Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-02-07
FELICIE, 4 CANADIAN SKETCH


No one remembered such a drought
"If old Gaspard had not died ~ said Ed
mond, confidently, to himself, he could
have matched it but then he's dead so
no one remembers So bad drought as this
one. "
But no one heard Edmond if any one
had heard him. he would have paid no at
tention, for Edmond did not have all his
wits
The grass and the crops, which once had
been green, we're now brown the earth
was baked hard and everywhere little
cracks ran in all directions The rough
places Of the roads were all hidden under
Il thick mantle Of dust, as kindly in its ap
pearance as the winters mantle, but less so
in reality. Unless the rain came-well--
God knows what we shall do, said one
village elder to another
And He never tells us until lie is ready, -
said Edmond, reverently.
So the great drought lasted
Then \ Armand Hamel died. 1t was not
the drought that killed him. No one knew
exactly what had killed him. Il cannot
tell it is Gods doing, - the doctor had said
But he was dead and after death comes
the funeral
For the first time in months the sky was
overcast the red sun ceased to glare upon
the earth, and under the gentle clouds the
grass and the crops seemed actually to re
vive a little and even to raise their head,
again. But no rain fell.
Does this mean rain = one vilager
would ask Of another as they met in the
parish house, while their wives went at
once into the church to pray.
. al !
swer with d shrug, The cloud, hang low
over the cape - or perhaps he would 20
out upon the gallery, whence he had just
come, and looking around at earth and sky
and sea would say, cautiously: who
knows Perhaps
In either case the answer was satisfacto
ry. Every one hoped for rain almost no
one expected it; and the question was
asked rather to pass the time until the
funeral service should begin than because
Eugene Dasylva thought that Joseph Billet
could read the weather signs better than
he himself
No one asked Edmond but he Of all
those present said at once, 1T will rain
the grass is getting ready for shower"
But no one paid any attention he was on
ly halfwitted.
From the gallery in front of the parish
house one could see many things. Direct
ly in front was the road white with dust.
filled with the caleches and planches and
quat -roues which had brought the farmers
and villagers to the church Across the
road were fields, and beyond the fields hills,
cut into terraces by great glaciers melted
ten thousand wears ago. On the right was
the church, with its tin roof and its spires;
and the priests house, with two willow
in, Of ba
the graveyard On the left, behind the
poor brown trees, was the seigneury aud
behind the house, across the rivera mile
wide when the tide was in, barely two yards
wide when the tide was out-rose the cape
which gave the town its name and seemed
to protect the town it named.
over the cape hung black threatening
clouds, but 50 little did they indicate rain
that the farmers eyes more readily sought
the church and the priests house than they
did the great rock and its low hanging
crown.
In course Of time a constant succession
Of remarks and replies on the subject of the
weather had emptied the parish house of
all its male inmates the women aud chill
dren had already gone into the church.
The men stood on the gallery in front Of
the house, almost in silence no one cared
to talk about the errand which had brought
them together; SO they stood waiting for
something in anxious impatience.
Suddenly, from the steeple of the church.
rang out sharply the little bell, and at the
sound the men started, and crossed them
selves Then, as if the expected had hap
pened they moved toward the church, the
oldest man leading the way, the younger
men struggling TO avoid bringing up the
rear Again the bell rang out 1t was
tolling
Out of the cloud of dust, along the mar
row, worn road, came the yellow hearSe
open to the sky, bearing the red coffin, dust
white now, wherein slept Armand Hamel.
Behind the hearse, in the towns only two
horse vehicle brought out on great occa-
sions like weddings and funerals, rode the
mourners Xivier Hamel, Philomene his
wife, and little Felicie Pelletier, the maid
en- who was TO have been Armand's wife
Had Armand lived but a month longer,
Felicie had been their daughter now she
was neither their daughter nor their sons
widow.
The men halted awkwardly at the church
door, and removed their hats as the hearse
drew up. The priest stood on the steps,
missal in hand, and placing himself before
the coffin, began the office of the dead.
the women within repeated audibly their
prayers
"Deliverez moi, Seigueur, de ceux qui
me haissent, que le ne sois point englouti
dams labime, ct que lie puts ou lon me
jette ne Sc ferme pas sur moi" And
again ''Seigneur Dieu, roi de tous les
secles, vous etes seul plein de bonte ex-
aucez moi, Seigneur, don't la misericorde
est toujOurs prete pardonner prenez
soin de mon anne, ct dellvreZ la.
C'Deliver me, Lord. from them that hate
me, that | may not be swallowed in the
abyss, that the pit wherein they have cast
me close not above me-" And again; Lord
God, King of the ages, Thou alone art full of
kindness hear me, O Lord, whose pity is
always ready TO pardon guard my soul
and deliver it,
Meantime the mourners had entered the
church, and were making their way to
their seats. They walked slowly, DELAYED
rather by the emotions of the girl than by
weakness of the older mourners. At last
they reached their places, and the burial
service began.
All this time the clouds that had encom-
passed the cape came nearer, and more and
more assumed the character of rain clouds
The cape loomed up and the miles of wa
ter between it and the church seemed but
yards, so near it seemed to be. Edmond
put out his hand, as if to touch the great
rock then he looked at the sky, and went
into the church.
Everything was strangely still. The
voice of the priest sounded as if it came
from great distance The children, usu-
ally restless, sat quietly. The darkness of
an approaching storm pervaded the church;
the light before the altar burned dimly and
uncertainty. Only where Felicie sat, it
seemed to the lad, was there any light
around her there was a strange brightness
but he did not feel afraid,
At last the priest closed his book, and the
congregation sighed with relief as he de-
scended from the sanctuary aud stood at
the head Of the coffin. Then priest, coffin,
and silent congregation left the church,
and went through the narrow gate into the
graveyard. There a grave had been dug,
next TO that in which the shipwrecked
Portuguese had been buried, and around
the grave gathered they all
In the centre stood the priest and the
grave dggers next 10 them were old
Xavier Hamel and his wife Philomene and
between them stood Felicie Pelletier
Poor Felicie ~ thought Edmond "she
is very young, and so little
Slowly the old priest read the words of
committal, and then the poor red coffin was
lowered into its place.
As the coffin disappeared from sight,
thunder began To roll The distant hills