, 1884-08-14
THE CHAIR MENDER.

by an old broken down horse. and accom-
panied by two great black dogs who were
her friends and guardians The priest was
already there when / arrived. She appointed
u her sole executors, and in order that we
might comprehend the full purport OF her
last wishes, she told Us the whole story Of her
life. | never heard anything stranger or
moro poignant
Her father and mother had both been trav-
cling acknowledgements OF old straw
chair. She never had a fixed residence in
her whole life.
When she WIS Il very small child she used
10 run about, ragged. sordid, covered with
vermin. Tho wagon used generally 10 halt
In the nelghborhood Of Villages, beside the
bitches; then the horse would be embarrassed
and turned loose to Craze; the dog would go
TO sleep resting his moss upon his paws; and
the child would amuse herself rolling In the
grass, while the father and mother set to
work, under the shadow Of the roadside elns,
rebottoming all the old chairs in the parish
There was scarcely a word Of conversa-
ton in tho travelling wagon When they
had halted, the parents never spoke
except 10 decide who should a k the
first turn at making n round Of the village
with tho familiar cry; Chairs to mend
And then they would sit down in silence,
face 10 face, and 70 twist the
straw. But when the child wandered n little
too far away, or tried TO make friends with
come village urchin, forthwith the father
furious voice would thunder out; Some
back here at once-you sinking good-for-
nothingi- Those were tho only affectionHte
words she ever heard.
Whom she grow a little older. they used to
send her 10 buy material for tho bottoms OF
worn-out chairs. In this why she managed
- - ua4kl.
tho little boys of tho neighborhood; but on
such occasions 1t was the parents Of her new
friends who would brutally call their chill
dren indoors: "Heroi come In at once-you
little blAckguardi Let me catch you again
talking TO vagabonds and tramps."
Often the little boys used to throw stones
at her.
Sometimes Indies gave her Il few cents; and
these she used to hide away carefully.
Ono day-khc was then II years Old
while she was passing through this part OF
the country, she happened to sec little Chou
quot Lehind the cemetery wall, crying as IL
his heart would break because a bigger boy
had stolen two copper coins from him. Thoss
tears-the tears OF a little bourgeois-tears
OF ono Of those well-to do-people's children
whom she had always pictured 10 herself, in
that weak, foolish, unhappy little brain Of
hers, as ever happy and 1oyful-completely
upset her. She approached him, and when
she had learned the reason OF his
grief, She poured into his hands all her say
ings-7 cents, which he accepted quite natur-
ally-at the same time wiping his tears away
Then, feeling almost crazy with Joy, she had
the presumption 10 kiss him. As be was stiIl
carefully inspecting his money, be allowed
her to do 1t. Finding that shs was neither
repulsed nor beaten, she did it again; she
Rugged him with all her little strength,
pressed him to her chid-heart. Then she ran
away.
What had taken placo In that unhappy lit
tie head Of horst Did she love the little urehin
only because she had had the delight Of sacri-
feing her whole vagabond fortune for him
or because she had given him her first loving
lissi The mystery Of affection is as deep in
children as in adults. 4.
For months she dreamed Of that Cemetery
corner and that little boy. In the expocta-
tion OF seeing him again, she stole from her
paronts-hlching n cent here and a cent there,
misnpproprinting trfHes In her purchases OF
straw, or pocketing an odd coin when sent to
Tho market to buy provisions.
When they returned to tho villages, he had
thus managed 10 Accumulate two francs aud
a half, but she was not able 20 do more than
catch u glimpse OF the little boy, very neatly
dressed, in his ather's drugstore, between a
glass jar hlled with red water and a bottled
tnpoworm.
She only loved him all the m~ore-charmed,
enchanted, ecstatieally delighted with that
glory OF colored water-thnt apotheosis Of
shining crystal
Sho kept that ineiaceable memory to her
self; and when she met him again the next
year, playing at ten-pins with his comrades,
she threw herself upon him, caught him In
her arms, and kissed him, so violently that
be fairly yelled with terror. Then, Just to
keep him quiet, she gave him all her money,
y francs and 20 eentimes,-a yeritable
treasure, at which he gazed with eyes made
big by wonder.
He took It, and lot her cares him b her
hearts content
For four years more she poured all her TO
serve INTO his hands; and he always
conscientousy pocketed them IN exchange
OF kisses endured. One time It was 81 sous,
another time : francs, another time only IL
sous-lshe cried with pam and humiliation to
oher 50 htuei but business had been very
DAD thnt year1-and the last time . francs.
a great big, round hilVer-Pdece which made
him laugh WIN delight when he saw it
She could tnlnk OF nothing else but him;
ana ne uted 70 "atch Tor her return with a
oeIfam nnpauenee' nnd even run 10 meet
ner Wnen ne aW her-so tnAt the little gris
heaf' bounded lor Joy
Ihen an al once ne aisappeared- de had
been sent 10 eohege' She found u out W
shIe"uiy quesuohihs men by amt OF m
hhlle u~lpiomAey' she uleu 70 chahge the
iileIAIy o. nel parehtS 20 mat tney
mlsn' h,op NJ ths Nnlaee Ju>taoout S@ehuoh
ume She succeeded but II iook her q whole
years rusine 10 do 1t. Thus she remained
Two WHOM years WITHOUT seeing ann and
when sAe saw nun again, she hardly knc"
n @f - s Mi h ~ id nsnaS q DC naa become,
With mi i"t,rS Hs nra,snd@i ons ~ sas