Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-03-16
Boum-B oum.
want Boum-B oum :"

i he poor Madeleine threw 1rl9nLeneu
look at her husband. What did the lit
tie one say2 Was it the delirium, the
terrible delirium come backE
Boum Boum,
She did not know what it meant. and
she was frightened at those queer words,
which the child now repeated with the
wilfulness of a sick person, as if, not
having dared until then to formulate his
dream, he would cling to it with an in
vincible Obstinacy.
Eyes, Boum- Boum! Boum- Boum!
want Boum- Boumv'
The mother had seized in her nervous
ness Jacques's hand, and said in low
voice, as though she were out of her
wits: ''What does that mean, Jacques!
Oh, it is all over with him"
But the father had on his rough face
a smile that was almost happy. And a
bewildered smile also-the smile OF
condemned man who detects possible
chance for liberty. Boum Boum He
we'll remembered the Easter morning
when he had taken Francois to the cir
Gus. He had still in his ears the child's
great burst of Joy, his hearty laugh-the
laugh of an amused youngster- when
the clown, the splendid clown, all spot
ted with gold, with a sparkling, many
colored dress, on the back of which was
set b G brown butterfly, performed his
antics in the ring, played tricks on the
riding master, or held himself motionless
on the ground, his head down and his
feet in the air, or threw up to the chan
delier his soft felt hat and caught 1t
adroitly on his head, and where the men
formed pyramid; and at each trick,
like the refrain of song, lighting up
hrir no oIn 11t-
tered the same cry, repeated the same
word, accompanied sometimes by roll
of drums-Boum- Boum!
Boum-Bou and every time that it
came round, Boum- Boum the whole cir
Gus burst out in braves, and the little
one laughed his heartiest Boum- Boum
1t was this BOum- Boum, the clown of the
circus, the man who entertained good
part of the city, that he wanted to see,
the little Francois, and that he might
not have and might not see, because he
was there, sick and weak, in his white
bed!
That evening Jacques Legrand brought
to the child jointed clown with span
giles sewed on all over, that he had
bought at high price, the price, in fact.
of four days work. But he would have
given twenty, thirty days, years labor
to bring back a smile to the pale lips Of
the sick boy. The child looked for
minute at the toy as it shone on the white
bedclothes, then, sadly:
''It is not Boum-Boum! [ want to see
Boum- Boum.'
All! if Jacques could have wrapped
him in his quilt carried m off, taken
him to the circus, shown him the clown
dancing under the lighted chandelier
and said to him. ''There is Boum-
Boum!'
He did better than that, this good
Jacques. He went to the circus, he
asked for the clowns address, and tim
idly, with limbs weakened by emotion,
that led to the home of the artist at
Montmartre. 1t was very bold what he
had come to do there, this man Jacques!
But after all actors are willing to 60 and
play, to recite monologues in the drawing
rooms of fire people, Perhaps the clown
oh, if he only would may be willing
to come and say good morning to Fran
co.'s. What mattered it how they re-
ceived him, Jacques Legrand, at Boum-
Boum's home?
1t was no longer Boum- Boum 1t was
NJ Moraine, who, in the rooms Of an
artist, among books, engravings, an
artistic elegance making choice back
ground to charming man, who received
jacques in his office like that of a physi-
clan. Jacques stared, did not recognize
the clown, and turned his soft hat over
and over in his hands. The other waited.
Then the father excused himself. 1t was
surprising what he had just asked-it
could not be done-pardon, excuse me
but in fact it related to the little boy.
GA fine little boy, monsieur. and so in
telfigent! Always the first in his class,
excepting in arithmetic, which he did
not understand. A dreamer, this little
fellow, do you see? Yes, a dreamer.
And the proof-there. the proof" and
Jacques hesitated. stammered, and then
plucked up courage and abruptly said:
1.-THE proof is that he wants to see you,
that he thinks only of you, and if you
were there before him, like star that he
would like to have, and if he looked"-
and the 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 to look at the clown,
who stood there with his eyes fixed on
the workman.
And what would Boum Boum say to
him? Would he send him away, take
him for fool, put him out of the house?
''You live!" asked Boum-BOum.
''Oh, very near Rue DIES ADDRESSES"
every WE'LL" said the other. "He
wants to see Boum- Boum, you say? All
right, he shall see Boum- Boum!"