Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-01
| lclci1orc.

81 a W.... % W1~,. .,t"ii:, from the Young
ii .uiii t,a: thy considered her the
llt.e .hr f. avon, ihr;i; anil her mother, al
W"' . h'r % ai,h h,r. for some reason had re-
cn'h E,""a NOR" So, until that morning,
uii'i nr unusually cruel t.ating, Hel,nore-
~il' eiii her nam" was iielrnore Ballcau-
lHi u Il from under her hand and shaking
81 ih' dust n her native alley. wandered,
Nf' r'iihcr know nor oare,. WHITTIER till hun
E'r and fatigue led her to seek shelter with
~
li'r plain and somewhat heavy face was
." Hen AMI rel with wecling, and there
was TX II Pleading III her great soft
black ''yr- that wGs ,liicnlt to resist
'th. n you woli but try met she said.
= rHn do good many t;nrs; an care only
Tor -uine brad TO eat and place to leev, and"
with n shil'inr-"to be hurt no more"
h'l tiIr door olpn ana looked at her with
cwulGs>."u .'it; ns my heart. Poor childl
sh" 81. ni"l fu young AMI yet SO forlorn.
standing there n her DR.. pin. garments.
Shr c"I. "a, have been more than II or IL
yea ..t. amt si lnnhti iuiO my face with
nr'Nii'-- N of ,.rl;!, confidence that felt
o. ""u.i lr cIuai trvh iv dnappcnt.
An. i.u .uc ..-k' I % .iltl only place
&" !', anl bread t. ct, ana to be hurt 10
more"
~" avs 'nurtp Iuy eyes as the simple
"'rd- ''''r,t! = nsr. and yielding; to a sud
d'u Wl u.-' /! 'uok her ia. fed hnr, and made
l'r %, c..,i's;ahl' - pos. .blr; meanwhile
tnlun. . n'cr and ov = in my mind as to
what I 81 vi do with her
~ din...r tiii.' Ia n consultation with
.'n' h. ~" iou,inai heal of cur family; say
unu.ull nlVis4.alv fur hc insists, that defer
j
h's l.it Il trrninei in my own mind upon
any ,s.rn f action.
u" i.Hs a. 1t rny, hc generally confirms my
d''i.'i'- thIs naf'u,. a.>irance doubly sure;
s'ill. talc. at io,kns over my Every
lt'-.. a. hccnlcd her, ne promised to go to
h'i mother AMI negotiate, il he could, for
llsl'ulir~ services.
\. % rc4,t 4 that interview he found out
fara cert, rty TINT Madame Baldeau was a
horrible oil v.Xcn; iut she readily agreed to
lti h'r 'ng .lt'r remain in our employ il,
alter stntnhi" tIial We 80 desired.
" h.u Jack came ho,re al night he found
u NIL tpgcihrr in tn, lifting room. was
7 sowing. nnb Hcicnorr was sitting near me
Ia}n. w.jh l;tc Nei, oar Sold boy
"Mcil. Uirn,rr,' sad h, lightly, II have
scn your mother ani you can stay with us
u Noil are COOL girl"
Snr turned toward him with a look of I'M
uitolnhl' gratitude AMI trie in vain to speak !;
then. with enc swift movement, she threw
hers i at my fsei. anl fastening; her great
eye, upon minc with an expression shall
never forget. she Innis the s;gn of the cross
uirln her forehead and l.rcast.
We saw h,r do this afterwards on several
occasions when deeply moved. and it was as
expressive aud touching rs characteristic
We soon became much attached to her, and
her odd. Wild ways furnished us no little
amusement. One OF hr favorite pastimes
was 10 SIT with haby in the back door and
play on h'r Emusic. as she called it. This
was an invention OF liclenorc's own, and was
only one Of her many grotesque but poetic
fancies.
II was only "A large sheet Of thick stout pa-
per, rpllcl up into u huge trumpet shape, and
On this queer instrument she would play for
hours, bringing out the most unearthly, but
withal musical tones, which the neghbors
FAR and near sool learned to marvel at and to
designate as "iIclenores music"
Sometimes quite an audience would gather
around her while she played, and she always
received their applause with much dignity,
and IA a matter Of course. But there was one
thing about this instrument very remarkable
md mysterious: it responded to Helenore's
touch and to hers alonc. Many others tried
II, hut always with poor success. Even Jack,
Who has sort of facility with dozen instru-
ments and can play the whole opera of pa
ticncc' on n tin whistle, after fashion,
finally gave II up in despair. declaring that he
I believed lielenore was a witch: undoubtedly
il was the peculiarity OF her voice that
gave to her footing such won erful effect.
She seldom sang. AMI when shs did, it
seemed 10 bc solely FOR the sake Of giving vent
30 some powerful emotion othcrwie mex
pr'ssible. Her voice was low, but very sweet
and aexibic; she Ind no high tones. I think
she considered them too light and frivolous
to convey the feelings Of her soul.
once askel her why sho never sang high.
mine heart isdown here" she answered
wing Der hand upon her heart; and was
glad To- believe that In those low, deep tones
of hors, ~ ireinulcus and so solemnly sweet,
the strange, poetic soul Of this poor untaught
croarlR f'nil full expression and was salts
fled
She san: hcr own worls generally, and
they were viticCt conncction-a senseless
jumble: and yet as she sang them they often
pos-'ssc,l'n weird IN .;.artlihs significance.
llele {, one If her songs:
go happy. happy nr!
So still, 10 still, white moon.
To lcev, to love, 10 die,
All stll and WHIT, to die!"
by questioning found out what these
words ncant 10 her. She was always at ease
with ue. nnl could express herself more
freely 10 ne than to anybody else; SO she
tried e. explain this verse.
| %Ie said sho vn, s.( IN 81, boppv0 u,;f;, nc
She Lowell her little chamber where she could
bc 'all still;" she loved to have the white
moon" look in 50 kindly upon her at night,
aud she Eel, it woull lie COOL to die there "all
still AMI white"
In the spring. however, a change came over
our Ilelenorc.
Her deep content gave place gradually to q
strange restl'ss,ess. She was no longer the
faithful, attentive little handmade l had
learned h. love and trust: She seemed
90 Ia irrc>is, by drawn away from all her
indoor occupations; if bird sang near the
house, she would drop her work and run
en- scrly to the window as if she heard her
own name called. Ii she were sent down
town on an egrand, she vas unaccountably
long in returning; ard, finally, one after
noon when she took little Ned for his accus-
|
derins; away across tlo fields, and bringing
him ho,Gc at dusk lying back fast asleep in
his carriage, with a wreath of violets like q
halo round his. golden head, and moro
cluichod tightly i'll his chubby hands.
She received MY surprised reproof in sullen
silence. nnl waited in vain for some ac-
c uut II her Gls nee.
She grew NOR and more strange and rest
less every DAY. fctting and chatting over her
light tasks l@c some Gagged animal, until,
finally. quesiiun,d her
"llel,noFr,' sail kindly, what is it that
ais y,m' Tell ne, AMI l will try to help
you.
At l.i-t she frownel darklv and would not
answer. hut when laid my hand gently and
coax agy upon her head l had noticed she
loved 10 have me 10 o--she yielded and her
ton uc was loosel.
"oh, madam, Go not be angry" she cried.
"Nc have gipsy blood in us, mine moder do
say and Oh, would be going
out her arms toward the distant fields with a
swift and eloquent gesture Of longing "Oh,
| lff mo col | piu-+ rrnfr