The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-06
nECENOlk

vsmber day in q pouring rain, and
begged in broken English that We
would take her into our service.
She belonged to . miserable French
Canadian family that had lived in the
dty for many years, but, shiftless and
degraded as they were, it was evident
from the young girls account, that they
considered her the black sheep among
them; and her mother, always harsh
with her, for some reason had recently
grown more so, until that morning, af-
ter an unusually cruel beating, Hele.
ore she said her name was Heienore
Baldeau-had fed from under her
hand, and shaking off the dust Of her
native alley, wandered, she neither
knew nor cared whittier, till hunger and
fatigue led her to seek . shelter with tis.
Her plain and somewhat heavy face
was swollen and red with weeping, and
there was look of pleading in her great
soft black eyes that was difficult to resist.
ooh, If you would but try mel" she
said. II can do good many tings; 1 care
only for some bread to eat and place
to leev, and"-with q shudder-ssto be
hurt no more"
Iheld the door open and looked at
her with compassion stirring my heart.
Poor child! she seemed SO young and
yet so forlorn, standing there in her
dripping garments. She could not have
been more than Is or 16 years old, and
she looked into my face with an ex-
preston of gentle confidence that felt
1t would be cruel to wholly disappoint.
And then she asked so little-"only a
place to leev and bread to cat, and to be
hurt no MORE"
The tears came to my eyes as the
simple words recurred to mo, and
yielding to sudden impulse took her
in, fed her, and made her as comfortable
rs possible;, meanwhile turning it over
and over in my mind as to what should
do with her.
At dinncr time I held consultation
with Jack, the nominal head of our fam
ily.; I say nominnl advisedly, for he in
sists that I defer to him only as mat
ter of form, after having fully deter
mined in my own mind upon any course
of action.
Be this as it may, he generally con-
Arms my decisions, thus making assur-
ance doubly sure; SO this time, after
looking over my Every latest, as he
called her, he promised to go to her
mother and negotiate, If he could, for
Helenore's services.
AS result of that interview he found
out for certainty that Madame Bal
deau was horrible old vixen, but she
readily agreed to let her daughter re-
main in our employ if, after suitable
trial, we so desired.
b. When Jack came home at night he
found us all together in the sitting
room. I was sewing and Helenore was
sitting near me playing with little Ned,
our 3-year-old boy.
"Well, Helenore," said he lightly.
II have seen your mother, and YOU can
stay with us if You are good girl"
Sometimes quite an audience would
gather around her while she PLAYED
and she always received their applause
with much dignity, and rs matter of
course. But there was one thing about
this instrument very remarkable and
it responded to Helenore's
touch and to hers alone. Many others
tiled it, but always with poor success.
Even Jack, who has q sort of facility
with dozen instruments, and can play
the whole opera of Patience" on a tin
whistle, after a fashion, finally gave it
up in despair, declaring that he believed
that Helenore was witch undoubtedly
it was the peculiarly of her voice that
gave to her footing such wonderful ef-
feet.
She seldom sang, and when she did.
y seemed to be solely for the sake Of
giving vent to some powerful emotion
otherwise inexpressible. Her voice was
low, but very sweet and flexible; she
had no high tones. I think she consid-
cred them too light and frivolous to
convey the feelings of her soul.
I once asked her why she never sang
high; e
mime heart is down here" she an.
swered, laying her hand on her heart and
was glad to believe that in those low.
deep tones OF hers, SO tremulous and 80
solemnly sweet, the strange, poetic soul
of this poor untaught creature found
tull expression and was satisfied.
She sang her own words generally,
and they were without connectionHa
.enseless tumble; and yet az she sang
them they often possessed O weird and
significance. Here is one of
her songs:
50 still, irtpy; 3 stIi, tIIirpRS aSite @ns moon.
To leev, to love, to die
All still and white, to die!n
BY questioning found out what these
words meant to her. She was alwaysat
sase with me, and could express herself
more freely to me than anybody else; so
The tried to explain this verse.
She turned toward him with look
If unutterable gratitude and tried in
vain to speak; then, with one swift
she threw herself at my feet,
md fastening her great eyes upon mine
With an expression shall never forget,
he made the sign of the cross upon her
orehead and breast.
We saw her do this afterward on sew
raj occasions when deeply moved, and
t was as expressive and touching as
We soon became much attached to
Ter, and her odd wild ways furnished
Is no little amusement. One of her fa-
,orite pastimes was to sit with baby in
he back door and play on her Emusic. !"
9 she called it. This was an invention
4 Helenore's own, and was only one of |
ler many grotesque but poetic fancies.
1t was only large sheet of thick pa
.er, rolled up into huge trumpet |
hape, and on this queer instrument she |
'ould play for hours, bringing out the |
aost unearthly, but withal, musical |
ones, which the neighbors far and
ear soon learned to marvel at and des-
snate as "Helenore's music"
She said she was ssOh. so har nv"