Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-04-02
HELENORE.

Noyember day In the pouring rsin and
begged to be taken into u service.
chs belonged to q miserable French
c.nodian family that had lived in the
.;ty for many years; but shiftless and
5oaroded as they were, it was evident
from the young girls account that they
.o,s;derd her the black sheep among
Them: and her mother, always harsh
with her, for some reason had recently
rrev more so, until that morning, after
az unusual cruel beating, Helenore-
.bs said her name was Helenore Bal
aeou-bad fed from under her hands,
and shaking off the dust of her native
.,ly. wandered, she neither knew nor
cared whittier, till hunger and fatigue
lad her TO seek a shelter with us.
Her plain and somewhat heavy
face was SWOLLEN and red with weeping,
and there was a lo)k of pleading in her
GREAT soft black eyes that was difficult
TO resist.
"Oh, if you would but try mel" she
said, 81 can do a great many things;
md I care only for some bread to eat
and a place to sleep, and" with a shud-
der, "to be hurt no more"
I held the door open and looked at
her with compassion stirring my heart.
Poor child She seemed so young and
vet so f~orlorn, standing there in her
dripping garments. She could not have
been more than fifteen or sixten years
old. and she looked up into my face
with such an expression of gentle con-
6dence that / felt it would be cruel to
wholly disappoint.
And then she asked so little-"only
place to sleep and bread to eat and to
be hurt no more" The tears came to
my eyes as her simple words REQUIRED
tome, and yielding TO a sudden impulse,
I took her in, fed her, and made her as
comfortable as possible, meanwhile
turning it over and owe in my mind
what / should do with her.
At dinner. time / held a consultation
with Jack, the nominal head of our
family; / say nominal advisedly, for he
insisted that / defer to him only as a
matter OF form, after having fully de-
termined in my own mind upon any
course of action.
Be this as it may, he generally con-
firms my decision. thus making assur-
ance doubly sure; so this time, after
looking over my very latest" as he
called her he promised to go to her
mother and negotiate, if he could, for
Helenore's services.
As a result Of hat interview, he
found out for a certainty that Madame
Baldeau was a horrible old vixen; but
she readily agreed to let her daughter
remain in u employ if, after a suitable
trial, we so desired.
When Jack came home at night, he
found us all together in the sitting
room. / was sewing, and Helenore was
sitting near me, playing with little Ned,
our t~hree-year-old boy.
well, Helenore, said he, lightly, 81
have seen your mother, and you can
stay with us If you are good girl"
She turned toward him with a look of
unutterable gratitude and tried in vain
tospeak then, with swift movement
she threw herself at my feet, and fasten-
ing her great eyes upon mine with an
expression / shall never forget, she
made the sign of the cross upon her
forehead and breast. We saw her do
this afterward ON several occasions
when deeply moved, and it was as ex-
pressiye and touching as characteristic.
We socn became much attached TO
and her odd wild ways furnished MS no
little amusement. One of her f~avorite
pastimes was to sit with baby in the back
door and play on her Emusic" as she
called 1t. This was an invention of
helenore's own, and was only one of
her many grotesque but poetic fancies. 1t
was only a largesheet of thick, stout pa
per, rolled mp into a huge trumpet shape;
and on this queer instrument she would
play for hours, bringing out the most
unhealthy, but withal, musical tones.
which the neighbors far aud near soon
learned 10 marvel at and 10 designate 90
'heienore's music"
Sometimes quite an audience would
gather around her while she played,
and she always received their applause
with much dignity and as a matter Of
course. But there was one thing about
TINS instrument, very remarkable and
mysterious; 1t responded to Helenore's
Touch and to hers alone. Many others
trled 1t, but always with pool success.
Even Jack, who has a sort Of facility
With q dozen instruments, and can
play the whole opera of Patience" on
atm whistle, after a fashion, finally
gave II mp In despair, declaring that no
believed Helenore was q witch. I'M
aonbtedly 1T was the popularity of her
voice that gave to her footing such
wonderful effect.
ohe seldom sang, and when she did,
hsesmed to be solely for the sake of
giving vent to some powerful emotion
otherwise inexpressible. Her voice was
,ow, but very sweet and flexible; she
nad no high tones. i think she o m
Sdered them too light and frivolous to
convey the feelings OF her soul.
4 once asked her why she never sang
nigh. Mine heart Is down here" she
answered, laying Der hand upon her
neart and | was glad to believe that in
,nose low, deep tones OF hers, so tremu-
ious and so solemnly sweet, the strange
poetic soul of this poor untaught erea-
afe found full expression and was
satisfied.
ohe sang her own words generally,
and they We're without connection Ia
senseless iumble-and vet as she sang
ulem they often possessed a weird and
startling significance. Here is one of
Der songs.
"Oh, happy, happy mo!
30 still, so still, white moon
To lee, TO love, to die,
All still and white 10 diel"
BY Questioning, i found on. what
lnese words meant TO her. She was al
Ways OF ease with me, ana roullexpress
SsFselt more freely to me than TO any