Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1888-04-21
ROSE M.ARIE.

are works of high art. Never say any,
thing in this country to compete with
them until / happened, by the merest
chance, to stumble upon Rose Marie"
"Rose Marie (" l repeated. "What
pretty name The owner of it ought
to be fresh, sweet and lovely as the
eeglantlne, kind of wild simplicity, you
know"
Mrs Ross laughed.
"Fresh, no., she said. "Shc is ONLY
%, but she has bad too much trouble t.
retain much freshness; sweet and lovely
are hardly applicable to one of the
women OF Aries, who look more like
statcl y Junos than peasants. Yes, she
Is simple enough, and beautiful, too, if
/ You will, but she will never remind YOU
of the eglantine-poor Rose Marie II
isn't often that her sad lips curve into Il
smile. | will not tell you her story nm
til you have seen her; it will make You
more sympathetic. Come and We will
go to her house."
We drove to Revere street, narrow
thoroughfare, and stopped before small
house set back i'll the yard. The borders
were gay with verbenas, pinks, and pan
sizes, those oid-fashioned virtues Of
/ patience and hardihood giving their best
color and perfume to the most uncon-
genial surroundings. Mrs. Ross knock
cd ut the white curtained door.
"Entrez," said deep voice from with
/ III.
/ The room we entered was sparsely
furnished, but everything in it was shin
/ ing with cleanliness. A tall, emaciate Il
old woman sat in an old armchair by the
window, with n piece of work in her
hands. She nodded to Mrs. Ross, and
looked inquiringly at me with her hol-
low black eyes.
''She is paralyzed," Mrs. Ross said to
to me in English. "All her lower limbs
are numb. All, Madame Breaux," in
French, 'this is my friend, Mrs. l.,
who has come to see Rose Marie about
some work"
"Take seats, mesdames," with q
courteous gesture. "Rose Marie will be
in directly. She has gone out on some
business. She left Henri to take care
of me- pointing with smile to n beau
tiful little boy of years old, who was
peeping 1T us from the back of her
| chair.
81 would like my friend to see that
robe Rose Marie is embroidering for
| Nine. DucroS, said Mrs. Ross.
"It is there in napkin on the bed, /"
the old woman replied, ''if you will take
| the trouble to get it, madame. All, it
is so hard to be half alive, not able to
move from my seat"
Mrs. Ross unfolded the shining folds
and held them before me.
A pale maize-colored silk, with ten
drills of the blue and white convolvulus
embroidered exquisitely on it. The
grouping of the flowers was work of
art and the finish was perfect.
Nine. Breaux smiled at my admira-
ton.
"Ah. She works we'll, does Rose
Marie! Madame, she was famous bro
dense and lace maker, even in Aries,
where the work is so fine. Ever since
she was 10 years old she ranked among
the best. But her eyes are getting
weak, all, so weak" with n heavy sigh.
"And then, if the worst comes" She
clasped her hands with a convulsive
movement and her great mournful eyes
filed with tears.
"The poor girl has cried her eyes
out" Mrs. Ross said to me in low
| voice; "at least, / believe her tears have
as much to do with her failing vision rs
the work. While we are waiting for her
l will tell you q story. The 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 rabid French partisan aud
Rose Maries lover was sergeant III the
Prussian army. They had known each
other from childhood and were betroth-
ed before the war broke out, but the
mother, who has furious temper, tried
to separate them.
"After their marriage she made it 50
unpleasant for the Prlssian that he de-
i termined to como to America. He said
he would settle somewhere West and
then send for his wife and child, but on
no account was the mother to come.
She must choose between them; but If
she elected to remain in France, then
little Henri must come to him.
! L tlluh IDuGtll POl "Ohi''h,
for she acknowledged that she destroyed
the husbands letters to her daughter,
and told her nothing about it. As she
could not read herself, she knew nothing
of the contents, nor where Karl was.
"a year ago she had astroke Of paral-
ysis, and, thinking she was going to die,
confessed the wrong she had done to the
unhappv wife, who believed her husband
had deserted her. What to do she did
not know. In that great wide America
where wns she to find Karl, where write
| to him.
cat last she determined to come over,
bringing her mother with her. She was
an only child, and she would not desert
the helpless creature who had wrought
her so much woe. She came first to New
I Orleans, as Karl had sailed for that port,
but could hear nothing of him."
mamma, mammal" cried the little
boy ioyously, rushing to the door. All,
! but Won have stayed so long, SO long :"
I. SHE bent and took him up in her arms,
and as she smiled lovingly at him L
thought had never seen more beau
tiful creature. It was a grand, calm
beauty. which made her look older than
she really was.
"We are here before you Rose Marie,
sail Mrs. Ross. "We came to see you
on business"
"Ah, pardon, madam, but ] did noI
see von.h she said advancing slowly ~
wards us. 81 do not know whi
come to my eyes, pressing
on the ILLS. A mist is before
l see not clearly"
Her mother gazed at