The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-08-13

mother III st. Poucain sent her boys,
full of hope and longing for glory, to
fight the Prlissians. But, alas, alas! but
few of them returncdv'
take her hand and press il In sympa.
thy.
"Your two boys were In then?" ask.
"No, madnmc," she replies sadly;
they were drawn In the second general
consumption, and no substitutes were
permitted to he purchased. Besides, "
she says proudly, "my Jean and my
Henri were no towards, and they were
wild to get Mt those Prussians."
"But you have one left?" say.
"ies, madame" she replies, bright
ening. "And a good son he is, my
Oscar; and the good God be praised! he
can never be drawn for the consumption,
for he is the only son of his mother, and
she is n widow. 1t is great mercy, for
there will be drawing for our commune
in two or three weeks" As speaks a
fine young fellow enters the court yard,
with the blue eyes and light curly hair
80 often seen among the Norman peas
antry. Ahthere he il, she exclaims, her
vivacity returning ns il by magic. -
must go and give him his supper, il
madame will excuse"
Left to myself, soon seek my couch;
and after the fatigue of my journey,
sleep more soundly than have done for
many u night.
The next morning, while / am dress
ing l hear the sound of the pump, and
gay laughter in girlish voice, accom-
panied Ivy mans deeper tones. look
out, and sea pretty picture. A young
girl-she might have stepped out Of one
of Grcuze's canvases, 80 fair, no fresh, 30
innocent is her facets holding some
salad with both hands under the pump,
her sleeves tucked mp and showing the
dlmples III the soft round elbows; while
Madames son Ia pumping as hard an he
can, and gazing with very evident admit
ration on the damsel beside him.
80, Oscar, how though art awk-
glance from under her dark cyelashes,
as harder swing of his shoulder sendsa
stream of bright water over the rounded
arms. "Thou has wetted all my sleeves
and made me 30 untidy."
He stoops forward and whispers some
thing i'll her ear which do not catch,
but which makes her smile and blush.
"Chut, chut my children" says
Madame from the kitchen-door. "The
English lady sleeps still and must not he
disturbed; she is not strong"
l hardly recognize myself under this
description, feel M much revived by
my good nights rest; and descend and
confute Nadame's first statement by APP
pearing wide awake before her. She
welcomes me with effusion, and il 30
pleased to find me less tired, 80 anxious
to know whether / am quite comforta-
BILE, that l feel as if were quite one of
the family, and decide. in answer to
Madame's questions, that will take my
meals III the sattc a manger with the
rest Of the guests, instead of in sulky
Britannia majesty in my own room.
Madames guests are not many. An
occasional cOHniis-uOyagCUr; now and
again an artist or an English tourist who
has forsaken the beaten track, and who
may linger here for day or two; but
that is all. At present she has no one
staying i'll the house but myself; but the
cure always comes to dinner, mild, be-
nevolent old gentleman, who continually
presents me with bon-bOns, i'll spite of
my being hereto; and an old soldier
who lives on his tiny pension in this quiet
corner of the world-drops in on us oc-
casionally, when he can afford himself
better dinner than his usual bread and
grayere and fruit. A primitive life,
enough, hut thoroughly enjoy il.
"Who liz that pretty girl?" | ask my
hostess i'll the course Of the morning.
Ia ~ uax.u che xx,ith N ,,laauaI a,,,,ln
"that IL Marthe. She is the betrothed
of my son, who loves her, dear Madame,
that it is a pleasure to see. She il an
orphan, the daughter of my dear hus-
bands brother in-law. by his first wife;
so that there is no relationship, Madame
sees. She has lived with me all her life,
since she was little one. She has
nice little dof;, and when they are mar
ried will give over the Trois Etoiles to
my children, and nurse the babies in the
chimney corner"
"And does she love him?' | inquire
innocently.
THAT goes without saying" says
Madame in slightly offended tone
could any one help loving her Oscar
"but / have never asked. My father
and mother never inquired whether I
loved NJ. Petit. He seemed to them to
be a proper pdrf for me and that was
enough. For the rest" she continues
gravely, young girls ought not to allow
themselves to have any thoughts about
love until after they are married."
smile, but answer not, knowing that
this is subject it is useless to discuss
with any French woman.
A few days afterwards l am sitting in
the courtyard, making sketch-a bit of
old wall, pump, a few pots and pans
seen through an open doorway "a moth
ing, in fact, but somehow it looks pretty.
Marthe IL sitting beside me knitting, Tor
rather pretending to knit; for she was
watching with the deepest interest every
stroke of my brush, and exclaiming
vehemently IA any familiar object in add
ed to the little picture when shadow
falls through the gateway, and is follow
by young man covered with dust and
wearing u knapsack. He is English
that l see at a glance; and something in
the Bohemianism Of his dress, and the
portfolio which he carries under his arm,
tells me that he il member of the
brush. Madame comes forward in her
to his inquiry whether he can have q
room, escorts him up stairs, and, proba-
bly,, looks after him like n mother.
Presently he comes down, having got
rid of the dust of his walk, and seats
himself ut n table in my vicinity,
where he has meal of some sort served
to him. ! see him steal an occasional
admiring glance Mt Marthe from under
his eyelashes, 10 tell the child to go in
andsee if she cannot help Madame. at
will not do to have the little things head
turned by any wandering artist" say
to myself severely, as ! continue my
sketch. | have not made many more
strokes when l hear voice behind me
saying in French: Excuse me madame,
you have dropped your shawl" and that
garment which has slipped from my
shoulders, is gently replaced Oh them.
l looked up and laughed. 81 am
English" say. Gas can nee you are,
i'll spite of your good French"
am no longer young, indeed I nm Of
certain age" which Lord Byron says
means certainly aged" but am still
susceptible to good looks in a young
man; and the face which looks into mine
is 40 very good looking that am afraid
j give n gracious and encouraging smile
as if should say: "Pray, 60 on talk
ing" He evidently no interprets my ia
cial expression; for he comes round and
seats himself on the bench beside me,
and begins to comment ON my sketch,
praising in where it deserves, and max
ing two or three criticisms with 80 much
acIteness and discrimination, that feel
certain lie is a painter of no mean order