The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-02-04
IELES0BE.
fReIIe @. Greene, in the COrtireut.I

Sue belonged to miserable French Ca
nsdian family that had lived in the city tos
many years: hut, shiftless and degraded as
1hey were. 1t II wes evident, from the young
girl's sccouat that they considered her the
hises sheep among them and her mother,
aiUsys harsh with her, for some reason had
recently gro Ea more 50, until that morning,
after an unusually crusl De Eting Helenore-
she said her name was Helsnare Baldeau--
had fed from under her hand. and shaking
of the dust Of her native alley, wandered
size neither knew nor cared whittier, till
bup*sr snd fEtigue led her TO seak q shelter
With as.
Her plain and somewhat heavy face Was
80 ollen and red with weeping, and there
~ss Iook o. pleading ia her great soft black
EYES that was difficult to resist.
"Oh, II YOU would bat try mel" she said.
IL can do q good many things: and / care
only fer some bread to eat and place to
sieep, and, - with q shudder, ITO be hurt no
TuOre."
with compassion stirring nay heart Poor
child2 She seemed SD young aud yet so for
ON, standing there in her dripping garments.
She could not have been more than fifteen
OF sixteen years old, and she looked up into
my face with an expression OF gentle conf /,
And then soc asked so little only place
t. sleep and oread TO eat and TO De hurt no
more"
The tears came to my eyes as her simple
words REQUIRED 10 me, and yislding 10 sud.
Den impulse I took her in, fed her and made
her ss cODiOri able a. possible meanwhile
turning it over and over in my mind wat
-Should do with her.
at dinne--time 1 held q consultation with
- L % "a rNw-N
nominal advisedly, for he insists that defer
10 him only as q matter of form. after having
fully determined in my own mind upon any
course of action.
BE TINS gs II may, he generally coufrms
my decisions, thus making ASSURANCE dOubly
sure; so this time after locking over my
very latest" as he called her, he promised
20 TO her mother and negotiate, If he
I'D, for Heienores services.
ASA result OF that Interview he found out
Tor certainty that Madame Baldeau was
horrible old vixen; but she readily agreed 10
let her daughter remain in our employ IL,
after q suitable trial, we so desired.
When jack came home st night ne found
US altogether in the sitting room. | was
sewing ana Heienore was sitting near me
paying with little Ned, our three-yesr-old
well, Eelsnore,'' said he lightly, ~
have seen your mother, and you can stay
tn rs If you are good girl
She turned toward him with q look Of IN
uterable gratitude add tried in vain TO SPEAK;
then, with one sSift movement, she thew
herself at NY feet, and fastened her great
eyes Upon Inlne with gu expression | SHALL
never forget, sne made the sign OF the cross
upon her fosshesd and breast
We say hsr do this afterwards on several
occasions wien deeply moved, and it was as
expressive and touching q characteristics.
We econ became much attached to her,
SDd her odd, wild ways furnished Us no lit
lie aulser ent. One of her favorite pastimes
was TO 1T wiah baby in the back door and
play en- her 'Uusic.' as she called 1t This
wss an invention Of HelenOre's own, and
$ only Ole of her many grotesqus bat po-
etc fan cies
it was only Iargs sheet OF thick, stout pa
per, rolled up iuto a huge trumpet-sha !:
and On this queer instrume q t she would play
for hours, banging oGt the most unhealthy,
but withal musical tones, which the neigh
bogs far and near soon learned to marvel at
and to designate as "Helenore's music"
Sometimes quite an audience would
gather around her while she played, and she
always received their applause with Enuch
dignity and as q matter of course. But there
was one thing about this instrument very
remarkable and mysterious; it responded to
HelenOre's touch and to hers alone. Many
others uied il, but always with poor success.
Even JACK, who has a sort OF facility with q
dozen Instruments, and osn play the whole
opera Of Patience" OH tin whistle, sitter a
fashion, finally gave it up in despair, declsr.
ing tkst he believed Helenore was q witch ;
undoubtedly il was the popularity OF her
voice that gave 10 her footing such wonder.
ful eject.
She seldom sang aud when she did, it
seemed to be solely for the sake of giving
vent 20 some powerful emotion otherwise
irexpressibls. Her voice was low, but very
sweet and flexible; she had no high tones.
think she considered them too light and
frivolous 70 convey the feelings OF her
soul.
i once asked her why she never sang high
Mine heart is down here" she answered,
jeying her band upon her heart; and / was
glad to believe that in those low, deep tones
OF hers, so tremulous and so solemnly sweet,
the strange poetic soul of this poor untaught
creature found full expression and was sat
isfed.
She ssDg her own words generally, and
they were without connecticut senseiess
tumble; and yet as she sang them
They often possessed 8 weird and startling
significance. Here is one of her songs:
- STILL still, white moon
To lee, to love, to die,
All stu and white 10 diei''
By questioning found out what these
words meant 70 her. She was always at ease
with me, and could express herself more
freely to me than to anybody else; SO she
tried TO explain this verse.
she said che was "Oh, so happy" She
loved her little chamber where she could be
all still she loved to have the white
moon" look in so kindly upon her at night
and she fel! it would be good to die there "sll
still and white"
In the spring. however, change cave over
our Helen0Te.
Her deep content gave place gradually TO
strange Testlessness. She was longer
the faithful, attentive little handmade had
learned TO love and trust. She seemed to be
irTssistibIy drawn away from all her indoor
occupation; IL a bird sag near the house she
would drop Der work and run eagerly to the
window IS i. she beard her own name called.
If che were sent down town on an erraad,
she wss uDsccOuntabiy long in retu u
ing; and. iraliy one afternoon when she
took little Ned out for his accustomed air.
ing she YVES gone for hours, wandering
across Inc fields, and bringing him home AT
dusk, lying back fast asleep in his carriage,
with wreath Of violet. like halo round his
golden head and more clutched tightly ia
his chubby hand
She received my surprised reproof IN sui
len silence. and waited in vain for some
6ccount of her absence.
Che orov- mara and mara ufranro and ract