Richland beacon., 1888-04-21
ROSE MARIE.

done, salu my 1r1enu MIS-. hOSS, cAu
show you such work as isn't to be seen
out of Limoges, and the broideries there
are works of high art. Never say any
thing in this country to compete with
them until happened, by the merest
chance, to stumble upon Rose Marie"
"Rose Marie Z" I repeated. "What
a pretty name, The owner of it ought
to be fresh, sweet and lovely as the
eglantine, kind of wild simplicity, you
know"
Mrs Ross laughed.
"Fresh, no." she said. "She is only
%, but she has had too much trouble to
retain much freshness; sweet and lovely
are hardly applicable to one of the
women of Aries, who look more like
stately Junos than peasants. Yes, she
is simple enough, and beautiful, too, if
You will, but she will never remind You
of the eglantine-poOr Rose Marie 1t
isn't often that her sad lips curve into a
smile. will not tell You her story I'M
til you have seen her; it will make yon
more sympathetic. Come and we will
go to her house"
We drove to Revere street, a narrow
thoroughfare, and stopped before small
house set back in the yard. The borders
were gay with verbenas, pinks, and pan
sizes, those oid-fashioned virtues of
patience and hardihood giving their best
color and perfume to the most uncon-
genial surroundings. Mrs. Ross knock
ed at the white curtained door.
"Entrez," said deep voice from with
in.
The room we entered was sparsely
furnished, but everything in it was shin
ing with cleanliness. A tall. emaciated
old woman sat in an old armchair by the
window, with q piece of work in her
hands. She nodded to Mrs. Ross, and
looked inquiringly at me with her hol-
low black eyes.
''She is paralyzed," Mrs. Ross said to
to me in English. "All her lower limbs
are numb. All, Madame Breaux," in
French, 'this is my friend, Mrs. l.,
who has come to see Rose Marie about
some work."
"Take seats, mesdames," with q
courteous gesture. "Rose Marie will be
in directly. She has gone out on some
business. She left Henri to take care
of me-" pointing with smile to beau
tiful little boy of years old, who was
peeping Mt us from the back OF her
chair.
81 would like my friend to see that
robe Rose Marie is embroidering for
Nine. DucrOs," said Nre. Ross.
''It is there in na"'.in on the bed,
the old woman replied, ''if you will take
the trouble to get it, madame. All, 1t
is so hard to be half alive, not able to
move from my seat"
Mrs. Ross unfolded the shining folds
and held them before me.
A pale maize -colored silk, with ten
drills of the blue and white convolvulus
embroidered exquisitely on it. The
grouping of the flowers was work OF
art and the finish was perfect.
Nine. Breaux smiled at my admira-
ton.
"Ah. She works we'll, does Rose
Marie! Madame, she was a famous bro
dense and lace maker, even in Aries,
where the work is SO fine. Ever since
she was 10 years old she ranked among
the best. But her eyes are getting
weak, ah, so weak" with heavy sigh.
"And then, if the worst comes!" She
clasped her hands with a cOnvulsive
movement and her great mournful eyes
filed with tears.
"The poor girl has cried her eyes
out" Mrs. Ross said to me in low
voice, "at least, believe her tears have
as much to do with her failing vision as
the work. While We are waiting for hel
I will tell you story. The old woman
there does not understand one word o1
English.
''She married, Immediately after the
last war between France and Germany
against her mothers wish. The old
, woman was rabid French partisan aut
, Rose Marie's lover was a sergeant in thu
Prussian army. They had known eacl
other from childhood and were betroth
ed before the war broke out, but tn,
mother, who has furious temper, triet
to separate them.
"After their marriage she made it 81
= unpleasant for the Prussian that he de
termined to come to America. He sni'
he would settle somewhere West an,
then send for his wife and child, but OF
no account was the mother to come
She must choose between them; but
she elected to remain in France, the
little Henri must cone to him.
II think Satan got into the old woman
for she acknowledged that she destroye
the husbands letters to her daughter
y and told her nothing about it. As sh
could not read herself, she knew nOthin
of the contents, nor where Karl was.
!. "a year ago she had stroke Of para
ysis, and, thinking she was going to die
confessed the wrong she had done to th
unhappy wife, who believed her husban
had deserted her. What to do she di
not know. In that great wide Americ
where was she to find Karl, where writ
- to him2
cat last she determined to come ovel
bringing her mother with her. She Wa
an only child, and she would not desel
the helpless creature who had wTougf
:. her SO much woe. She came first to Ne
Orleans, as Karl had sailed for that por
but could hear nothing of him."
"Mamma! mammal" cried the lit
boy joyously, rushing to the door. AL
but you have stayed so long, so long :"
She bent and took him up in her arm
and as she smiled lovingly at him
thought had never seen more bea'
tiful creature. It was o grand, cal
beauty, which made her look older tha
she really was.
"We are here before you Rose Mari
!, said Mrs. Ross. I'VE came TO see yc
on business"
"Ah, pardon, madam. ','it did n
see yon," she said advancing slowly t
wards us. 81 do not know what II
pe come To nv ewes. pressing her har