The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-09-12
THE ADOPTED CHILD.

THE ADOPTED CHILD.
The two matched cottages stood side
by side ut the foot of hill. not very
far from q well-known bathing resort
Tho two peasants worked very hard in
their unfertile fields to earn enough for
tho support of their children. There
were four to each household. Before
the two adjoining doors, the little
swarm of children frolicked from morn
ing till evening. In both families the
oldest two were 6 years and the young
est Is months old; for in both houses
the marriages and births took place al
most simultaneously.
The two mothers could scarcely dis
tinguish their respective children in
the general mix-up; and the two fathers
always made mistakes. The eight
names became entanSled in their
brains, always got confounded with
ono another; and when they wanted to
call any particular child. either father
would often call n wrong name three
times before getting a right one.
The first of tho two dwellinSs-that
nearest to the railroad station 1T Rolle-
port, where the baths were-was oc-
cupicd by the Tuvache family, who
had three girls and ono boy; the other
building 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 z o'clock in the morning, at
noon. and ut clock in tho evening,
the housewives assembled their little
ones to give them pap-just rs herders
of geese call their birds together. Ac-
cording to age the children took their
places i'm 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.
Before them were then placed deep
platters full of bread stepped in the
same water that the potatoes, half a
cabbage and three onions had been
boiled; and the whole rank ate until
fully satisfied. The mother herself fed
the little one with spoon. A little
bit of meat in the pot on Sunday was q
regular feast; and on such occasion
the father would always stay later than
usual at table and exclaim: I'D be
mighty glad to have this every day"
Ono August afternoon n light car
rage suddenly drew up before the two
cottages, and the young woman. who
held the reins herself, said 10 tho gen.
tleman seated beside her:
.'Oh! Henry. just look Mt 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 adj
miration, which were q pain and al
most reproach for him.
The young woman said again,
81 must really kiss them! Oh! how
I should love to have one of them; that
little ono there, the little tiny one!'
And leaping lightly from her car
rage, she ran to the 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
Undiscovered hair, on his little fists,
which he brandished convulsively in
the effort to FREQ himself from her tire
some caresses.
Then she got into her carriage again,
and drove off ut 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
children, and played with them just as
if she were child herself-while her
husband waited patiently for her all
tho time in tho elegant carriage.
She returned after that. got &C.
quainted with her parents, visited them
every day. came always with her
pockets full of sweatmeats and small
change.
She was Madame Henri d 'Hubieres.
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 whom knew
her we'll now, she advanced into the
peasants dwelling.
They were both there, tho par
ents, busy cutting wood for cooking
their soup; they arose in surprise, Of
fered chairs, and waited to sec what
was going to happen. Then the young
woman, in q broken and trembling
voice. began:
"My good people, have come to
see you because-because / would like
II would like to take your-your little
boy home with me-
The two peasants, utterly Supplied
and unable to comprehend, answered
not word.
she paused for breath, and went \on
1--WE have no children. We are al
alone-my husband and |. We would
take good care of him. Are you will
ingP"
The peasant woman began to under
stand. She asked:
..You want to take Chariot from usi
All ben nOn!-no indeed!"
Then nj. d'Hubieres broke In:
my wife has not explained herself
well. We want TO adopt him; but hi
will come 10 SEQ you. Ii he should turf
out well, as we have every reason Il
believe, ho will DO our heir. If, by any
| possible chance, we should have Othel
| children, he will share our propcrt,
equally with them. But, If he shoult
not turn out according 10 our expecta
tions, then, upon his coming of age. WI
would settle on him sum OF ~. O0'
francs, which would be at once place.
to his credit In notary's hands. Ant
as you have of course been taken int
consideration, you will receive rcgu
larly during your whole life an allow
4 anco of 100 francs a month. Now, d.
you understand"
The farmers wife had already risel
to her feet in high fury:
..You want me to sell you Chariot
Ali / should say not!-this is q mic
thing to ask of mother!-Ah!i shoui'
say not! That would be an abomina
tionp"
The man himself, serious an
thoughtful. said nothing; hut he M
proved his wife's speech by o contiu
1uous nodding Of his head.