, 1888-02-18
A GRANTED PRAYER.

The wags of the company had found it
very droll to fit him cut with the sur
name Of "Jocrissc," and thcro was
nothing Of annoyance or torment they
consented to spare him. He had arrived
at the regiment with n detachment of re-
cruits from Landais, and the only one
from his village, lost in That multitude,
had isolated himself and made not a sin
gle friend among all those young men of
hio own age, in the midst OF whom he
had lived for months. Nevertheless, he
had a good face, this Celestin Mauriac:
H. could never DO a bad boy, with a coun-
tenanco and eyes as gentle as n does, and
that sad, resigned mir that never aban-
doned him; but, all the same, from the
hour of his arrival at the depot where the
recruits were uniformed for the different
regiments for which they had been
drafted, he had acquired for himself the
reputation of an inCorrigible ~"Cosaque."
Time, however, had thawed him a
little, but he had always remained awk-
ward, timid, and of a meckncss of de
meanor that emholdened his comrades to
mock him ceasclessly and hold him upto
ridiculc. Reading and writing with re-
markable ease, Mauriac had at once been
able TO take the grade of corporal, and
later on of s~ous-ofiicer, in spite of the fact
that he evidently tried to conceal what
he knew, and never even asked if they
wcrs carrying him on the list of those
named for future promotion-truly, he
was n queer fellow.
Once n month, almost at this same
hour and date, Jocrisse received a letter
which he hastily thrust into his pocket,
and never once had been known to break
the seal before his comrades. But when
the work of the day was done and the
door of the Quarter free to all, he would
slip away into n solitary corner, where he
was sure no curious eye could spy upon
him, to read and read again his precious
treasure. On several occasions lis com
ra'les had essayed to rally him on the
subject of this mysterious correspond
ence, but Mauriac, ordinarily so meek
and gentle, showed an aspect so unex-
pected that they judged it prudent to re-
train from that method of teasing, Mt
beast.
One day as. among the others, he came
to receive with his own hands from the
wagon master the monthly letter, n little
Partisan by the name of Champiene, who
freely exercised his wit at the expense of
the Landais, made n movement as if to
wrcGt it from him. Mauriac became as
pale as death, his cycballs yellow and
bloodshot; nevertheless, he waited long
enough to deposit the letter in the depths
Of his pocket, to button his jacket close
HbOut 1t, and then. like a battcring ram,
flung himself upon the gavrochc, laugh
ing still and uasuspiCious Of the storm
that threatened him. Two minutes later
Champicao IA standing on his head
IN the sand, n miHops stars before his
eyes, and Jcerisso beside him in an atti-
tude so little ~reassuriug that his torment
ors were forced to content themselves
with bcraSng him at n distance without
daring to approach him.
1t goes without saying that from this
time on no one thought of teasing him
at the moment when he awaited hin
mail; it was clear his humor was not (
good one, and that he lent himself badly
to tho Fostering as q rule submitted to sc
kindly.
1t had now been eighteen months since
Jocrisse had arrived at tho regiment,
when n morning, as the sergeant major
finished reading tho days report, he
added that, in accordance with tho de-
cision Of tho ministry (of which tho
colonel had been apprised by telegram, y
soldier of the company should hold him
self in readiness to leave that same even
ing for Toulon, whence he would embark
~forty-eight hours later for his destination,
Tonquin. 1t was optional with them
that is, they could settle it for themselves
who should go, butif no man presented
himself of his own free will after the
notice he had received of tho order, the
. ----11 l.. - - H.
minutes to decide by lot tho ono 1t should
DO.
Al the tins appointed tho captain ar
Rived, but as no one had voluntarily
made himself known as n candidate, they
were about TO resort TO the drawing when
XII at once tho ranks of the compan
opened and a slender, boyish figure ad-
runced toward the group of officers. 1t
waS Ccle5tin Mauriac, .'Jocrisse," the
timid. the butt OF the regiment.
"Wm you take me, Mons. lo Captaine,"
Nc asked in Il low but firm voice; "if you
wia tsSe me, l should be glad to 60"
''You, Jocrissc?' said the captain,
heSit1tinG M astonished at the demand;
for in all the army there were none so
Young rs h youth before him, nor so
little Of n soldier in appearances; ''you?''
Yes, Mons. lie Gaptaine," he I'M
swcrcl steadily; 81, Jocrissc; 1 have
nothing to Keep me; l should be glad
10 CO."
And tho rest of them were very much
moved as thus it was settled; they would
have leen glad, any Of them, to have
risked their lives for the glory of the flag
tlrit ore OF them. the youngest Of them
ail, too. had learned to love.
Why, thsn, you ask me, had none Of
them volunteered, had none of them
rcn'c to The front till the Landais had
shown the way? Why? Because they
had mothers, fathers, families, and at the
monieEt II allowing themselves to be
carried nway with patriotic afdor the
imaGc Of them, Of their homes, of that
tEc!r must leave behind them without a
~onl. au embrace, n chance TO advise
.Lcn o: their determination, had risen