The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-29
Helenore.

belle C. Greene In The Continentl
She came to our door ono dreary November
day in a pouring rain. and begged In broken
English that we would taks her into our ser
vica
She belonged TO a miserable French Cana
dian family that had lived in the city for
many years: but, shiftioss and dozraded 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 30, until that morning,
after an unusually cruel beating, Helenore--
she said her name was Helenore Baldeau-
had fed from under her hand, and shaking
Oh the dust Of her native alley, wandered,
she neither knew nor cared whittier. till hun
ger and fatigue led her 10 seek u shelter with
us
Her plain and somewhat heavy face was
swollen and red with weeping, and there
was a look Of pleading in her great soft
black eyes that was d ficult to resist
"Oh. IL you would but try mer' she said.
81 can do good many tings; and / caro- only
for some bread to eat and place to loev, and"
with a shudder-'to be hurt no more"
l held the door open and looked at her with
compassion stirring my heart. Poor childl
she seemed so young and yet 30 forlorn,
standing there In her dripping garments.
She could not have been moro than Is or 10
yeais old, and shs looked into my fnce with
an expression Of gentle confdence that 1 felt
1t would DO cruel to wholly ~disappoint.
And then she asked 30 little-"only a place
to leov and bread 70 eat, and 70 be hurt no
more"
Tho tears came TO my eyes as the simple
words REQUIRED to me, and yielding to a sud
den impulse l took her in, fed her, and undo
her as comfortable as possible; meanwhile
| turning ~ nvar mud ovar In M mind M N
what / should do with her.
At dinner time [ held n consultation With
Jack. tho nominal head OF our family; | shy
nominal advisedly, for he insists that l dcfer
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 1t may, he centrally confirms my
decisions, thus making assurance doubly sure;
50 this time, after looking over my very
latest as be called her, he PROMISED to go to
her mother and negotiate, IL ho could. for
Helenore's services.
As a result of that interview he found ont
for a certainty that Madame Baldeau was u
horrible old vixen; but she readily agreed to
let her daughter remain in our employ II,
after a suitable trial, we so desired.
When Jack came home at night he found
us all together in the sitting-room. l WINS
sowing, and Beleuore was sitting near me
phtylnR Will hbtie Neu, our oOld DOY.
well, Holenore," said hs lightly, ~ ave
seen your mother, and you can stay with us
II you are a good girl.n
She turned toward him with a look of I'M
utterable gratitude and tried In vain to speak;
then. with one swift movement, she threw
bsrself ut my feet, and fastening her great
eyes upon mine with an expression / shall
never forget, sho made the sign OF the cross
upon her forehead and breast.
We saw nor do this Afterwards on several
occasions when deeply moved, and It was az
expressive and touching as characteristic.
Wo soon bocaine much attached to her, and
hor odd. wild ways furnished us no little
amusement One of hor ~fsvorite p~astirDes
was to sit with baby In tho back door and
play on her music" rs shs called IT This
wss al invention of Heienorn's own, and was
only one Of her many grotssque but poetic
faucies-
1t was only a large sheet Of thick stout pa
per, rolled upinto a huge trumpet shape, and
on this queer instrument sh, would play for
hours, bringing out the most mccarthy, but
withal, musical tones, which the neighbors
far and near soon learned to marvel ut and to
designate as "Helenorss music"
Sometimes quite an audience would gather
around her while she played, and she always
received their applause with much dignity,
and as a matter OF course. But there was ono
thing about this instrument very remarkable
and mysterious: IL responded tn Helenore's
touch and to hers alone. Many others tried
II, but always with poor SUCCESS. Even Jack,
who has a sort OF facility with adozen instru.
ments, and can play tho whole opern OF PA
tience" on a tin whistle, after n fashion,
finally gave 1t up in despair declaring that be
believed Helenore was a witch: undoubtedly
Il was the pecuJiartty uf her voice that
gave to her footing such won lerful effect.
She seldom sang, and when She did. It
seemed TO be solely for the sake Of giving vent
to some powerful emotion otherwise ine&-
pressible. Her voice was low, bur very sweet
and flexible; she had no high tones. l think
she considered them too light and frivolous
to convey the feelings of her soul.
/ once asked her why she nevor 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, 80 trenulous and so solemnly sweet,
the strange, poetic soul Of this poor untnught
creature found full expression and was salts.
fed.
She sang her own words generally. and
they were without connection-a senseless
tumble; aud yet as abe sang them they often
poesssed a weird and startling Significance.
Eere Is one of her sons:
20 happy, happy mel
50 still. so still, white moon
To leev, to love, to die,
An still and white, to der
By questioning / found out what these
words meant to her. She was always at eass
with me, and could express herself more
freely to me than to anybody else; 50 she
tried to explain this verse.
She said she was "Oh, so happy witl us.
She loved her little chamber where she coull
be ''all still y she loved to have the white
moon" look in so kindly upon her at night,
and she felt 1T would be gooi to die there "aIl
still and white
In the spring, however, a change came over
our Helenore.
Her deep content gave place gradually to a
strange residences She was no longer the
faithful, attentive little handmade had
learned to love and trust. She seemed
TO DO irresist.b'y drawn away from all her
indoor occupations: If a bird sang near the
house, she would drop her work aud run
eagerly to the windo as IL she heard her
own name called. II she were sent down
town on an errand, she was unaccountaba
long In returning; and, finally, one after
noon when size took little Ned for his accus-
toned airing she was gone for hours, wnn-
dering away across the folds, and bringing
him home at dusk lying back fast asleep In
his carriage, With a wreath of violets like a
halo round his golden head, and more
clutchcd tightly In his chubby hands
She received my surprised reproof in sullen