Litchfield enquirer., 1880-10-07

listen, ears erect, to the sound of voices and
merry laughter, borne on the still winter air,
from the skaters on the lakes; snow in the
Champs Elysees. where the sledges are gliding
rapidly homeward, with jingling of BELLS and
chances of bright eyes and glowing of soft
cheeks half buried in sealskin and sable; snow
in Beleville and st. Antoine, where shiVering
sworkmen huddle suddenly together by flreless
stoves, cursing the government and longing
fof bread and a revolution and snow on the
'bouleyards covering the little wooden booths
annually erected on the pavement, and creep
ing into the boots Of the crowds that are out
this New Years Eve all buying presents for
tomorrow, the great Jour de Pan. What
scene it is All Paris is busy buying, except
a yet more busy minority who are selling.
Here is a great lady, her coupe laden with
bonbonnieres from Bolster or Marquis, there
stout old gentleman staggering under the
weight of the presents which are destined to
delight madame and the children tomorrow.
Now it is poor woman of the people, who
carefully counts out the sous fol- a gay necktie
for her husband and piece Of gingerbread for
the little one at home; and yet again, couple
of Englshmen, arm in arm, their faces wear
ing that peculiar look as though ashamed to
confess themselves amused which is so dear to
the hearts of our countrymen abroad 1855 ..,.i
Just opposite the Maison Doree, at the cor,
ner of the Rue Lafitte, two men are selling
little jumping dolls, ingenious enough, for the
modest sum of one SOU apiece. The dolls are
jumping with all the vivacity becoming to
French doll, and little crowd has collected to
watch them; old people, workmen and SOL
diers are all gazing with grave interest at a
spectacle which would not arrest the attention
Of as many children in an English town. ''''i
Listen to the marchand-he is a good speci-'
men of his class:
"VOila, meSdameS ct messleurs-le petit
Zoulou ct lie petit sauteur American I'm sou
a choisir C'est la RUNE du marchand I'm
sou Ia piece-nimposte laquelle 81 lie VOLTA
lie petit diablel Regardez, madame, quill
saute blen," and the fellow turns to o woman
standing before him in the crowd.
A woman of middle age, one would say,
her thin, figure clothed in shabby black, all too
thin for the time of year neat withal, with
the indescribable Partisan neatness. A sad,
tired face is hers; face as of one who fights
the life-battle daily, hourly, and fights it hard.
The features are pinched and drawn, and the
hair, combed neatly under the black bonnet,
is more gray than brown. She has delicate,
small hands, but they are terribly thin, and
worn with needlework.
She seems to have drifted without knowing
it into the crowd before the dancing doll, for
she is certainly paying small heed to them
her head is turned away, and she is gazing
with weary, wistful ewes up the gts-il BOule-
ward Montmartre. And the people arepushed
against her and jostle her, but she needs them
not. Hers is the only face just there tliab mars
the pleasant festal harmony of ther people.
Just at this moment the two Englishmen elbow
their way through the press to look at the
dancing dolls. One of them, Muttering some
thing about children at home, draws hand
full of loose coin from his pocket to make q
purchase. In doing SO his arm strikes that of
the haggard-eyed women, and she turns round
with start. For an instant her eyes rest
greedily on thergold and silver lying in the
Enghshmans palm, - Then suddenly her.thin
white fingers clutch his arm, and she speaks
with terrible, voluble eagerness.
'Monsieur.sif you are Christian, flor the
love of Jesus help7me tola mOrsel of bread to-
night, only morsel of bread" r,lny5.,."'
Both the Englishmen start back frightened
not by her words surely, which are only
common beggars formula nor even by the
wild, despairing eagerness of her voice. by
certain something in her eyes, something
which neither of them can have seen before in
a human face, or he would know what it is
something which makes the man addressed
thrust some silver quickly into her hand, and
pull his companion, nothing 10th, away.
And the woman says no word OF thanks, but
pushes roughly through the crowd. who make
way for her with scared faces and q. shudder
and 3 whispered word as she goes by. And
down the boulevard she strides, on and on
through the holiday -makers who turn to stare
after her, always with that whispered word
upon their lips.
For a black devil sits ON each shoulder and
gibbers in her ear as she goes and the one is
called Hunger, and the name of the other is
Madness. - -
And the two Englshmen recover their spir-
it's, and think they will go to dinner . and to
dinner they 60, and fare sumptuously at the
Cafe Richie
And the theatres open, and the crowds wax
thicker and more cheerful, and the cafes are
filed, and merry New Years parties meet,
''pour f6irs reueillo7e ne Ieu pGrt6aIt" as they
say, and through 1t all, her thin fingers -clench-
ed over the coins that her poor sick brain
knows not how to use, far on into the night
this woman wanders through the streets
And SO the old year died that night, and the
new year had it's birth; and everywhere mems
hearts we're glad, for the past was gone, with
all it's sins and sadnesses, and another time
had begun, and all things were made new. 81
Hard by the River Seine, almost in the
shadow of the great cathedrals eastern wall,
there stands silent house. Men come there,
and speak in whispers, and pass out again in
silence.
On that bright New Years morning, when
the sun, flashing on beautiful Paris in her
stainless robe Of white, gave her a loveliness
yet more lovely than she is wont to wear-on
that New Years morning the two English
men said they would go and look at the
Morgue.
They entered Only one of the terrible
twelve metal beds were occupied. u Thecorpse
was that of a woman. The Englishmen start
ed when they saw her. ,,
''Wlfy, that is the face Of the woman you
gave the money to yesterdays And yet
it cannot bel look at the face, how different
it" . .; .
Eyes, IT is she we can't see her eyes now,
that makes the difference. "'.7aH tHs ,'''' '''''
An, officer approached them. Eiapnnp Ter
''Do you know what that woman's name
WASP" one of the Englshmen inquired.
There was o name found upon her-mais,
que voulez vous The guests who lodge in
this hotel like to travel incognito, and mostly
they have travelled far and taken many names
before they come here. Beside, what does it
matter who they we're? We know what they
are now" n
The feliew spoke with grim, cynical jo-
costly, begotten of his occupation and his
familiarity with hideous forms Of death.
''And what was the name ?"
"You may see it on the list, monsieur, and
duoGneTi namo Inat was iounu Win Ia
foreign name-I cannot pronounce 1t rightly.
But there is the list" He pointed Ito the
wall opposite to the corpse, on which hung
those CHASTITY records OF death and despair
The list for the old year was full; that for
the new year contained the description OF
only one Unknown-the ink was scarcely
dry. Il = - sHi'esh .ahHH 49,
The description ran as follows: 70 ,u' p2rst
Number nine hundred and fifty ;,sex, fenl-
mime age, forty; marks, silver locket with
names Jaequeline4 Vetnet, Reginald Rich
ards date, 1861 sdi szw eTiIel T7r T..
- 'sDid you know anything Of her, lmessieurs2
III go, the authorities viii receive any nforma-
ton" 81 at'gsa- s..''' &NtNt ".''-T9
\ Without word the two friends passed out
Of the presence of death iBto the bright frosty
sunshine and the holiday crowds upon the
quai. 1t was not until they, had walked some
dirto l.nt Mon,