Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-02-18

The youth hesltated, but finally he re-
piled: eff you are a true soldier [
should take your word. My name is
Pierre Chollet."
"And have you no parents? ?"
GA mother"
"And she lives not far from here ?'
"Not far"
"And she is starving?"
cay"
"Then let us hasten and find her.
| may help her, and, moreover, get
lodgings for myself and my crutch.
Come, it is cold here. Lead the way"
"You will help my mother if you go ?"
"To be sure will. F"
"And you won't lisp word Of this ?"
"Not without your consent"
"Then follow me"
Thus speaking the youth turned and
started on.
every inch of it," was the reply
"Then go ahead and pick out the best
path, and I can go along faster"
At the end of about twenty minutes
they stopped at little hill, and the lights
could be seen in the village of st. Ger
vais; but, before they reached the village
the guide turned off to the right into
narrow lane, and finally came to small
hut which the youth said was his home.
He opened the door and went in, and
the old man followed him. There was
one room, and that had floor of clay.
In the fireplace burned few faggots,
while close by were heaped lot more
boughs, twigs, and stuff such as might
be dragged out of the swamp close by.
In an old armchair sat an elderly female
with her hands folded In her lap, and
close by her was cat. The woman's
face could be seen by the glimmer of the
fire, and it was thin, haggard and pale.
She looked up as her boy entered, and
III feeble tone asked:
"Did We find it, Pierre?"
81 hope so, mother. A kind soldier
has come home with me, and he will
help us.
The old lady started up and gazed
look of hope rested upon her features.
Haven't We light ?" asked the stran-
ger.
"No-only the fire." answered the
boy.
"Then we'll have better one, the
soldier said 6" I've candle in my hay
ersack, and bit of food, too"
As he spoke he sat down in q chair,
the only other one in the room, and hay
ing unslung his haversack he overhauled
the contents until he came to the candle.
This he gave to Pierre and babe him
light it. An old wooden candlestick was
found and the candle was soon burning.
The soldier could now see the faces of
Jo5,
The former was a mild-looking, full
browed woman, with a prayerful cast of
countenance, and must have once been
extremely beautiful She was certainly
fifty years of age, for her hair was very
gray, and time he'd been busy with its
indelible touches. Her son was not over
nineteen, and was handsome youth.
He was pale and wan now, but his brow
was full, his eyes large, dark and bril-
liant.
"You suffer much ?" said the soldier,
addressing the hostess.
every MUCH" she returned. 81 have
been very sick, but am getting better
now. Yet my sickness has eaten up
everything we had, and my noble boy
has sacrificed all his earnings, and,
worse than all else, he can't find work
now to do. The crops are all garnered
and the barns closed. Yesterday he went
to the house of a rich man to beg, and
he was kicked"
"No, no, mother-not kicked I" ex-
not dare to do that He said he would
kick me if I came there again"
''But are there not others who would
L Il. L I
"They might" returned Pierre;
"but the sou-prefet of police sWore that
he would have me sent off if he caught
me begging again. What could L do,
sir?"
"But the sou-prefet is a villain What
does be mean?"
'He is angry with me. He wanted
me in the harvest-time to work for him
for five sous day, and I wouldn't be-
cause better man gave me fifteen sous"
"Heis perfect villain. But come
veil eat something. Ny old haversack
has something else in it besides candles.
[ don't travel without something to
guard against the danger of being be-
nighted in the wood"
AS he spoke he pulled loaf of bread
dI1o pISLC vi COlIl OOIIOl OCSl 1iOln ulS
old provision bag, and then made the
mother and son eat. He assured them
that he had eaten hearty supper, and
that he had money to buy more, so with
out further ceremony they began the
meal-the first they had eaten since the
morning of the day before, save the little
milk which they were able to get from
one old goat which they yet retained.
Tears stood in the old soldiers eyes as
he sat and saw the boy and his mother
eat, and when they were done they turn
ed and blessed him. The woman seem
ed much revived, and as her son put
some more faggots upon the fire, she
turned, and spoke to her guest. Her
voice trembled as she spoke, and tears
were In her eyes.
"You are q soldier % she said.
eyes," the old man replied, turning
his cazo 71non tha fire instead Of 1IDOn