Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-01


ceived Jacques in his cabinet like that of
the old physician. Jacques looked at him,
not recognizing the clown, and kept twist
ing his felt hat between his fingers. The
other waited. Then the father made his
excuses: 1t was astonishing-that which
he came to ask-not on his own account
pardon-excuse-but, in truth, for the lit
tie one; nice child, monsieur. and so in
telligent Always the first at school, ex-
cept in numbers which were hard to un-
derstand. He was a dreamer, that little
one, you see; yes, dreamer; and the
proof the proof-Jacques now hesitated
and stammered, then he collected his cour-
age and quickly said:
"The proof is that he wishes to see you; !;
he thinks only of you; that you are there
before him like star that he wishes to
hold and look at"
When he had finished, the father, very
pale, had on his forehead great drops of
sweat. He did not dare to look at the
clown, who remained with his eyes fixed
on the workman, and what is tthat Boum-
boum is about to say? Is he about to send
him away-take him for an insane person
put him out of the house?
Where do you live?" Boum-boum
asked.
"Oh, very near on the street of the
Abbesses."
4" Let us go" said the other. "Your boy
wishes to see Boum-boum? Eh bien. in
a moment he will see Boum- boum."
When the door opened to admit the
clown Jacques Legrand cried ioyously to
his son:
Francois, be happy, little one Look
here is Boum- m-boumW ~
And the child had on mis- face.a ioyful
look. He raised himself on hiSmother's
arm and turned his head toward the two
men who had entered, looked a moment at
the figure beside his father, at that strange
gentleman in a dress-coat, whose kind,
bright face smiled at him, and when they
said, " 1t is Boum-boum," he slowly and
sadly let his head fall on the pillow and
remain there, his eyes fixed, those great,
beautiful blue eyes that seemed to gaze far
beyond the walls of the little room and to
be always searching for the spangles and
butterfly of Boum-boum, as a lover who
pursues his dream. "No," said the child,
with voice still sharper and more heart
rending, No; it is not Boum-boum."
The clown standing near the little bed,
gazed at the face of the little sufferer with
penetrating look, very grave and of in
finite sweetness. He shook his head, looked
at the anxious father, the sad mother, and
said, smiling, "He is right. 1t is not
| Boum-boum," and left the room.
| did not see him. | will never see
him again, Boum-boum," the child re-
peated, his little voice seemed now speak
ing to the angels, perhaps Boum-boum
will be there, where little Francois is 90
ing soon."
Just then-had hardly been half an hour
since the clown disappeared-the door
opened abruptly, and in his spangled suit,
yellow top-knot on his head, the gilt but
terty on his breast and back, with his
| huge smile, his face well powdered, Boum-
boum, the true Boum-boum, the Boum-
boum of the circus, the children's favorite,
the Boum-boum of the little Francois.
Boum-boum appeared.
And upon his little white bed, the iov of
life in his eyes, laughing, crying, saved, the
child clapped his thin little hands to-
gether and cried bravo, and said, with the
gaiety of his seven years awakened by the
| SheA alSiLiS DSlOIS
Boum-boum! 1t is he, it is he this
time! This is Boum-boum! Vive Boum-
boum! How do you do, Boum- boump'
".
When the doctor came next day he
| found, seated at the bedside of little Fran
| co.'s, clown with painted face, who made
the little one laugh continually, and who
said 10 him, while stirring a morsel of su-
gar in the bottom of the medicine glass:
Thou knowest if thou dost not drink it,
little Francois, Boum- -boum will not come
| back again"
And the child drank.
" Is it not good to take ?"
Very good; thank you, Boum-b -boum."
Doctor" said the clown to the physi-
clan, do not be jealous-though it ap-
pears that my grimaces do as much good
as your prescriptions"
The father and mother wept, but this
time from joy.
Aud until the time little Francois was
once more on his feet, carriage stopped
every day before the laborers quarters In
the street of the AbbesseS at Montmarte.
and man descended enveloped in large
mantle, the cape pulled over his head, and
under that dressed as if for the circus, with
his gay yisage well painted.
"What is it that owe you, monsieur ?'
Jacques Legrand said finally to the clown,
the day the child took his first walk IN the
open air; " for indeed we owe you every
thing"
The clown held out his two hands, large
and strong as those of Hercules, to the pa
rents and said:
"Only clasp of the handsr'
Then placing two great kisses on the
cheeks-once more rosy-of the child, said
laughingly: And the permission to write
Oh my visiting card:
BoUN- BOUM.
" Doctor, acrobat, physician ordinaire to the
little francois"