The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-08-28
THB DoPTED CHILD.

- - -
The two thatched cottages stood side
by side at the foot of hill, not very far
from q well-known bathing resort.
The two peasants worked very hard in
their unfertile fields to earn enough for
the support Of their children. There
were four to each household. Before the
two adjoining doors the little swarm OF
children frolicked from morning till
evening. In both families tho Oldest
two were 6 years and the youngest Is
months old for in both houses the mar
riages and births took place almost
simultaneously.
The two mothers could scarcely dis
tinguish their respective children in the
general mix-up ); ond the two fathers al
ways made mistakes. The eight names
became entangled in their brains, al
ways got confounded with one another
and when they wanted to call any par
ticular child, each father would call a
wrong name three times before getting
right one.
The first of the two dwellings-that
nearest to the railroad station at Role
port, where the baths were-was occu-
pied by the Tuvaohe family, who ha d
three girls and one boy; the other build
ing sheltered the Vallin family, who had
three boys and one daughter.
The whole of them lived with diff
Guilty upon soup, potatoes and fresh air.
At 7o'clock in the morning, at noon,
and at 6 O'Clock in the evening, the
housewives assembled their little ones
to give them pap-just as herders of
geese call their birds together. Accord
ing to age the children took their places
in row at the wooden table, made
shiny by fifty years of usage. The
youngest child of all could hardly get
its mouth to the level of the table. Be-
fore them were then placed deep plat
tiers full of bread stepped in the same
water that the potatoes, half cabbage
and three onions had been boiled; and
the whole rank ate until fully satisfied.
The mother herself fed the little one
with a spoon. A little bit of meat in
the pot on Sunday was a regular feast
and on such occasion the father would
always stay later at the table, and ex-
claim: I'D be mighty glad to have this
every day!"
One August afternoon light carriage
suddenly drew up before the two cot
tages, and the young woman, who held
the reins herself, said to the gentleman
seated beside her:
"Oh Henry, just look at that lot of
children! Isn't it pretty to see them
tumbling about in the road like that ?"
The man answered nothing, being &C.
customed TO these sudden bursts of ad-
miration, which were pain and almost
q reproach for him.
The young woman said again:
II must really kiss them! Oh! how
should love to have one of them; that
little one there, the little tiny one!"
And leaping lightly from her carriage,
she ran to tho children, seized hold OF
one of the youngest-Tuvache's baby
and, lifting him in her arms, she kissed
him passionately on his dirty face, on
his blonde, curly and dust covered hair,
on his little fists, which he brandished
convulsively in the effort to free himself
from her tiresome caresses.
Then she got into her carriage again
and drove off at full speed. But the
next week she returned, and sat right
down in the road herself, took the little
one in her arms, stuffed him with cakes,
gave sweetmeats to all the other chill
dren, and played with them just as il
she were child herself-wlile her h1s-
band waited patiently for her all the
time in the elegant carriage.
She returned after that, got acquaint-
ed with the parents, visited them every
day, came always with her pocket full
of sweetmeats and small change.
She was a Madame Henri d'Hubi-
eres.
One morning she came; and her hus-
band also descended with her from the
carriage. This time, without stopping
to notice the children, all of woom knew
her we'll now, she advanced into the
peasants dwelling.
They were both there, the parents,
busy cutting wood for cooking their
soup; they arose in surprise, offered
chairs, and waited to see what was 60
ing to happen. Then the young Won.
an, in broken and trembling voice,
began:
my good people, have come to
see you because-because I would like
II would like to take your-your lit
tie boy home with me-"
The two peasants, utterly stupified
and unable to comprehend, answered
not q word.
She paused for breath, and went on
1--WE have no children, we are all
alone my husband and I. We would
cake good care of him. Are you will
ing?"
Is The peasant woman began to under.
stand. She asked:
"You want to take Chariot from us ?"
All ben non mo indeed!"
Then M. d'Hubiers broke in:
my wife has not explained herself
we'll. We want to adopt him; but he
will come to see you. If he should turn
out we'll, as we have every reason to be.
ieve, he will be our heir. If, by any
possible chance, we should have other
children he will share our property
equally with them. But if he should
not turn out according to our expecta.
tions, then, upon his coming of age, we
would settle on him sum of 10000
francs, which would be ut once placed
to his credit in notary's hands. And
as you have of course been taken into
consideration, you will receive regular
ly during your whole life an allowance
of 100 francs month. Now, do you
understand ?"