The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-06-20

n0an see ABOVE me an ivory cross
swinging at the end of blue ribbon that
hangs from the cornice; on each side of
mo is long white silk net, 50 that I
shall not fall out But I am always
kicking off the covers and slipping
through it and they continually find me
with an arm or u leg caught and hang
ing in the meshes. .ga- .
My crib, which warm with my little
childish body, where I am given my
warm milk in the early morning, which
is SO comfortable when the doctor SAYS I
am sick, stands at the foot of papa's and
mammals big bed, SO that it gives me
great confidence to be SO near them
they who are afraid of nothingi do
not know how it is, but l must be always
asleep when they come in to go to bed
never see them. Their bedtime is later
than mine, much later-perhaps even an
hour. AS soon as Pie, my nurse, big
girl, brusque and good hearted, who
teaches me how to say my prayers to the
Bon Dieu in German-as soon as she has
given me my dinner, quick! lam popped
into little bed whose end my feet never
see. When shall 1 be as big as my night
gowns? In spite of all my efforts I can
never catch up to them.
Then as soon as I am stretched out on
the mattress, and Pie has vigorously
tucked me in, 1 cry out with all my
might, lamentably, like little dog that
is being whipped: Mammal! Mammal"
Some one comes. There is a noise of
footsteps in the corridor. It is papa and
mamma. Papa says: "Will you stop
making such a noise, you little rascal?
We can hear you all over the houser' He
turns to the nurse and frowns:
"Pie," he says, "tell me the truth. Has
this child been naughty"
"Nein, he has been very goot," says
the excellent Pie.
"Then he shall have piece of candy"
says papa, satisfied at once.
Mint, papa, mint!' cry out.
"Yes, mint" and papa himself drops
into my little moist, open mouth the big,
white crumbling penny which I love SO,
and which begin to taste as soon as its
penetrating odor reaches my nose Un-
der my little teeth the mint drop disap-
pears like magic. Mamma whispers:
"Eat 1t up, then, little goosel" or, "He
will break his teeth to pieces"
MAMMA DOESN'T SAY A WORD.
Then she bends over me, and then I
whip out my two arms from the cover
let to clasp her around the neck.
know very well that It must tire her to be
weighted down 80, but still like to do it.
And then love her so! She kisses me
twice, three times-then with her pretty
fingers she hurriedly traces the sign of
the cross on my forehead (before I came
there were two little brothers who both
went away to heaven) and she tenderly
closes the curtains without ceasing to
look lovingly in at me through the open
ing which grows smaller-smaller.
At last the curtains are tight shut and
can see nothing more, But I can hear.
Papa has already gone away to his study,
where somehow know that he is going
to smoke a cigar. Mamma, ah, but
mamma is still there. She is talking to
Pie in low voice-she is talking of all
kinds of things and they are all about
me. Then the lamp goes on its nightly
journey. 1t travels about, it changes its
place; finally it is put on certain corner
of the mantelpieoe, always the same
corner, where its dim light cannot reach
me. Then hear the noise of the fender
"a chair put in its place-a carriage in
the street-then-
All at once am at last man; and am
wearing trousers like myIUncle Edward.
But often awake with start and
then great fear of the night and the
darkness seizes me; stretch out my
arms and knock-toc, toci--on she big
bed. The big bed will protect me. Toe,
toe! Toe, tool The knocking itself
frightens me in the silenbe.
The big bed creaks confusedly. hear
papa, half awake, telling me in queer,
droll tone to be quiet. SSH We are all
asleep" he says; Everybody is asleep"
Mamma does not say a word. She rises
she rises-and ahi even after forty
years my heart recollects the light fall of
her dear soft feet on the carpet and the
sound of her low voice, invisible like
herself, murmuring close to my cheek,
"What is it, dariingY' while without
hesitation her kiss comes straight to me
in the night and unerringly finds.m e..-
Translated from the French for The Phil