meant.
In the great kitchen. surrounded by
the whole family, weeping and laughing,
stood very fat man with blue eyes. n
rosy. laughing face. and dressed much as
The men in the town were.
This was his Uncle Jeani Louis was
10 surprised that he could not look glad.
He had often fancied this coming home.
but in his visions his uncle was tall and
aerce. lie had long black beard, and
he wore n sword and scarlet and gold
clothes. and walked like soldier and
not like a duck. Whether this WAS a
good picture Of French sailor or not,
Louis never stopped 10 ask himself, hui
be knew that Il was the way . hero
ought to look.
or one thing he was certain-a hero
was never fat. Then, as time passed on
his disappointment decpcned. for thil
uncle Of his never talked of his deeds
and seemed to take more interest In
home affairs and farm talk than In scenes
Of glory.
When Louis finished his work, h,
TODD and looked ut Il. IL was vert
good work. There was no saying morl
common In the BeTtho.d family than
"Do it now and do your best" ant
Louis had caught the spirit of 1t. s,
theB he took up. the hoe, put It In tn
barn, and started for the hop vines Il
End his uncle.
HAST thou finished1" said he.
"AlI finished" said Louis. sittinl
down on the grass, "and | do hope
Uncle jean. that thy story is OF war AM