Democratic messenger., 1888-03-24

and that lie might not have and might not see,
because he was there, sick and weak, In his
white bcdl
That evening Jacques Icgrnnd brought to
tho child a jointc,l clown, with spanglcs
scwci on all over, that he hail bought ut q
high price-thc price, in fact, Of four days
work. But ho would have given twenty.
thirty days, years labor TO bring back q
smile TO the pale lips Of the sick boy. Tho
child looked for n minute at tho toy as It
shonc on the white bcdclothcs, then, sadly:
\ at Is not Boum-Boum! want 10 SEQ
m-BoumI"
Ahi II jacques could havo wrapped him In
his quilt, carried him or, taken him 10 tho
circus, shown him tho clown dancing under
tho lightcd chandelier. and said to him,
''Thcrc Is Boum-Boum!"
lie did better than that. this good Jacques
Hc went TO tho circus, no asked for the
clowns address, and timidly, with limbs
weakened by emotion, no mounted step by
step the staircase that led to the home Of tho
artist at Montnartre Il was very bold what
he had como to do there, this man Jacqucsi
But after all, actors arc willing TO 60 and
play, TO rccite monologues In tho drawing
rooms Of finc people, Perhaps tho clown
oh, IL he only wouldl-may DO willing TO como
and say good morning 70 Francois. What
mattcred IL how they received him, Jacques
Lcgrand, at Boum-B Boum's homci
/ Il was no longer Boum.B Boumi Il was n.
Morainc, who, in tho rooms Of an artist,
among books. engravings, an artistic ele-
ganco making q choice background 70 .
charming man, who received Jacques In his
Office like that Of a physician. Jacques stared,
did not recognize tho clown, and turned his
I laN L.. n ID hasas t.N
other waited. Then tho father excused him.
self. It was surprising what he had just
askcd-it could not DO done-pardon, excuse
mc-but in fact, IL related to the little boy.
"a hno little boy, monsicuri And SO intel
ligent! Always the first In his class, except
ing In arithmetic, which no did not under
stand. A dreamer, this little fellow. do you
sec. Yes, dreamer. And tho proof-there,
the proof and Jacques hesitated, stam-
mcrcd, then plucked up courage and alb
ruptly-
"The proof Is that hc wants to SEQ you,
that he thinks only Of you, as II you were
there before him, lake star that no would
like TO have, and IL he looked and tho
father, whose face was wan and sallow with
his great care, stopped, and great drops Of
sweat stood on his brow. He did not dare 70
look at the clown, who stood thcro with his
eyes fixed on the workman.
And what would Boum- Boum say TO hint
Would no send him away, take him for .
fool, put him out OF the housei
"You liver asked Boum-Boum.
"Oh! very near Ruc des Abbcsses."
! every WE'LL" said the other. "He wants 70
SEQ Boum. Boum. you sayi All right, hc
shall sec Boum- Doum!"
When the door opened before the clown,
Jacques Lcgrand cried out cheeringly to his
boy, "Now, Francois, bc satisfied, you rogue!
See, there Is Boum- -Boum."
And into th. child's facc thcro came q
happy light. Ho raised himself in his moth.
er's arms and turned his head toward tho
two men, looked for a moment TO sec who
was this gentleman In u frock coat at his
fathers side, the gentleman whose good, jolly
face was then smiling ON him, and whom hc
did not know; and when they said TO him
THAT is Boum- Boum" he fell back, slowly,
sadly, with his head turned to the pillow, and
lay there with his eyes fixed, his big blue
eyes that saw beyond the walls Of the little
bedroom, ard that looked for, that were
always looking for Boum Boum's spanglcs
and butterfly as lover pursucs his dreams.
( NO." replied tho child, with q voice no
longer dry. but distressed, mo, that Is not
Boum-Doum!"
The clown, standing near the littic bed.
bent a profound gaze on tho face Of tho sick
little man, grave look, but OF an infinite
sweetness. He shook his head. looked at tho
anxious father and broken down mother and
said. smiling, 'Iie Is right; II Is not Boum-
Boum.~ and he went of.
/ ~ shall not see-I shall never see him again,
Boum- -Boum.r now repeated the child whose
| little voice seemed TO DO already whispering
I % tho angels. perhaps Boum-Boum Is over
there, yonder, where little Francois will soon
go!'
/ And suddenly-he had not been gone half
an hour-the door was rudely opened, and
/ In his black and spangled suit, with yellow
. topknot on his head, golden butterfly on
his breast and another ON his back, his mouth
opened into an expansive grin, his good faco
all chalked, Boum- Bou;a, the real Boum-
Boum, tho Boum- Boum Of the circus, the
Boum. Boum Of the people, the Boum Boum
OF the little Francois, Boum-Boum himself
appeared! And ON his little white bed, with
lively exultation In his eyes, laughing. cry
Ing, happy, saved, the child clapped his little
thin hands, shouted bravo! and cried with all
the joyfulncss Of s.year-old, bursting out
suddenly like lighted rocket, "Doum' Boumi
Tris he, tits he this time! That is Boum-
Boum, surei Hurrah for Bcum-Boum! Good
morning, Boum-B Boum!"
! When tho doctor came that day he found,
seated at the bedside Of tho little Francois,
white faced clown, who kept the little fcl-
low laughing all tho time, and who said to
the sick boy, stirring lump Of sugar In tho
bottom Of cup Of medicine. "You know IL
you do not drink II, little Francois, that
! Bum. Boum will not como 70 see you again. I"
| And the child drank II.
"Isn't It nicer
"vcry nice, thank you, Doum-Boum."
Doctor said the clown TO the physician,
'ado not be jealous. 1t seems to me, however,
that my antics do him rs much good as your
prescriptions"
Tho father and mother wcpt; but this time
Il was because Of their happiness. And
every day until little Francois was able TO
leave his bed n carriage stopped before tho
workmnn's home on the Rue des Abbcsscs,
and thero stepped from II q man wrapped in
heavy ovcrcoat with the capo turned up,
jolly chalkc,i face.
"what do owo you, sirr' said Jacques
I.egrand To the master clown at tho end Of
his visits. when the boy went out for the first
time; ''bccausc, in fact, you see, owe you
something"
Tho clown offered 20 tho parents his two
big hands, the hands of sweet and amiablo
Hercules. "a good shake Of your hands, !"
hc said. Then kissing both OF the childs
( checks. which had recovered somo Of their
rosincss, he added laughing. Tho pcrmis-
sion TO print ON my visiting cards
'BOUM.BoUM,
AcRoBATIc DOCTOR,
Physician Ordinary % the I.ittlo Francois" II"
Translated from the French OF jules Cla-
rctie for the Boston Transcript.