West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-08
CHILD AND CLOWN,
A STORY ERoM THE FRENCH.

The child lay on his little white bed
deaihly pale, and looked, with ewes
made all the bigger by fever straight
before him, steadily, and with the strange
hAedness of the sick, who already per
ceive what those who are well cannon
see. 1 he mother, at the foot of the bed
biting her fingers so as not TO cry ont
anxious and tormented with her suffer.
ing, watched the progress of the disease
over The poor, thin face of her little bow
ana the father, a fine fellow. THOUGH he
was only workingman, held back I'm h .
eyes The tears that burned on their lids
Ana the trst light OF the dawn. clear
gentle, the light Of fair morning in
June, came into the narrow bedroom ON
the hue dcs Abbesses, where Law DIVING
the itile Francois, son of Iacoes + Icorand
ana oil Madeleine Legrand, his wife
lie was boy of seven years. A blonde
ana rosy little chap, who. not three
weeks before, had been as liveIv and as
chlpper as sparrow. But n fever had
seized him. and they had brought him
nome one eveling from school with his
hcadS so heavy and his hands so hot. And
ever since he had been there on his bed
ana sometimes in his delrum he would
Say, looking at the nicely polished shoe
that ms mother had carefully set in the
corhcr: You can throw them away
Dow-httle Francois's shoes Iit,le
francois will not wear them any moro
Little Francois will not 90 to school
again-never, never"
lhen the father would cry out; "Wiu
you be quictl" and the mother would 90
ana hlde her fac in her pillow. so thar
little Francois would not hear her wccn
through the night that had Just passed
inc enid had had no delirium. but for
TWO days nc had bothered the doctor bv
astTange sort Of dependency, which re-
hsnio ed surrendec to dcIth as if
IN 5ugh but seven years old, the sick bcv
nad always experienced the weariness Of
ne. lie was tired out, apparently. 81
ieht sad, tossing his weak head back
"ard ana forward on the pillow. IN
willing to take anything. HAVING no
longer q smile on his poor, thin lips. and
with his hagglrd eyes searching. sceine,
no no one knew what, far of, far away.
IneTc, above us, perhaps. thought
madelclne, who shvcred at the thought.
When they wanted him to take his med
lclne' some syrup maybe, or a little beef
tea, he refused everything.
10 you want anything, Francois2p
mo, / want nothing ,"
You must get him out of this, said
the doctor. This torpor alarms me.
You arc his parents; you should know,
your child. Think Of sometime which
may animate this little fellow. brine
back to earth the mind which is roam
ing among the clouds" And then he
went away.
Think Of somethipg2" Oh YES, be
yond doubt they knew him we'll Their
Francois, these good people. They knew
now much he was amused, the little fcl
low when on Sunday he would forage i'm
the hedges, and would come back 70
Paris on his fathers shoulder loaded
with hawthorn. Jacques c0rand had
bought FOR Francois all sorts Of i'm
ages, and he put them on the childsLcd
and made them dance before the wander
Ing eyes Of the little fellow and all ready
70 cry, tried To make him laugh. "No,v
90 you see, It's The broken bridge. Ira.
ia-ia. And here is q General. You re
member we saw q General once in tho
Bois de Boulogne2 II YOU will take
your medicine ! will buy real Cen
eral Tor you, with n cloth coat and pold
epauiette'. DO you want him-tho & en-
erall Tell me-.
''No," replied the child, in the dry
voice which fever produces.
do you want a pistol, some marbles.
. bow and arrowsrf
"NO," answered the little voice. almost
cruel in its distinctness.
And TO all that they said 20 him. 10
oil the jumping jacks, TO all the balloons
that they promised him, the little voice
the parents al the while looking nt
each other in despair-answcr "Noi
70 now
''But what do you want. then. my
FrancOis" asked the mother. "Come.
now, there must be something that YOU
would like 10 have What is itl Tell
u 70 me, your mammal" And she laid
her check down on the pillow of The
sick boy, and she whispered her request
in ms ear, as if it were o secret between
them. Then the child, rising I'm 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 duplicating aud
imporativc
'J want Boum-B -Boum !"
III.
Boum- BOum.
The poor Madeleine threw friQhtcncd
look at her husband What did the lif.
tie one say7 Was 10 thc delirium. the
fcfTDl Unlffiufn come hafl4