Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-09-15
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cnxe, i NJ bocauae ahe knew he was q
e0od mnn- Mofs than once he had pat
"a h63 cheek and raid:
Thou ahouldst learn thy catechism,
Ma&hurina."
81, although she was greatly afraid q
Noun, the church, and the bells, she
felt no terror when the good pastor
apoke - her in hin kind way. or I'll
The people Ia the village he was the only
one who bad inspired her with any SEN
t!msna q regard, the only . whom
- "a not lei. . .apprpach. 5000
~ sight axfiBnb by hunger
ssh8N8 1Uo&Eed At the uSDfSOf the parson-
~, md the cure himself came in re-
spOnse t0her summons, Mathurine gazed
at him with her great smiling eyes, utter
ing never . word, sure already that he
knew her Wishes.
well and what wilt thou have,
Ma&hurine -
Msthurina simply clasped her hands
without response.
us it bFeads"
MAthnxine bowed her head.
Then the good cure gave her 4 great
pAeco Of bread-white krcnn-and Math-
urlAe's fAcs III full Of JOY.
Many, many times since that NIGHT
has Mathurine knocked at the pas&cnace
door for bread, and never In vain. Late
" abe has kecn seen less and less in the
village when she does venture there the
children shout after her:
Ragged Mathurine! Mathurine the
s0rcaress |"
The housewives closed their doors in
her face; nor IL this all, she has even re-
cedved blows.
One day Lisa, the daughter Of Noun.
offered her . morsel Of bread, which. in
stead Of eating, Mathurine threw con-
temptu0usly upon some straw which Law
near by, to the immense delight of the
children clustered about, who shouted;
"Ohl Noun, the ringer! Oh! Lisa!
How she hates your
Perhaps q little kindnsss sorae patient
effort in her behalf, might have made the
outcAst . very different creature; but nc
one In the village cared for, or noticed
her. Indeed they even blame I the good
cure Tor his indulgence Of the little vag-
abond.
Many times had the kind man endeav-
ored to read in her that OF which she her
self was ignorant; often had he sought
for the thoughts which seemed to be hid.
den in the large intelligent eyes. How.
no wondered, did Mathurine employ the
time she spent in the woods, and on the
mountain? Sometimes he followed her
with his eyes and at last saw her seated
upon some rocky emirence, seemingly
absorbed in the immense panorama which
lay ut her feet. Every day he became
more anxious that this silent outcasi
might lind n place by some PLEASANT Are
side, where human affection would exert
its softening influence upon her wild ma
ture. He attempted, the good pastor. To
reclaim the wandering sheep, but, alas!
without success. To all his questions
he received no answer, save tho fixed
gaze and noisy laugh, which seemed "a
be Mathurine's only language.
He was nearly despairing when, one
evening, a peddler passed through the
village. AS the hour was late there were
but q few clustered about his astonishing
collection Of merchandise; trinkets from
Paris, clippers, linen-what net! Near
by stood Mathurine, 80 absorbed in
covetousness that she did not notice the
cure as he came towards her.
"What dost thou see, Mathurine ?"
She turned, blushed red as a cherry.
and smiling upon her only friend, point
ed to a small, gaily-trimmed bonnet OF
white muslin
"AhI thought the good man, "Now
we shall tame thee, thou wild girli'
1T is very pretty, M~authrine," he
said, "and thou will look much finer in
it than in thy ugly black bonnet. The
people will say: mol is it possible-it
il no longer ragged Mathurine, Mathur-
inc the sorceress, but Mademoiselle Matl-
urine and then they will salute thee.
But it is a very costly bonnet. I am
sure though wilt be obliged to work at
least three months before thou eanst buy
it. See, Mathurine, yonder ONE Lisa,
the daughter Of Noun; she has a bonnet
like this, see how handsome she is in it. .
Mathurine perceived Lisa and Noun
approaching, then she made q sudden
bound and disappeared with a resound-
ing laugh.
But, instead Of burying herself in the
woods, she walked along the road some
distance from the village, where she
awaited the peddler, who would un-
doubleday pass that way to regain the
road to Geneva. As she perceived him.
she made sure that they were unseen.
and approaching him she arrested his
passage. Her heart beat SO furiously
she could hardly speak.
lis it very dear?" she murmured.
The peddler, who remembered her,
laughed.
Fifty sous, my child; and one ought
to earn two sous a day at thy age"
"Ahl then, how long must / work to
gain so sous?"
Twenty-Five days, my child"
And" said Mathurine timidly,
when dosyou return?"
"ln twenty-seven days. On Christmas
Eve"
do not sell it." she whispered,
And away she ran without waiting fol
. response from the peddler.
What had produced this marvellous
change? Why did Mathurine 30 desire
this bonnet? Was the sentiment Of
coquetry, instructive ia oil women. in
her just awakened? Or was it an un.
avowed desire to be recognized by the
simple villagers as one Of them: the
N.Y. 0At0Uy = AMcty SOAAlC Joy IulROJ come
to her? Something of all these. nd
doubt; but above all, the ardent, imperi.
n desire Of a child which wishes be-
cause it wishes, without knowing from
whence comes the desire.
Mathurine wished to earn two sous n
day that she might have 30 sous for the
peddler when he came again upon Christ
mas eve.
~ 49,
The next day she went to Pillemoine.
and seeking the largest farmer Of the
place, offered him her services, ON condi-
tion that every evening he should paw
her 2 sous, and that every day she
should have two morsels of bread, one al
noon and one at 5 o'clock.
Out Of pity, not because he required
her services for indeed Mathurine had
mot Q promising appearance-the farmer
acceded to her terms. So Mathurine he
came not . drone, but q worker.
Her first days labor accomplished. abe
returned to the village full Of ioy and
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