Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-08-05

rectly. But she died without seeing him. He
could not come, poor fellow. His theatre was
| giving first representation of new piece
| what they call prenejere-and his wife was
| to = axe her appearance as the heroine. You
| see it was playing bis last card, everything de-
| pended on that nights success They had to
be rehearsng, changing. getting ready, up to
the last moment. You know all the confus-
ion of a premiere. How terrible it must have
been for him, poor fellow He had always
| loved his poor mother so
'And yet, monsieur lie commissaire | did
| feel dreadfuily to be the only mourner follow
| ing my poor old woman's coffin. 1t seemed
TO me now she was gone as if | should so soon
| go too that had no need to keep back every
| thing. sold our furniture that she might
have decent funeral, for could not could
|? have had her carried to her grave in pau
! per's cart. nor could have let the wife Of
Joseph Bernard Dumont, founder of the great
furnishing house of Dumont s. Company, be
| buried in the common pit for the poor and as
trotted alone on foot behind the big hearse
with its silver fringes, the tears ran down my
cheeks though the say oldmen cry but seldom
| Then when the coffin had been lowered and
the mould hid the dear old partner of my joys
and sorrows, | sat down on the ground beside
the grave and waited for him to come to
me. ...-..# ..
''About dark the keeper made me leave the
place. said to myself, will come back to-
| morrow.
'Then went to find my son at the theatre
for it was late. ! wanted dreadfully to see
him, but could not. The play was success
1t was being played for the third time. His
wife had made splendid hit. I thought I
would wait round the stage door. | need not
be 10 hurry to spoil his happiness, poor fell
ho ha6 l,,oly th, 10
So fingered along the Boulevard waiting
till midnight. At last saw him come out
through little side entrance He had his
wife with him and four or five friends who
were offering their congratulations He SEEM
ed radiant. How handsome he was! They
all got into hack. They were very CAV. l
suppose they were going to sup together in
honor of the occasion.
| got near the carriage door, But my sons
wife, before could say word, made mo-
ton for me to keep back, and making believe
twenty cents-into my hand, as if were one
of those fellows who call up carriages, say
ing
BE off, good man you are in the way"
And the carriage rolled on.
"Oh indeed cannot think be saw me,
monsieur lie commissaire. But just at first l
thought he did, and fancied he had count
enanced her brutal way of getting rid of me.
Then | thought as he had ceased to love me,
as he was unwilling to own me, l had better
go and join my poor old woman. l went in
to drinking place; my tears were choking
me. | was thinking how happy we had been
once, my old woman, our baby and I.
''They gave me some absinthe. drank up
my twenty sous and afterwards don't remem-
Der anything.
The magistrate cast glance at the old man.
who had left off speaking and in a dazed, be-
wildered way was gazing up at him.
Then, after minutes reflection. without
asking, as the custom is, if any one present
was related to the accused, he said, In an ac-
cent of deep pity, looking at his shabby sec
rotary, who seemed himself much moved by
the sad story
Take him to the door and let him co.