New-York tribune., 1885-01-25

| a peculiar case they did not feel justified in com
mandng Obedience Thus With M Lea srf sns fade
There was to be no alliance between the houses o'
| DE Mesnil and Duval 4. ..o
Abb6 this attempt hasfailed. You see we ' mnsi
| try again. 1t would be best, you know, ii we couid
find girl who would please Charles" ..,;.
Il have patience with Char he has lost iiiS
Senses" said the Abbe. Beauty. Sches, lhleiiil'
gence; goodness, he has thrown away all these wItn
| Barbe Duval. He is a madman. We shall never
| find such n combination again. -.
| Perhaps we could do without the two last
without the third. meah." said Madame de Mesnil'
| But while they talked and plotted, everything
was being settled for them by greater powers
and Louis were off to the front, to fight tor France
| as volunteers.
| In six months, what terrible changes! Play
turned to earnest. JOY driven away by sorrow
would JOY ever take its old place againi Harlly;
| those two lads had spent their happy boyhood. By
this time ii had been twice three times occupied
by the Germans, who had cut down the Trees,
hacked the TO pieces, and sent the furniture
| away in wagon-loads to Germany. No one Was
there. After her sons joined;the army. Madame m de
Mesnil had gone to Paris to her mother. the old
Marouisc dc Befort, and there they were now, smut
up in the beseged city. suffering all IT'S prlVa,oms
with the cheerful courage Of Frenchwomen: Iney
| conld laugh STILL though France was conquered,
and Louis prisoner i'll Germany, ana news news
from Charles hardly ever reached them They
| Sliyprel and starved ana CODlIOTteu oiHo 'A
| their friends by making fun Of their besiegers
though with plenty Of grief and revenge I'D 'ne'r
| hearts. c, ,oro
within few miles of Saint-Jean- sur Loir. but ha9
| not yet occupied the town, which was snrrounuoa
| by a strong Gordon of General Chanzy's troops
| There was a continual skirmishing going on, ana
| after each encounter wagons ofiwounded men would
rumble the frozen roads into the town through
| the gazing streets slowly up the hill to the great
| bosptal where their sad freight delivered into
| the hands Of the Danes Augustnes., Their old
convent was now the Hotel Dieu, and their lives
were devoted to nursing the sick. Dressed IN white
| flannel. with black wells, they gded up and down
the great chill corridors Always however crowded
the wards might be; two of them kept up perpetual
prayer in the church close by. M
| The Hotel Deu was an immense building. with
many staircases. and long galleries with windows
Facing each other through these galleries. were the
rows of little iron bedsteads. with white pillows and
red coverings. now all occupied by the wounded
In summer, sick people were happy enough IN these
great airy places, with glimpses of blue sky and
green waving trees through the many windows; /;
but now, when the Windows were coated with ice
and the trees gray and eatess, and no number
of burning logs would warm the chill air. their
teeth would almost chatter as they lay IN ned .Gc
piles of rugs and blankets sent by all the KIND
women of Saint-Iean
Yet the Hotel Dieu was a real Heaven to poor
wounded soldiers. who had been lying out for
hours stiff and sore the hard ground, under the
iron freezing sky. There they gradually woke from
stupor of misery to find themselves tended by soft
gentle hands. and watched over by kind faces.
The roughest of them became tame and mana geablo
under the roof OF these good women And because
in these days there were not enough OF the nursing
Sisters TO do everything. other women were there,
in white caps and aprons. who had LETT their own
houses n the town to DO thls work OF I'm mercy yd D.,
ward going her rounds. followed by young
girl from the town. who was special friend OF
hers. A number of wounded men had been brought
in that morning: II heavy day for the Sisters;
but now the confusion was over, and except for
the groans of some poor sufferer all was quiet In
tba hos tal he N0a ms Saff N
the place with faint crimson light. the first sign
of his presence that he had given that day,
And this one who is unconsclons-he Is an
officer murnured Sister Madeleine 10 her com.
panion. "The doctor knew his name but forget
IL Vet think he came from this country. must
ask again and let his family know. for he will die"
From this country said the grl, making n
The tired face that lay thrown back on the
pillow worn aud changed that his mother
would hardly have known IL.
"Ah. ma sGur. why will he de'p exclaimed the
girl catching her breath ana & locking wildly round.
"Yes indeed! 1t is 81. de Mesnil. III. mother 1.
in Paris he cannot go home. snail he not be
carried to our houSeP
sister Madeleine was one of Barrie DuvaIs few
dear friends. and knew the whole story. She had a
very warm heart. full of sympathy with all girls
troubles and with Barbe's IN particular.
"No. my child. His only chance Is TO be quite
undlsturbed Come Little one san @ tne,sD4a s,s,@,
nnrsing If Won can bring him through There. ]
make him over TO you. ion are responsible"
n chair aud sat down at the foot OF tho bed -,
shall watch. ma Sour. to see when he moyesp
"Ccrtainly. The very thing" said smiling SISTER
Madelei a. she moved away.
This was all very hne. but ~ and Madame Duval.
benevolent as they were did not quite enter INTO
Sister Madceines romantic arrangement. The
next day Barbo did not appear ut the hospital. She
stayed at home, aud was scOded for her want OF
selfrespect. In two or throe days. however. she
appeared again. Her father and mother having
neatly broken their own hearts by their SEVERITY
gave in humJly. and let her do as she pleased
After all. the Young man was hardly sensible. ana
BaTbe had always had whatever she chose TO ask
for.
Charles de Mesnil was not dead. on the contrary.
he was slowly struggling back 10 llfo through the
dark ways of pain and weakness. IL was no good
comfort 10 him to be able 10 think again, 10
realize where he was and remember the hopeless
fighting, the mlsmanagcd armies. the sad capmaign
in the snow. For many hours he did not care 10
rouse himself to think. When his wounds were
dressed, he kept his eyes ohsinately shut pretend
ing not 10 feel anything. When Sister Mad
elsine spoke to hun. he only answered by a half
angry groan. She went away but he was conscious
that somebody was sitting beside him, and by and
by he muttcrcd IN hoarse whisper:
/" is Paris taken -
voice.
Charles did not look up to see who was near him
but the voice seemed to bring back something long
ag0-somcthng painful, IN spite OF It's sweetness
something that had happened in a former life.
before the long lighting life began. There were
other questions tormenting him, but he forgot them
IN puzIng ana wondering about that voice. From
weakness, pride. or shame. or fear CT some
stronger reason. he would not look up speak
again. }nt tho next time his nurses came 10 disturb
him he forgot all about these things, and opened
his eyes TO look round. No one was there, except
the good women with their white flannel sleeves.
Charles Thought he had been dreaming and felt "A
cold chill OF disappointment; yet he hardly knew
who he had expected to see.
Early IN the morning, waking from restless
sleep, tired oi his dreams and OF his pam. and
impatient Of hls hcipleSsness he yet knew that his
brain was stronger land clearer and felt quite sure
that he would not die What was there to i've for !
Charles INDUCED himself IN long melancholy !
Sigh.
At the same moment Barbe Duval came up and |
slnnl hesLle him lmnklun inMu with LIl OF |