Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1885-08-27
Helena, Montana. Thursday, August y, 1885.

CHAPTER ".
The two children led life nappy and
bright as the spring time Of nature The
lessons of NJ. CamaS gave them but little
trouble When the recitation hour was over.
and the teacher had departed, with his books
under his arm, they flew eagerly to their play.
Their greatest pleasure was to be together,
with their small quarrels and reconcilialions,
tears and then smiles, poutings, ending in
/ kisses
Every morning at day-break, when the
farm was alive with hustle and stir, prepar
ing for the labor of the day, they would
/ bound from their beds, and after their hearty,
wholesome breakfast run to the stables TO see
/ the horses harnessed. They would leap upon
their backs, Mederic clinging to the collar.
and Fisee tightly clasping his waist, and
I gallop away to the hills.
/ Sometimes they would 90 too far, and fear
ing they would be too late Tor the catechism
I holr for which the sexton regularly rang the
summoning bell at noon, they would return
at a wild gallop.
/ The sky was J.. lyy. the country silent. On
past the blooming colgas. they flew. passing
on their way groups Of children from the diff
ferent farms fastening to their eaiechism.
/ They came from Mangelise. from the Semte
and the lIarmesie, little blonde urchins, with
their blue eyes ana clear skins, hatleSs. vest
les, trudging along in their naked feet.
The l,our for catechiSm sounded. and
Mederic and Fisee followed in the same book.
their locks mingling as they bent attentively
over il. The Able Breulot struck the chord
for the psalm, and passed down the line,
psalm-book in hand, putting the gigglers
upon their knees.
At length, caiechism over, the wild troop
escaped from church. walking demurey at
first in two straigh, lines, and marking the
steps, then disbanding into various groups,
and scampering away over the fields 10 their
homes.
In the month Of September, when the first
ploughs entered the damp fields, they ran
upon the plateaus 10 fly their kites. Mederic
made one Of bunch Of osier and two willow
branches. The grocer, Petit Pas, gave him
some strips Of gilt paper, with which he COW
cred IL. He wrote the name OF Fisee upon
its surface. Fisee held the kite high above
her head, ard Mederic ran over the plain
with the chord tightly wound over his finger
The kite arose majestically in the air, and
they laughed as the September winds sweep
ing over the plain carried it on in their fight
VI. Camas, returning from MontvillierS,
stopped to watch them at their play and i'm
prove the occasion to give them a lesson on
the laws Of grayita,lon. He held his panama
in both hands, because of the strong wind, |
which also impeded his words. lie criticised |
the construction Of the kite, giving them sage |
advice. Mederic made another one, under I
his inspection. II fulfilled all the naturI |
Lawsuit it dio moi fly.
The twilight brought out the stars. The |
wagons could be seen upon the hills, bal /
ancipg their loads and dropping clusters of 4
hay along the road. Al the end of the fence \
the horses turned alone. The gates were /
opened and the hay carried into the barns, \
filling the air with pungent fragrance. The /
cows stood silent and patient, while their /
warm breath foated over the heads Of the l
milk-mai The milk rose in the pals, \
pale blue circling with It's whiteness. Me
deric and Fisee would lead the horses TO the 4
well; the heavy pail would descend slowly /
and then rise, the tired beasts drink eagerly /
and then snort with satisfaction Then the 4
gates swung upon their hinges, and all was
silent for the night.
Madame Ferrard awaited the children in
her room for the prayer. She Tecited IN
monotonous tone, with her head between her
hands. Kneeling at the fooi Of the bed the
little ones responded. and when hey reached
the prayer for all those IN danger Spon water
or land, for all those in agony Of b2dy or
mind, their hands joined in a tight clasp,
seized with a vague fear which chilled them.
They thought Of those who had departed
in night and death; they thought Of the paie
moon beams falling upon the tombstones; of
the mournful plaint Of the owls fluttering
around the old steeple. All these things,
mingling with their 1alze impulses of piety,
filed them with a vague tenderness, and
drew their hearts more closely together
Sometimes, when the absence Of Madame
Ferrard, as she paid her customary visits, gave
them a day of liberty, they ran TO the river,
took off their shoes, and leaning forward upon
the bank tried TO embrace the two children
whom they saw in the clear depths Of the
water. their shouts Of laughter floating
through the bending branches Of the over
hanging willow trees.
According to the custom Of the farmers,
Mage went every week 10 the market OF
Crignetot, and one day he took the two chill
dren with him.
Under the enormous calico sun-shades Of
bright red and blue the traders sold in open
air, ranged in two lines; variegated crowd
Of white bonnets and blue blouses moving
about in the sunshine, amidst the believing
Of the impatient beasts and the clucking OF
the poultry.
Whilst Mage attended TO his affairs Mederic
and Fisee wandered through the market.
They stopped in wide-eyed wonder before
trader who was selling some nightingales at
reduced price,
Mederic bought for Fisee silver ring and
a necklace Of blue beads. She wished TO
offer him knife, but she had forgotten her
purse.
They b-eakfasted at Aubonry.
They were permitted TO run through the
inn, which is museum Of antiquities. They
felt no interest in the plates of old Rouen, or
the chests of oats, but they stopped IN
passage before a picture which greatly at
tracted them II was Of the Boucher school;
an idyl scene on the border of a stream, in an
ideal landscape: reclining in the blue rushes
a nymph, swooning in the arms Of satyr.
The picture was filed with the charm of
voluptuous languor.
They looked at it silently, with red cheeks,
and then Mederc asking what it represented,
Fisee answered:
"Adam and Eve;" but the feet Of the
fawn unrolled, and hearing steps a, the end
OF the corridor they ran away.
II was midnight when Mage returned. The
WORTHY man had refreshed himself with fre-
ouent lbations. and his head was heavy. He
harnessed the horse, the loosened reins were
gathered up, and the children carefully tucked
under the covering, because of the heavy fog.
Fisee slept, clasping tightly her blue neck
lace. Mederic silently watched the revolving
IN. off u ~