Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-11-22

idle ones already ito toll for, another
mouth to feed, another back to clothe, !
the good God send aid to u.s. who sorely |
need it," 1t was a grievous time for pere
Martin that season, the quarters rent was
due, but ten francs were left ip, the stock
ing under Mere Manon's pillow, and the
landlord Il stern and harsh one, "reaping
where he had not sown. and gathering
where he had not strewed." The crops
of rye and peas were mearge, how should
he be paid no wonder. in these circum-
stances that. little Marie's advent was not
hailed with joy.
E,ba mala, presto cresce, says the Italian
proverb, and like the provcrbial iil.weeds,
unwelcome children grow also apacc.
Marie throve on the scanty allowance of
food and affection, her infant limbs grew
strong and plant, and The warm sun, the
Aln of France, cherished the roses that
bloomed in the little brown, dimpled
cheeks. The neighbors as they passed
would cast admiring glances, at the fair,
laughing baby, playing with her tiny
| fingers and toes, in the midst of the new
cut hay, where Manon had tossed her to
be ont of harms way, and say "that last
ono is the fairest Of all Manon's brood,
didst ever see such bright eyes or such
silky locks of hair ?"
The second summer was ono long to be
remembered, throughout the land, All
day, for weeks the sun hung like Il huge
rcd globe in the heavens, fiery hot and
parching, no cool air, grateful to painting
man and beast, could penetrate through
the heat that enveloped sky and earth
Nay, said the country-follS, you could
hear the very waters hiss, as the ball of
fire dropped at eve in tie depths of the
ocean. The springs ran no longer. The
rivers dwindled away, tho merry gurs-
ling rivers, vegetation grew brown and
shrivelcd as no wintry frost could make
it. The cattle'died by tens, by scores, by
hundreds. "a judgment, u ajudgment OH
the land!" thundered holy and reverend
father on Mass days, and the peasantry
more wasted and hollow-eycd than even
the patient, suffering oxen, bowed them
selves down. and implored the interccs,
sion of every Saint i'm the calendar for
rain, rain, but no blessed rain drops fell
In vain did they walk barefoot in humble
) procession, and in penitential garb to the
once potent worker of miracles, "Onl
Lady of Mercies," her ears were deaf tc
the cries of her votarics, though they
beat their breasts in despair, and cried il
husky voices for mercy on perishing wife
and child. And from that fierce, blood
/, drying drouth We're born two demons
that ravaged the once pleasant land, from
midnight to midnight, hand in hand they
stall<ed, rut HESS. and fell from house te
house, from place to lowly cot, and lay
ing heir hands on father, mother, brother
5 and sister bade them come forth and fol
low them. There was no allaying thcl
greed for human prey, their appctltc
: grew upon what they fed, moro terrible
than Cog and Magog were those arcl
a, enemies of the human family, yea, NOR
terrible than any foes yet seen, for the.
e we're the Cholera and Death. Most o
all suffered from their visitation, the lit
- tie hamlet in which pere Martin lived; h
q died. and with him were laid in th
same grave four of his family of sevc
children the two elder and the tw
Younger ones At last the sun lost III
s bloody hue, and the welcome clouds az
peared, how eagerly the tossing sutftre
Is on down and on straw, strained their cal
v to catch the Sounds of falling rain. Surel
the same angel that once troubled IL
waters of Bethesda gave to the wclcon
le rain the same virtues of healing, for
-, brought new life and vigoc to disease
humanity. Tho cholera. had spent /
n force and slowly health came back
those that had survived its fury, b'
want and suffering followed III its wal
and many pcrshcd Of famine. lilo
le Mother Manon, her frame feeble and wo
., by the disease, managed to su5sist t
the end of the year is known only to t.
lie good God, moro pitifli than man, b
finally her cnfecbled health gave w
~ beneath the pressure of privation al
distress, and she too was carried to t
le little Cemetery to rest beside her hi
band. Some kind neighbor, albeit Il
III used to the task, with much patience 4
p toll pcnncd Il few lines to her next Of X
the wealthy miller, Maitre Christopl
a who lived some forty leagues beyol
telling of the sad condition Of the thl
destitute little orphans, and in due ii
Maitrc Christophe made his appcaran
II brave and portly miller, with u blol
of handsome cloth, with 4 ring on
finger and drops in his ears truly q goot
person to look at, and his tones were
lis brave and as grand as his guise, "I "
nd take the two orphans" said he, nor sh
er they ever lack parents care" 'But
ot third, my master. the third, 'cried {
w Golf oppointaI one