Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-24
Yes SIR said Frank.

deed for when you had been already
to take it, you ought not to
have done so.'
we must then have laid down and
died of cold,' said Nicholas, sadly.
How, child' What do you say?' asked
the marquis, with seeming interest.
Yes, sir, shall tell you truth, and
you can judge whether we deserve to be
punished or not Our father was a
woodman; kept down by hard work and
he could scarcely provide food.
for his family.
One day they brought him home dying.
He had been crushed by the fall ola tree
which he had felled. After many
months of cruel suffering he died; and
we were left alone-my brother and l
with our dear mother, who is old and
infrm. A poor hut built on the sod,
covered with bark-alittle potato field
such is all that we possess. In summer
Frank and Isplit wood in the forest, or
we help the peasants with their work ;
we can thus earn little money, which
helps our mother to live, But winter,
sir, ali! then we are very miserable
indeed. The snow covers the ground
the wind shakes our mean little dwell.
ing; the rain penetrates it everywhere
and freezes on our clothes.
1--WE who are young can bear all that
but our mother-oh !! when we see hel
pale, cold, almost perished, trying in
vain to keep warm her frozen limbs, oul
hart is torn, and tears run from our eyes
Then We sally forth to hide our grief
the forest is before US; the earth il
strewn with branches which the vino
has blown down, q few Of these remnants
would warm our mother. Are We tt
leave her to die, when we can so easily
save her : There, marquis, is the whole
truth, and now say if we are guilty
Eyes, my little fellows" replied th'
marquis; "inasmuch as you have takel
what did not belong to you. But yol
are good and dutiful children to you
mother, and it would be 8 very cruel ac
Indeed to punish you. Go; forgiv
you. When you are cold, 80 into tn
forest, and gather what sticks you want
l permit you. You hear, Sylvester
addressing the gamekeeper.
"Yes, sir,' replied he, touching hi
cap.
"And now, these children must b
tried with the long walk you have give'
them. Take a cart and carry the woo'
to the cabin of their mother"
"Oh! thanks !! good kind sir! ma.
heaven protect you for your pity to th'
unfortunatew cried tho two children
taking leave of their benefactor, will
tears in their eyes.
The winter of 1629-30 was terrible
The cold reached to q most extra0rdin
ary degree, and was exceedingly ,lon|
continued. The most rapid rivers wer
covered with ice, and carriages coul'
pass over them as on a highway. Horse
and beasts were frozen to death in thei
stalls; men fell lifeless on the har'
earth; wild beasts issued from thei
lairs. came into tho houses themselve
to allay the hunger and thirst whic]
tortured them. In short, misery AM
distress had reached their height.
Thanks to the kindness of the Marqui
de Saucy, his protcges of the forest wer
enabledto support the rigors of the sea
son. A little house, solidly constructe'
of stone, replaced the little cabin il
which they had before d&elt. The maj
quis gave them some few articles of ful
niture; add bit to their field, and thu
gave them comparative ease and CON
fort, in place of misery and despair.
Winter continued but the little WOO
gatherers bore it without complaint
Their mother, seated beside good fire
could turn her wheel, and spin for tn
good marquis !; in the daytime the boy
occupied themselves in making hedg'
wherewith to enclose their little field
and in the evening they worked willo'
baskets, and made cages, which the
went to sell on the day following in tn
neighboring town. Sometimes they IT
turned home late, and they often tren
bled with fear at hearing the howlin
of wolves in the forest.
One night, when they were on the
way home from the town, where the
had been selling their little wares,
they passed along one of the by-paths
the forest, cry of distress reached the
ear.
Its the voice of the marquis!' g:
claimed Frank.