American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-03-05
MONSIEUR PAUL,s HERoIsM.


ing in the little American Boarding
House: Fishballs. Buckwheat Cakes
Baked Beans, No. II Albert Crescent
South Kensington,n is more than
know. They could no more speak En-
glish than worthy Mrs. Nesmith, oul
Cockney landlady, could speak French
and they were as unlike the young art
students who as a rule RECALLED upon
Mrs Nesm;th's American cookery as il
is possible TO imagine. To us, the art.
students, they were q combination of in
scrutable mysteries
Monsieur Blanchard was tall. stout.
forid, easy-tempered and young.
Madame Blanchard was tall, stout and
easy-tempered, like her husband; unlike
him. she was old and wore wigs
stupendous construction of which she
was very proud, and the fabricator OF
which she took pleasure in recommend
ing to her acquaintance. Why she wore
q wig was one of the mysteries; for.
after all. she was old only by contrast
with her husband, being no more than
forty-tve years of age. whereas Mon
sicur Paul was just twenty-one.
That Mime. Blanchard should be very
fond of her husband. and proud of him
as well, "goes without saying" that
he should be SO fond of her was another,
and one of the most inscrutable, of the
mysteries Fond of her he certainly
was, however-fonder than French hus-
their wives He enjoyed her society,
though he laughed at her peculiarities,
which were many, and she enjoyed the
laughter, and laughed back again ut his
boyish pranks; for, in spite OF his great
stature and his Anticipated wife, Mon
sieur Paul was very boyish, indeed.
In this trait, although she made merry
over its manifestations, seemed to lie
Mime. Blanchard's only trial. :. He will
never be . hero" she would lament;
land yet he has such surprising ca
pacityi His mother and l used to be so
proud of him when he was little. Such
wonderful things he used to do! If he
would only exert himself, what hero
he might becomer' But Monsieur
Paul was inclined to anything rather
than to exertion.
The Blanchards were very social, and
endured with the utmost good humor
the bad French which, in our eagerness
to practice that language. wesall in
ilicted upon them. The peculiar favor
with which they came to regard me
was due rather to the excellent French
governess of my childhood than to any
attmctiveness inherent in myself.
Mime. Blanchard used to take me out
with her shopping or sightseeing
might interpret for her, she said, but
in reality. as was evident. because she
liked to give me pleasure. Gradually
she came to consider herself my chap
eron, since, as she insisted, j was far
too young to go about without one.
And thus it came to pass that when
the time arrived for the Blanchards to
return to France they were very urgent
that l should go with them /" You can
study art much better in Paris" urged
Mime. Blanchard.
: sand she certainly ought not to be
here alone after you are gone. julie"
added her husband,
In fact, you are perfectly right, as
usual. my child" she replied, ,patting
him on the shoulder.
We had been playing the game which
they were pleased to can uheesk, mon
sieur, madame, aud i, with dummy for
q fourth. NJ. Blanchard he'd taken a
cold, and was being treated to trans
piration by his loving spouse. Hence
he could not appear in public, and
Nine Blanchard had implored me TO
come and help her arnuse him.
a aaA W - VIC HcsA IA LIZ CLu VI uIccS-
ing-gowns and mufiiers, and his head
was adorned with a night-cap. This
he had been inclined to sup
press on my entrance, but his wife
would not hear of it: I'm this shocking
mees. one cannot be too care
full, and Paul has been subject to colds
from an infant Impossible to figure to
Dne' self how he suffersi Thank God
that we are going back to Frnnce" and
she shuffled and dealt with rapid dex-
terity.
We played in silence, both monsieur
and madame intent upon every chance
Of raking in the two halfpence which !
invariably formed the stakes-"jus to |
give one an interest,"" as madame said.
Very soon. however. observing that the |
invalid, in the excitement of tho game, |
was in danger of extending his arms too
ar from the shawls which enveloped /
lim. the attentive wife put away the
ards and exhorted her husband to wrap
up his hands and keep quiet. 1t was
hen that my plans for the winter came
ipon the carpet, and. as the result of
much discussion, so soon as due regard
or M. Blanchard's health would per-
nit, after the perils OF the Transportation
through which he had passed, we all