The Sunday herald., 1886-10-17
IN VINTAGE TIME.
A Posshumous sketch by Madame
Gcorge Sand.

lN hWn hUh Gs
A shunaous sketch by Madame
Gcorgc Sand.
Since she was q wee, toddling babe Lu.
cette had been worker In the vineyards.
So had her mother and her grandmother be.
fore her. Once their family had been noble,
even great; but one Of those mighty convul.
sions which have so often shaken France
robbed their greatest ancestor Of everything,
save his wife and children. After that they
were peasants, but . remnant Of the proud
old blood still ran In their veins, now and
then burning in one or another Of them ss 1t
did in the DAYS Of the family's ancient glory.
So IL was with Luoette. From the days Of
her childhood, when, beside her mother, the Q
purple fruit had been slowly aud wearily
stripped from the vines by her little fat
brown hands, she was never like the chill
dren of,the other peasants, and never like
her own brothers and sisters.
Al no time would she gambol, sport, aud
frolic with those who sought her for play or
companionship, and there was ever flash In
her eyes and . curl In her lips which forbade
familiarity.
bird. she grew up by herself--alone.
Except In the cold months she alwayslived
ont Of doors; 90 her health was perfect. De-
spite the rough life she lived, and all her toll
ing in the vineya ards, she was daintily and
exquisitsly shaped, and her hands we're as
Tiny and symmetrical as those Of any prin,
cess. True, they we're brown with the sun
shine, and 80 were her arms away above her
elbows, for that matter; but no artist or
sculptor would ever have passed them by
uuuoticed, without paying that fsrvent trib-
ute which Is always the award OF genius To
elegance and beauty.
Still no one up 10 her twentieth year had
ever dared tell her that she had unusual
beauty aud grace. There was that degree ol
regality about her every movement, and tha,
cold, quiet firmness in her voice, which pre-.
vented pretty speeches, even from her own
family.
"You must unbend, - said her mother on.
"What do l want with husbandf M
man shall ever cali me wife I" she cried
with her eyes glowing like the eyes Of ser
pent.
s.How else shall you livew rejoined her
mother, a coarse woman, in whom there wai
only plebeian blood, aud who had only pie
beian instincts. "How shall you live with
out a husbandi Your father and canno
keep you always"
"Ksep mei'' exclaimed Lucette. "KeeE
me When my work In the vineyard Is moi
enough to pay you and my father for the lit
tie have from you tell me so, and will gt
away-but not with husband"
After that abe was left alone, but hei
mother thought It extremely unreasonable
and ungirl like in Lucette not to want a hus
band.
Many a handsome, strapping young pea'
ant was madly in love with her, and sh,
might have looked even higher II she hat
wished, for tho sons of some OF the gentlefoli
were far from blind to her stately charms
| But that same statelness, and her cold face
firm mouth, and dauntless eyes, kept wide
impassable distance between Lucstte and he
admirers.
Her parents and sisters made constant clat
ter about her stubbornness, but, save tina
once, when the girls angry eyes seemed Il
burn into her mothers soul, they were care
| ful that none Of their grumbling reached tn
| ears Of Lucette.
| Sometimes, when shs was apart by her
self, in some shady corner Of the vineyard
where the fragrant grapes and their broad
green leaves hid her from the curious eye
which otherwise were ever bent upon her, I
warm, soft, yearning tenderness wonld rou
all her pride and hsuteur, and leave he
face radiantly beautiful. Rarely, very rare
| ly, some one saw her thus; aud II It chancst
| to bs man csaseless tumult came into hi
heart.
Strangers, passing through the countr.
and pausing among the vineyards, struol
with her queenliness, w0nld turn away wit
a sigh, when, in answer to their questions
they were told that she was ''only a oommo
peasants daughter"
One OF them, however, Casaban, a Span
ish sculptor, sighed so deeply that his hear
chords never again ceased vibrating. Blu
he was great artist, and came of q gran
old family, whose pulses throbbed with tn
crimson tide Of royalty, his grandfathe
having been king. So Casaban's prid
checked the passionate words he would 9th
srwise have said to Luoetts. H- hurris
away from her, but hs carried hsr i'm aga Wit
him, In his heart and In his eyes, throug
all his wandsripRs. Italy, and even SpaiI
his own beautiful oonntry, failed to con
fort him. The splsndors Of his hon
seemed to nook him, and the light word
Of his old friends and companions, who's
jests and ribaldry once amused him, no
woundad him like so many knives. In val
he locked himself in his studio with b
CuIb6ln huu tuoTUteS h0 OOuNt OuIy tutuh
the bronze woman whom he had met amor
tha merry grape strippsrs Of France.
She had only dsigned to give him on
look, aud that was such . look ~ . liO
might give 10 mouse. Hoping to NAL
!. her talk, he had asked her some qnestil
about the vintage, which che answer,
briefly and coldiy, and then turned avs
and walked of with arm steps and her bsa
tiful shoulders drawn up pr0udly-just
some high-b0rn queen might have g0I
from her lowest msnisl. The Woman
h Bronze he hsd oallsd har-shs vas 80 III
the statue OF some unknown goddess who
the fatss had endowed with lifsi yet VIII
he went away he left Ills heart In her kse
Ing.
The months came aud went, more slow
than ever before, II seemed 10 him, Al
vintage time was coming again. The near
'' the anniversary of his last glimpse
Luostts approached the more Casahar
melancholy despAned.
"You are In lovs. my son." said b
. mother, one day near midsummer.
But his pride still deferred him from {
knowlsdging the truth, even to himself,
hs frownsd and swore that shs was mistake
Q, Though hs vas, In measure, dscsiyi
himself, lie failed 10 deceive her.
"If you are not In love You must
speedily made to fall In love-" she couii
% ned. "Your friends, your art, evsryth
is now set aside to make way fora somt
depression which no one eau fathon, thou
every one is obliged to suffer because Of
> n, as yon say, love Is not It's cause, love O
at least bs its cure. Some sweet, dark-ey
Spanish woman, with her soft spells and ]
sistlsss enchantinsnts, can bring back I
old ring to your voice, restore the an
which used to play upon your mouth, .
dispel the black cloud which now, enco
passss you. My son, must dnd you wife
CasIban laughed, and msrrily, too.
mothers words had aroused aud restor
him. He was more like his natural {
than he had been before sIpos tuostts's 4!
4 had pierced bis heart. bride vas yanNuisl
. at last, aud love YES again Triumphant,
It always IL In the end. His mother saw
change come over him, and smiled TO thi
how correct her surniss had bssp.
Bending over his mothers chair, he kisl
her.
Z "It has been my own stubborness VIII
a has made me so moross," he said; "but I,
IL over now, since your words have shown
... Sooltal, ala sb,aaa Ala tnAaad N.