The Opelousas courier., 1888-11-17
ROSE MARIE.

ooh, if You want fine embroider.
DONE said my friend, Mrs. Ross, II cal
show you such work as isn't TO be seel
out of Limoges, and the broderies ther'
arc works of high art. Never saw any
thing in this country to compete will
them until / happened. by the meres
chance. to stumble upon Rose Marie"
"Rose Marie2" repeated. "What
pretty name! The owner of it ought t,
be fresh, sweet and lovely as the eg
l~antine, a kind of wild simplicity, yo,
know
Mrs. Ross laughed.
Fresh, no." she said. ttShe is only
twenty-five, but she has had too much
trouble % retain much freshness; sweet
and lovely are hardly applicable TO one
of the women of Aries, who look more
like stately Junss than peasants. Yes,
shcis simple enough. and beautiful too,
if You will, but she will never remind
you OF the cglantine-poo Rose Mafic
1t isn't often that her sal lips curve into
a smile. will rot tell you her story
until you have seen her. it will make
you more sympathetic. Come, and we
will go to her house."
We drove to Revere street, a narrow
thoroughfare, and stopped before 4
small house set back in the yard. The
borders were gay with verbenas, rinks
and pansies, those old fashioned virtues
of patience and hardihood, giving their
best color and perfume to the most I'M
congenial surroundings. Mrs. Ross
knocked at the white-curtained door.
''Entrez," sai2 a deep voice from
within.
The room we entered was sparsely
furnished, hut everything 10 it was
shining with cleanliness. A tall, ema-
ciatcd old woman sat in an old arm
chair by the window. with d piece Of
work In her hands. She nodded to
Mrs. Ross, and looked inquiringly at
ME with her hollow black eyes.
.'She is paralyzsd,s Mrs.. Ross said to
me in English. All her lower limbs
are numb. All, Madame Breaux," in
French. this is my friend, Mrs. La.
who has come to see Rose Marie about
some work
Take seats, m~esdames," with a
courteous gesture. Rose Marie will be
in directly. She has gone out onssome
business. She left Henri to take care
Of me- pointing with q smile to q beau
tifui little boy Of four years old, who
was peepiug at US from tho back of her
chair.
I would like my friend to see that
robe Rose Marie is embroidering for
Madame Ducros," said Mrs. Ross.
1T is there, il q napkin on the bed 4
the old woman replied, eif you will TAXI
the trouble toaget il madame. Ah, it
is 50 hard to be nan alive, not able to
move from my seattae
Mrs. Ross unfolded the shining folds,
and held them before me.
a. pale maizo-colored silk, with ten
df4ls of the blue aud white c%onvolvulus
embroidered exquisitely on it. The
gDuping Of the flowers was q work of
art, and the finish was perfect.
Madame Breaux smiled at my sdmi-
ration.
.Ah, she works well, does Rose
Marici Madame. she was d famous
brodeuse and lace-maker, ever ii Aries,
where the work is SO fine. Ever since
she was ten years old she ranked among
tho best. But her eya5 are getting weak.
alb, 20 veakr' with 8 heavy sigh. tsAnd
then, ifthe worst comes!r She clasped
her hands with d sonvulsive movement,
and her great mournful eyes filed with
tears.
4 The poor girl has cried her eyes
out, : Mrs. Ross said to me ID d low
voice; uat least, | believe her tears
hsvc a. much 10 do with her falling
vision as the work. While We are watt
Ing for her, / viii tel you i story. Tbs
old woman there does not understand
one word of English
she married, Immediately after the
last war between France and Germany,
against her mothers wish The old
woman was d ralid French partisan,
AMI Rosa Marie's lover was 4 sergeant
iii the prussian army. They had known
each other from childhood, and we're
betrothed before the wa broke ont
Int the mother, Who has 1 furious tenn
PEI, tried 70 separate them.
After their marriage she made ii So
unpleasant for the Prussiaa that be d.
tsrmined 10 come to America. He said
he would settla somewhere West. and
then send Tor has wife and child. but Oh
no account was the mother Iii come.
she must choose between them But II
shs elected IL remain Il Francs, then
ht1Ic Henri must come ID him.
think Satan got into the osd
woman, FL she acknowledged that ~
destroyed fhs husbands letters Il Der
dauahter. and told her nntIsing about