Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-02-25
A CREOLE CINDERELLA.

In that portion OF SeM oH9
which IS called bygesidents the shIri
I district and by all Others the French
quarter, stands a small brt pretty
park. which bears the patriotic name
t OF 4washiagtou square By whst
| name it is known to the children who
play
and maids who sits in the shade OF its
trees on summer afternoons twist
their pretty mouths to prnounce its
in harshAngfe,Saxon syifablss, it's not
hard to imagine. II must figure Their
nomenclature as Washington ske-
ware" or else as "La-Plaee Washing
tone" 1t was fashionable neighbor-
hood in the early days of this century,
and it still retains an air Of decayed
gentillity, which appeals to ones SYM
pathy.
Descendants OF grand old families,
bearing historic. names, liye near by in
houses handed down with the name
Efoomone observation-disclosures. some
of these houses face the PARK from
Dapphine and Trrnchmenstrestssoth,
ers are situated within a radius OF a
few squares in all directions. Most OF
the old French houses have an air OF
almost oriental secIusion. They would
present a stern, often a, forbidden as
pectifrem the street, 31nt thatGg trees,
white oleanders, or scarlet pomegran-
ates show high abovethegarden walls,
holding in their embrace inquisitive
climbing roses and honeysucAes which
Ehang over tesee what is going on in
Ethe world outside. Great, saucy, prup'es
wistegias run riot all along the fencS
whispering wonderful tales to each
passer-by OF all the glory shut in by
these envious prison walls. They tell
lof beds. OF crimson lilies looking like
sheets of flame. ofgeraniums that are
almost trees, of roses so wholly a
mass of bloom, that they e giant
bouquets, of iessamine, creeping over
summer bowers where sit beautiful
young girls. And all this while ones
senses are stepped in the odor OF or
ange blossoms, which peryades the at
! mosphere. f-t>AtrtAI
In a large old-fashioned house, not
very far from Washington square, liv-
ed Jeanne. 1t was indeed fortunate
that the house waslarge, for the size
of the family, as is'the case in many
creole households, was patriarchal.
In creole homes four generations often
dwell beneath one roof in peace and
happiness. Their peaceful sinteript
life" as they can It, STRIKES With
amazement all those Americans who
are privileged to enter the inner
circle OF the creoles.. Mothers
inIag and dallghterabnIaw, mar
ried daughters with their husbands
and children, the old and the young,
live pleasantly together, and no word
/ OF Sdiseord- echoes into the outside
world. The reverence of the young
people for the aged is beautiful to be-
hold. The Oldest member of thefami-
~ has the place of honor; his or her
counscls are always accepted as having
most weight in all discussions, and yet,
especially if this aged person is the
grandmother, she is v too old to
take an interest in the enioyments of
! the smallest child
In the family, OF which Jeanne was
a member, the grandmother, acharm-
ing old lady, was virtually the head
of the house, and every member ofthe
household was ssoficituous dor her
health and happiness. Her son, the
father OF the family-an active, vigor-
Gus man of 50-and his wife, bloom
ing matron of Al or AZ, completed the
list OF 1.-THE second generation; but the
third was numerous. In truth
Jeanne was the eldest girl of a family
tof nine brothers and sisters Tothese
must be added the young vile OFF the
eldest brother. The baby boy of the
young couple, like the grandmother,
stood alone in his generation.
From first to last they were ahand-
some family. In any other household
Jeanne would have been considered a
beauty; but her younger sister, Odille,
was narvelously beautiful, and THE
two little rosebuds, Celesteand Bidacs
gave promise OF being, if possible, even
prettier than Odille; so that Jeanne's
less obtrusiye charms were unnoticed.
4 She was the modest Violet in this
garden of girls She was rather below
the medium height, while Odille, who
was not much above it, was so queen
ly in her carriage that she seemed
taller.
In chara ter Jeanne was gentle and
unassIming. She had so modest an
appreciation of herself that she i'm
ppressed the feeling en-the-f family
They all lovedshers it, is true butsshe
was so yer sreadSEtozdO lot lothers
that insensibly they were ~exacting
I with her. Jeanne's t~ireless little feet
ran countless errands 'ferI all1of her
dear ones; her dainty fingers gave the
finishing touch which made her SIS
ters' tollettes so pretty, or rendered
acceptable music when her brothers
spent their evenings at home ii the
! young people wished to dance it seem
ed quite natural fer Jeanne to remain
seated at the piano during the entire
evening, and no one remembered that
she, too, vas young and liked to
dance also.
! When on festival occasions the
whole family would go abroad in
search Of pleasure, if .t'grandmamma''
did not feel well enough to &C.
company. them they wouad say aflite
as a matter ofcourse, Jeanne cherie,
grandmamma can not be left alone,
you will stay with her, ~n,est-ce-pas?'
And they would all gosoff in gay good
humor, leaving little Jeanne to read
aloud frem books of divetiea, eR- Ito
play for her grandmother those airs
from theoperas that the old lady Xix.
ed best. II the girls unselfish heart
ever felt one pans- OF regret at-these
times she never gave expression to it
by=werd or look. ! Her selfahuegaiion
had become so much n part OF their
daily lives that her relations, loving
and valuing her as they did in, .their
hearts, never realized what continual
self-saCrifiGe they demanded of her.
They were good, kind people, all oJ
them, and would have been shocked
could they once have been made to
understand their want of considera.
ton for the young girl, :
Exactly as Jeanne sunselish nature
tempted her relations to require much
Of her, so did a certain, imperiousness
in Odille compel them to render thai
young woman O kind of homage
She accepted this homage by the di
vine right of her magnificent beauty
vet it fostered q selfishness of which
She was unconscious. Jeanne wa:
Odille's most devoted and adorin,
slave. Her exquisite taste and def
fingers fashioned many a pretty tFif,
wherewith to heighten her sister
charms, and it was a pretty sight Il
witness the rapture of admiration
with which she contemplate the resul
OF her labor on the person of the 81