Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-06
Helenore.
belle C. Greene in The Continent,


English that we would take her into our SER
vice
She belonged to a miserable French Cana
dian family that had lived in the CITY for
many years; but, shiftless and DEGRADED as
they were, it was evident, from the Young
girls account, that they considered her the
black sheep among them; and her mother, al
ways harsh with her, for some reason had re-
Gently grown more so, until that morning,
after an unusually cruel beating. Helenore-
she said her name was Helenore Baldeau-
mad ned from under her hand, and shaking
on the dust of her native alley, wandered,
she neither knew nor cared whittier, till hun
ger and fatigue led her to seek shelter with
us.
Her plain and somewhat heavy face was
swollen and red with weeping, and there
was look of pleading in her great soft
black eyes that was difficult to resist.
oh If you would but try me!' she said.
81 can do good many tings; and 1 care only
for some bread to eat and place to leev, andn
with a shudder-"to be hurt no more.n
I held the door open and looked at her with
compassion stirring my heart. Poor childi
she seemed so young and yet so forlorn.
standing there in her dripping garments.
She could not have been more than Is or l6
years old, and she looked into my face with
an expression OF gentle confidence that felt
it would be cruel to wholly disappoint.
And then she asked so little-"only a place
to leev and bread to eat, and to be hurt 10
more"
Inc tea anne to my eyes as the simple
words recul 4 to me, and yielding to a sud
den impulse ook her in, fed her, and made
her as confoi able as possible; meanwhile
turning it over and over in my mind as to
what should do with her.
At dinner time I held a consultation with
Jack, the nominal head of our family; say
nominal advisedIy. for he insists that defer
to him only as a matter OF form, after hav-
ing fully determined in my own mind upon
any course of action.
Be this as it may, he generally confirms nv
decisions, thus making assurance doubly sure;
SO this time, after looking over my very
latest, as he called her, he promised to go to
her mother and negotiate, if he could, for
HeleGores services.
As a result of that interview he found out
for certainty that Madame Baldeau was
horrible old vixen; but she readily agreed to
let her daughter remain in our employ if,
after suitable trial, we so desired.
When Jack came home at night he found
Us all together in the sitting-room. l was
sewing, and Helenore was sitting near me
playing with little Ned, our Sold boy.
We'll, Helepore," said he lightly, 1T have
seen your mother, and you can stay with us
II you are a good girl"
She turned toward him with look Of IN
utterabe gratitude and tried in vain to speak:
then, with one swift movement, she threw
herself at my feet, and fastening her great
eyes upon mine with an expression 1 shall
never forget, she made the sign of the cross
upon her forehead and breast
g saw her do this afterwards on several
occasions when deeply moved, and it was as
expressive and touching as characteristic
We soon became much attached to her, and
her odd, Wild ways furnished us no little
amusement. One of her favorite pastimes
was to sit with baby in the back door and
play Oh her Emusic, as she called it, This
was Al invention of Helenores own, and was
only one of her many grotesque but poetic
fancles.
1t was only g large sheet of thick stout pa
per, rolled up into huge trumpet shape, and
on this queer instrument she would play for
hours, bringing out the most nearthly. but
withal, musical tones which the neighbors
far and near soon learned to marvel at and to
designate as "HeIenores music"
Sometimes quite an audience would gather
around her while she played, and she always
received their applause with much dignity,
and as matter of course. But there was one
thing about this instrument very remarkable
and mysterious: it responded to Helenores
touch and to hers alone. Many others tried
1t, but always with poor success. Even Jack,
who has a sort of facility with dozen ;nstrr,-
ments, and can play the whole opera of PA
thence" on a tin whistle, after fashion.
finally gave 1t up in despair declaring that he
believed Helenore was witch; undoubtedly
1t was the popularity of her voice that
gave to her footing such wonderful effect
She seldom sang, and when she did. it
seemed to be solely for the sake of giving vent
to some powerful emotion otherwise mex
pressible Her voice was low, but very sweet
and flexible; she had no high tones think
she considered them too light and frivolous
to convey the feelings of her soul.
once asked her why she never sang high.
''Mine heart is down here she answered
laying her hand upon her heart: and was
glad to believe that in those low, deep tones
of hers so trenlulous and so solemnly sweet,
the strange, poetic soul of this poor untaught
creature found fdl expression and was salts
fed.
She sang her own words generally. and
they were without connection-a senseless
tumble; AID YET as she sang them they often
possessed weird and startling significance.
Here Is one OF her songs:
30 happy, happy me!
80 stil, so sCill white moon.
70 leev, to love, to die,
III stil and white, to dieln
By questioning I found out what these
words meant to her. She was always at ease
with me, and could express herself more
freely to me than to anybody else; so she
tried to explain this verse
She said she was ooh, so happy'' with ne
She loved her little chamber where she could
be ''all stiu;' she loved to have the white
moon look in so kindly upon her at NIGHT
and she felt it would be good to die there s.alI
still and white"
In the spring, however, change came over
our Helenore.
Her deep content gave place gradually to a
strange restleSsneSS. She was no longer the
faithful, attentive little handmade I had
learned to love and trust She seemed
TO be irresistibly drawn away from all her
indoor occupations; if a bird sang near the
house, she would drop her work and run
eagerly to the window as if she heard her
own name called If she were sent down