Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-08

drought dll,y tullS uOHl0 Will ucI lIOIH
these long rambles; sometimes she would
fill her arms with what seemed to her to
be treasures, but, finding them heavy
and burdensome, would toss them away
long before she reached the village.
Mathurine never seemed to be fright
ened by the vast solitudes which she
frequented. Running barefooted through
the streets of the village, she would dis
appear in the forest, where she would
prowl about all day, and in the evening,
pressed by hunger, would return and
knock at the door of the parsonage.
The cure of the village was an exceed
ingly good man. This was legible in
large letters on his expansive figure, and
his kind face, rosy as that of a young
girl, the thick crown of snow-white hair,
making it seem more rosy still. Hehad,
after God, but two objects of affection,
his poor and his church. Of his scanty
income he devoted one portion to the un-
fortunate poverty stricken ones, and the
other to the building SO dear to him.
The church was the house of his heart
as it was the house of God. He chose it
to be in every way as it should be, ele-
CANT and adorned. With his own hands
he repaired the wainscoting, and aided
by Noun, the belfry had been made more
worthy of the sweet-voiced bells which
hung there. He had causedto be placed
about the walls castings of fine boards,
which are used in mountain regions, to
preserve buildings from the destroying
effects of wind and snow. He had-but
what had he not done, and what would
he not do, for the dear church, which
seemed always to have about it fete-
day air; and the prayers offered there
were always sweet to those who came to
pray.
If into Mathurine's wild heart there
had come a CLEAN of affection for the
cure, it was because she knew he was a
good man. More than once he had pat
ted her cheek and said:
"Thou shouldst learn thy catechism,
Mathurine
So, although she was greatly afraid of
Noun, the church, and the bells, she
felt no terror when the good pastor
spoke to her in his kind way. Of all
the people in the village he was the only
one who had inspired her with any SEN
timent of regard, the only one whom
she did not fear to approach.
So one night when driven by hunger
she knocked at the door of the parson-
age, and the cure himself came in re-
spouse to her 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,
Mathurine ?"
Mathurine simply clasped her hands
without response.
els it bread %
Mathurine bowed her head.
Then the good cure gave her a great
piece of bread-white bread-and Math-
urine's face was full of JOY.
Many, many times since that night
has Mathurine knocked at the parsonage
door for bread, and never in vain. Late
ly she has been seen less and less in the
village; when she does venture there the
children shout after her:
" Ragged Mathurine Mathurine the
sorceress p
The housewives closed their doors in
her face; nor is this all, she has even re-
ceived blows.
One day Lisa, the daughter of Noun,
offered her a morsel of bread, which, in
stead of eating, Mathurine threw con-
temptuously upon some straw which lay
near by, to the imm ense delight of the
children clustered about, who shouted:
ooh! Noun, the ringer! Oh! Lisa!
How she hates you'll"
Perhaps little kindness, some patient
effort in her behalf, might have made the
outcast very different creature; but no
one in the village cared for, OF noticed
her. Indeed they even blame I the good
cure for 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,
he 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 eminence, seemingly
absorbed in the immense panorama which
lay at her feet. Every day he became
more anxious that this silent outcast
might find place by some PLEASANT fire.
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 the fixed
gaze and noisy laugh, which seemed to
be Mathurine's only language.
He was nearly despairing when, one
evening, peddler passed through the
village. AS the hour was late there were
but few clustered about his astonishing
collection of merchandise; trinkets from
Paris, slippers, inen-what not! Near
by stood Mathurine, so 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 cherry,
and smiling upon her only friend, point
ed to small, gaily-trimmed bonnet of
white muslin
"Ah!'' thought the good man, &c Now
we shall tame thee, thou wild grill"
" It is very pretty, Mauthrine," he
said, sand thou will look much finer in
&1,o,, I'll