Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-09-08
were always sweet to those who come to

felt no terror when the good paste
spoke to her in his kind way. Of Al
the people in the village he was the onl
one who had inspired her with any sen
timent Of regard, the only one whor
she did not fear to approach.
So one night when driven by hunge
she knocked ut the door of the parson
age, and the cure himself came in re
spouse to her summons, Mathurine gaze
at him with her great smiling eyes, utter
ing never word, sure already that h
knew her wishes.
"Wen and what wilt thou have
Mathrrine ?"
Mathurine simply clasrcd her hand
without response.
els it bread ?"
Mathurine bowed her head.
Then the good cure gave her grea
piece of bread-white bread-and Math
uriues face was full of JOY.
Many, many times since that nigh
has Mathurine knocked at the parsonag,
door for bread, and never in vain. Late
" she has been seen less and less in tn,
village; when she does venture there tn,
children shout after her:
sorceress -
The housewives closed their doors il
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 thu
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 n very different creature; but nc
one in the village cared for, or noticed
her. Indeed they even blame 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 he1
with his eyes and at last saw her seated
upon some rocky eminence, seemingly
absorbed III 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, linen-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 a cherry,
and smiling upon her only friend, point
ed to small, galy-trimmed bonnet of
white muslin.
"Ah!' thought the good man, " Now
we shall tame thee, thou wild girl!'
1T is very pretty, Mauthrine," he
said, "and thou will look much finer in
it than in thy ugly black bonnet. The
people will say: mo! is it possible 1T
is no longer ragged Mathurine, Mathur-
inc the sorceress, but Mademoiselle Math-
urine, and then they will salute thee.
But it is q very costly bonnet. I am
sure though wilt be obliged to work at
least three months before thou canst buy
it. See, Mathurine, yonder comes Lisa,
the daughter of Noun; she has bonnet
like this, see how handsome she is in it.
Mathurine perceived Lisa and Noun
approaching, then she made sudden
bound and disappeared with 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 I'M
doubtedly 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.
= &C. Is it very dear?" she murmured.
The peddler, vino remembered her,
laughed. ....
!" Fifty sous, my child; aud one ought
to earn two sous day at thy age."
:'Ah! then, how long must I work to
gain so sous?' - -
"Twenty-fve days, my child -
And" said Mathurine timidly,
'iwhen do you return?"
"ln twenty-seven days. OnChristmas
"Do not sell it," she whispered.
And away she ran without waiting for
a response from the peddler.- =, ..
What had produced this marvellous
change? Why did Mathurine SO desire
this bonnet? Was the sentiment Of
coquetry, instructive. in all women, in
her just awakened? !, Or was it an un-
ayowed desire to be recognized by the
simple villagers as zone of them; the
hope that, t~last, some joy, might come
to her? Something OF all these, no
doubt; but above all, the ardent, imperi-
GUS desire of a child which wishes be-
cause it wishes,. without knowing from
whence comes the desire. y. r,
Mathurine wished to earn two SOUS a
day that she might have so sous for the
peddler when'he,came againiupon Christ
mas eve.
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 pay
her 2 sous, and that every day she
should have two morsels of bread, one at
noon and one at 5 O'Clock. ~ -
Out of pity, not because he required
her services fer indeed Mathurine had
not promising appearance farmer
acceded to her terms. So Mathurine be-
came not q drone, but worker >
%.tHer first days labor Accomplished, she
returned to the village full of Joy and
happiness Never had the time seemed
solshort. The 2 sous which she had in
her hand scerched her fingers. She
no one: neither Nom the ringer, nor his
daughter Lisa. e - - sr4s, s~. ~,-~.,..