The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-19

sell thee, my little SOUL | dont sell
my children, / don't. I'm noG rich, but
I don't sell my children"
And for two years and more 1t was
the same thing every dsy-every day
coarse allusions vociferated before the
doorway, so that the neighbors could
not help hearing them, Mother Tuvache
at last really came to think herself the
finest woman in the whole country, Just
because she had not sold Chariot. And
people would say, when speaking OF
her:
"Of course, we know the offer was
tempting; but anyhow she acted like a
good mother.
They held her up as IN example, and
when Chsrlot-brought up with these
ideas p~erpetually dinned into his ears
got to be IS, he also learned to believe
himself superior to all his comrades,
just because he had not been sold"
The vallins meanwhile lived very
comfortably, thanks to their monthly
pension. The indispensable fury of the
Tuvaches, who remained ~wretchedly
poor and miserable, was chiefly due to
that.
The eldest son joined the army.
The second son died. Chariot alone
remained to help the old father to
work, and to support his mother and
his two younger sisters.
He was Just u years old, when n
morning a shining carriage drew up
before the two houses. A young gen
tleman, wearing a gold watch chain,
descended from the vehicle, giving his
arm to an old lady with white hair.
The old lady said to him:
at is there, my child the second
house"
And the young gentleman entered
the Vallin residence as if he were enter
ing his own home.
The old mother was washing her
aprons; the father, now infirm, was
doing beside the great hearth. Both
looked up and the young man said:
"Good day, papa! good day mammal"
They rose to their feet almost in
alright. The old peasant woman, In her
sudden emotion, even let her soap fall
into the water, and 'stammered out
"C'est-te m'efant? Is it thou my
child?? is it thou, my child?"
He took her in his arms and kissed
her-repeating, "Bonjour, mamma
while the old father, though trembling
in every limb, exclaimed in that calm
accent which never deserted him: "So
thou art come back, JEAN" AS If he
had been gone only a month or lessl
And when they had got to know each
othe~ a little better, then the parents
insisted on going out with their son, to
show him all the co~untry-folk. They
took him to see the mayor, the deupty,
the priest, the schoolmaster-
= y :
And Chariot, standing at the thresh-
old of his fathers cabin, looked as he
W ent by.
That evening, at supper time, he said
to the Old folks:
"What idiots You must have been to
let them take Vallin's child"
His mother obstinately responded:
II wouldn't sell our babyl"
The father said not a word. The son
went on:
"And you think it isn't miserable &c
be sacrificed like. that?"
Then Father Tuvache suffered out
In a voice of wrath:
cart thou going to reproach us fol
having kept thee?"
Brutality the young man burst out:
Eyes, / feproach you-louts that you
both arel Parents like You r good
only to give bad luck to children. And
I'd serve you right if I'd quit you"
The Door woman was crying In her
plate. She sobbed while trying to swal-
low some spoonfuls of soup, half Of
which she spilled III the effort:
And is this what I killed myself foi
Ito raise my sons?p
Then, roughly, the great lad thun-
dered out:
I'D better never been born than be
what / am? When I saw the other one,
just q while ACC It inst Ss-e my blood
one turni
Il said to myself: That's what I'd
be, now"
He leaped up from the table.
"See herel I've just made up my
mind that it's best for me not to stay
here, for I'd be approaching you with il
from morning till night, and I'd make
life miserable for You. You may Just
as well know it'll nevsr forgive you,
never forgive you for that Neverl"
The old couple, fearful, dumbfound-
ed, held their peace.
He went on again
"No!-just the thought Of it is too
much to stand. No, I perfer to go and
make my living somewhere elselD
Heopened the door. gust OF voices
entered. The Yallans we're having a
Publication in honor Of the returned
son.
Then Chariot stamped his feet with
rage, and turning to his parents, shout
ed at them:
"Louts! cloWnsi-look 20 vour-