The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-09-14

To more chssrveut eyes than those of tho
Mouffetardians it would have been appaTeE.
that Mere Perrault's rough health was break
ing. Her energetic gesticulations grew Lam
guild. The animation of her wrinkled coun-
tenance faded. 1t became difficult for her to
get through her task. She had a racking
cough; but ailments she and all her tribe con-
stdered one of the accessories OF winter; to
strive against them would show Q fine igno-
rance OF the laws of nature; and SO she went
regularly ON with her work. Spring came, the
crocuses were beginning to bloom on the
grave, and still she ~languished. One night,
when the hour arrived for their setting forth,
Pere Perrault strapped on his hottie. lie had
acquired the punctuality of a man whose life
swinrs between eyer-recurring occurrences
with the exactitude of a pendulum. Still
Mere Perrault remained crouching over the
fire. "Eh, old woman, one must hurry, It Il
hour of work, remarked Pere Perrault, briskly.
81 do not think, my man, l can do any work
tonight" she said.
Pere Perrault remained a moment sanding
stock still, rigid with amazement. Then he
walked rapidly over to her. sit is your side
that is hurting you, ehf" he asked hastily,
bending upon her a glance of indistinct ap-
ii think my call has come" she replied
gently.
Pere Perrault looked at her dumbfounded;
then a little spasm contracted his features.
sit is not true," he said, roughly; "you are a
bit tired-you want to rest IL am strong.
| can do the work of two"
She raised her withered hand and put it into
his. Non Ami, IT, is 1 will occupy the pretty
grave first" she said with a smile.
Bu. for the first time the thought OF the
tomb brought no answering CLEAN to her hus-
hands countenance. He held her hand, simply
gazing down into her sunken features. The
ewes of the old couple met. Perhaps he recog-
nized in hers the message it requires no learn
ing to read. Pere Perrault's pale face grew a
tinge paler. He let her hand fall, and repeat
- IT -- ~an dn fha prnr1 -
two" he made his way out, and set off alone
on his midnight tramp.
The next morning Mere Perrault could not
get up, and after a few days it became evident
that the end was not far of. The stout-hear ed
old woman had not given in until she had
walked the last step of the rough path 1t had
been given her to tread. Monsieur lie Cure,
who had kept up friendly relations with her
and Pere Perrault since the day of the consul
tation concerning the legacy, and who had
made some progress in the estimation OF the
chiffoniers, one day warned the old man the
time had come for the parting. That night
Pere Pc rrault did not go on his rounds. Some
of his comrades arranged 10 take an extra
turn to supply his place. Through her illness
the dying woman yainly tried to revive her
husbands spirits by lealing his thoughts to
cluster round that beautiful grave. She had
flashes of her old merriment. She essayed
lit lie jokes. 1t would not be like an empty
house now. He would be proud to point to
it and say: sit is my wife who lies there"
But these CONCENTRATIONS, once SO animating,
had apparently, at this supreme crisis, lost
their power to comfort Pere Perrault. It
seemed rather as IL the joy and pride that had
kiudled his life had ~quickened there a new
powerof suffering.
Toward midnight Mere P~errault, who had
lain still a long time, suddenly opened her,
eyes and beckoned to him. He stopped over
her. 'That will be gentl. Every one will
know as we're husband and wife" she said,
with a little laugh.
SWELL, and I-Itell you, /" he replied, roughly
breaking The silence In which he had taken
refuge-"I find that when two people has
worked together and walked together like
you and me, and had their good and bad luck
together for years and years. tell you as
they should die together"
"Bah! we'll soon rest together" the old
woman said, cheerily, and so quietly passed
away.
The rude and uncouth attempts of the Mouf-
fetardians to console their mate after the fash
ion of Mere Perrault failed to lift the desolate-
ness from his face and manner. "Where two
had lived together two should die together"
he repeated truculently, addressing nobody in
particular, but as il the assertion of a distinct
sentiment was a relief to him in his confused
misery. The arrangements for the funeral had
been SO fully settled beforehand that it needed
no supervision for the details to be carried out.
There was a mourning coach for Monsieur lie
Cure. Pere Perrault had always contemplated
walking, should it fall to his lot to be CHIEF
| llOuTltT. AS He lOuDu uliuSell Cidu III uidCh,
following bareheaied just behind the sable
car, with | s silver ornaments, drawn by two
plumed horses, and preceded by officials carry.
ing silver sticks, a watt of the old comfort and
of the old pride stole into his heart. The Mouf-
fetardians filed behind. To those trudgers on
foot it was a triumphal procession. An extra
sum had been paid to secure a long march
round by the Boulevards. 1t was a sunshiny
afternoon, all the world was out of doors, and
men and women turned to look at the strange
sight of that fine hearse, and the long file Of
patched and tattered folk. With the gentle
respect paid to the dead u Catholic lands, mcr
barred their heads and wonen crossed them
selves At all these tokens OF REGARD Perf
frame dilated. "Ah, she is 1ucky-the ole
woman-she is lucky" he kept saying to him
self.
An unlooked-for incident brought to a eli
max the triumph of the rag ed pedestrians.
The Emperor's carriage, with four horse:
mounted by positions, met the cortege an6
fell aside to let it. pass. The Emperor removed
his hat, the little Prince did the same, thu
Empress crossed herself. Then the glory o
the situation almost overcame Pere Perrault
lie fell suffocated. Something seemed to
clutch him by the throat. Tte could hav,
sobbed, but he would not for the world have
wept at this the grand redeemiug moment o
his life. To relieve the strangling that chokeC
him he repeated for the hundredth time in al
unreson mt and labored ut erance, 'Ah, she Il
lucky-tle old woman-she is lucky" Wher
the magnificent dream was over, and Mere
Perrault was laid in the earth, the grave re
filed and he flowers replanted that jealous
hands had removed the day before, Pere Per
rault AMI his friends supped at Pere MichePs
1t was a frugal feast, but the talk was glowing
The company enumerated one by one tn,
glories of that day. Every incident of tn,
pageant was dwelt upon Pere Perrault alon'
was silent. Still, he was seeing wildly Their,
before him, printed on the dark, each detail o
that ~cventful journey to the cemetery; tn
.-,A;f, ao, -. f,0,f - h;a Iro, rn hu 1Arsn
covered with black drapery, the silver firing
of which nearly swept the ground, the tribute
of respec, paid, the surprise of the crowd, tn
imperial carriage drawn aside, the sovereign
doing homage; then the procession to TIL
cemetery, the priests and the enfants de chou
in their white robes, when to the tingling o
The bells the voices swelled in prayer: and tn
coffin with the two crowns OF inlmorte les lai,
upon it. Seeing all this SO plain, Pere Perraul
could not join in the talk; but still, he woul,
mutter with a lit lie trembling of the lips
Z" She is lucky-the old woman-she is lucky.
A year elapsed, and Mere Perrault's head
stone stood alone amid the flowers tended b
her husband and his mates. The appc franc
of that brilliantly poisoning grav., delicate
to the memory of a chiffonier attracted til
attention of visitors to Pere la Chaise, an
: Pere Perrault, who haunted the spot as a br
haunts it's nest, would hear the comments o
the strangers. Returning, he would relat
them with animation to his friends of the Ru
3 Mouffetard. ''They were walking about lk
that-not seeing any that interested them
t when, apristi! at sight of the old woman
| grave they stopped. 'Uns chifoRierep the
said; impossible! 'une chif1nierer and the
! they remained staring with their mouth wild
! open. Pere Perrault would wind up his tai
| by initiating the astounded attitude and ey
preston of the visitors. The story was RI
peated, and its closing pose gone through
: until all the quarter knew it and had chuckle'
over in sympathetic pride. There could b
, no question about it. The ardian
felt they had gone up in the world.
\
Perhaps, MS time went on, the thought Q
: the dead so continually present in his life be
t gan to affect Pere Perrault's mind. He ha
dreamy fancies, when he would apparently fol
, get his wife was not active and about. H
S would mut er and talk to himself. Once G
; twice, as he strapped on his hots, he hal bee
r heard to call, ''Hurry, old womanl Hurry
time for work" Owing to his confused stat
: of brain, one morning Pere Perrault, afte
+, having sorted and disposed of his pickinys
went into Pere Michel's gargote, and instea
of drinking his soup on the premises, as ha
now become his habit, carried home two DO,
tions in a covered jug, as in his old days. ]
was not until he had poured out the soup int
two oraplxed bowls that he cu15eply raooo,;.o