New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-09-10

to him,-Ot-
Exasperated, the peasant woman cut
him short:
i It's all thought over. it's all UNDER
stood. it's all considered. Get out Of
here-and what's more don't let me
ever see you here again. To think peo-
pies allowed to want to take child
from folks like thatP''
Then Nine. d Hubieres, as she was
going, remembered there were two lit
tie ones; and with the tenacity Of q
se1-willed and petted darling, who
never can endure refusal, she asked
through her tears:
But the other little one-it doesn't
belong to youP'' Father Tuvache re-
Piled:
mo; 1t belongs to the neighbors.
You can 60 and ask them If you like. .
And he returned into tho house,
whore the loud-echoing voice of his
angry wife could still be heard.
The Vallin family were sitting at the
table eating very lcisurly some big
crusts Of bread, which they rubbed
parsimoniously with . little butter, each
taking an almost imperceptible bit OF
butter at time on the end Of o knife,
from plato placed between them in
the middle of the table.
NJ. d'Hubieres recommended his
propositions, but this time more insin-
uatingly, with oratorical precautions,
with astuteness. The two country poo
Pile at first shook their heads in sign
Of refusal; but when told that they
would receive 100 francs month, they
looked at one another; they began to
consult each others eyes. with their
resolution considerably shaken.
They kept silence long, long time,
feeling tortured, hesitating. At last
the woman asked:
Here! map what do you say about
He answered with sententious pro.
nunciation:
II say that It's worth thinking
about. y
Then Madame d'Hubieres, quiverine
with anxiety, began to talk to them
about the future of the child, about
how happy she would make him, about
the money he would be able to give
them some day.
The peasant asked:
'.And that allowance of 1000 francs
you talk about, will it be pledged to us
before the notaryp''
NJ d'Hubieres:
draw it. .
The woman, who had been very
thoughtful, spoke again: "a
"A hundred francs month isn't
enough for giving up the child; that
there child can work in few years;
we must git hundred and twenty
francs" 3,s
Stamping her little foot with impa.
thence, Madame Hubieres acceded ia
the sum at once; and as she wanted ia
take the child away at once, she gave
them . present Of 100 francs, while her
husband commenced to draw up the
necessary papers. The Mayor and one
Of the neig hbors being sent for, gladly
gave their services as Witnesses.
And tho young woman, all beamine
with delight, carried off the screaming
child-just as . much-longed for toy q
triumphantly carried home from : toy
store.
Standing at their own door, the tn,
vaches watched them 60; they said
nothing, looked serious regretting,
perhaps. that they had refused.
Nothing more was heard Of little
Jean Vallin. Every month the parents
went to draw their 120 francs from the
notary; and they fell out with thei1
neighbors because Mother Tuvache
..agonized them with ignominies,'' in.
cessantly going from door to door to
reiterate that one must be inhuman e
sell one child that it was q horror =
"a dirty low thing" q corromperie. .
And occasionally she would take ur
her Chariot in her arms, ostentatiously,
and scream out to him as il he wal
able to understand:
81 didn't sell thee, I didn't! I didn'1
sell thee, my little soul! don't sell my
children, ] don't. I'm not rich, but
don t sell my children"
And for two years and more It was
the same thing every day-every day
coarse illusions vocfferated 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 q
good mother. y
They held her up as an example, and
when Chariot, brought up with these
ideas perpetually dinned into his EAR
got to be 18, he also learned to be-
lieye himself superior to all his COM
rades, just because he had not been
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. s.3.
The eldest son joined the army. Tho
second son died. Chariot alone remain
ed TO help the old father 70 work, and
% support his mother and his two
younger sisters.
he vas Just 81 years old, when one
morning 2 shining carriage drew up
bef0r0 tho two houses. q young gentle.
man, wearing . gold watch chain, de.
scended from tho vehicle, giving hia
arm 10 m old lady with white hair.
laINT1a H.