The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-28
CHILD AND CLOWN.
A STORY ERoM THE FRENCH.

SAOhI EhOh THE III.
I.
The child lay on his little white bed
deathly pale, and looked, with eyes
made all the bigger by fever, straight
before him, steadily, and with the strange
hXedness of the sick, who already per-
ceive what those who are well cannot
see. The mother, at the foot of the bed.
biting her fingers so as not to cry out,
anxious and tormented with her suffer
ing, watched the progress of the disease
over the poor, thin face of her little boy,
and the father, tine fellow, though he
was only workingman, held back in his
eyes the tears that burned on their lids.
And the first light of the dawn, clear,
gentle, the light of fair morning in
June, came into the narrow bedroom on
the Rue des Abbesses, where Law diving
the little Francois, son of Jacqes Legrand
and OF Madeleine Legrand, his wife
He was boy of seven years. A blonde
and rosy little chap, who, not three
weeks before, had been as lively and as
clipper as sparrow. But fever had
seized him, and they had brought him
nome one evening from school with his
head so heavy and his hands so hot. And
ever since he had been there on his bed
ana sometimes i'll his deirium he would
say, looking at the nicely polished shoes
that his mother had carefully set in the
corner: "You can throw them away
now-llttle Francois's shoes. Little
Francois will not wear them any more.
Little Francois will not go to school
agaln-never, never"
Then the father would cry out: "Will
you be quiet2" and the mother would 90
and hide her face in her pillow, so that
little Francois would not hear her weep.
Through the night that had just passed
the child had had no delirium, but for
two days he had bothered the doctor by
strange sort of dependency, which re-
sembied surrender to death as if.
though but seven years old, the sick bcv
had always experienced the WEAKNESS of
life. lie was tired out, apparently. 81
hent, sad, tossing his weak head back
ward and forward on the pillow, un-
willing to take anything, having no
longer smile on his poor, thin lips, and
with his haggard eyes searching, seeing
no one knew what, far off, far away.
There, above us, perhaps" thought
Madeleine, who shivered at the thought.
When they wanted him to take his med
icine, some syrup maybe, or little beef
tea, he refused everything.
''Do you want anything, Francois2"
''No, want nothing"
"You must get him out of this" said
the doctor. This torpor alarms me.
You are his parents you should know
your child. Think of something which
may animate this little fellow, bring
back to earth the mind which is roam.
ing among the clouds" And then he
went away.
"Think of something2" Oh, yes, be-
yond doubt they knew him we'll their
Francois, these good people. They knew
how much he was amused, the little fel
low, when on Sunday he would forage in
the hedges, and would come back to
Paris on his fathers shoulder loaded
with hawthorn. Jacques Legrand had
bought for Francois all sorts of inn
ages, and he put them on the child's bed
andRade them dance before the wander
ing eyes of the little fellow and, all ready
to cry, tried TO make him laugh Now,
do you see. It's the broken bridge Ira
la-la. And here is a General. You re
member we saw General once in the
Bois de Boulogne2 If you will take
your medicine | will buy real Gen
eral for you, with cloth coat and gold
epaulettes. Do you want him-the Gen
eral2 Tell me. p"
"No," replied the child, in the dry
voice which fever produces.
"Do you want pistol, some marbles,
a bow and arrows"
"No, answered the little voice, almost
cruel in its distinctness.
And to all that they said TO him, TO
all the jumping jacks, to all the balloons
that they promised him, the little voice
the parents all the while looking at
each other in espair-answered mo!
mo- mop
''But what do you want, then, nv
Francois p asked the mother. Come,
now, there must be something that YOU
would like to have. What is it! Tell
it to me, your mammal" And she laid
her cheek down on the pillow of the
sick boy, and she whispered her request
in his ear, as if it were a secret between
them. Then the child, rising in his bed
and stretching out toward something in
visible an eager hand, replied suddenly,
with a strange accent and in an earnest
tone, that was at once supplicating and
imperative:
81 want Boum- Bouml"
II.
Boum- Boum.
The poor Madeleine threw frightened
look at her husband. What did the lit