The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-17
JEANS LETTER.
How it Won for Him a Father, and
- 81 - - <n 1 -
His Father a Heart.

they had cried 80 much; ct well
cut but falling to rags; a gS.s shoe on
one foot, a boys boot on the other, both
shoe and boot too wide and too long,
turned at the toe and lacking in heels
~behind-this was Jean.
Little Jean, so cold and hungry this
winter evening, who had eaten nothing
since noon of the day before, and who
had finally decided to write to the vir-
gin. And how. say you, did Jean, who
no more knew how to write than he
knew how to read, arrange this letter?
Listen, for it is that which / am going
to tell you.
Below there, in the quarter Of the
Gros-Caillou, at the corner of the avenue
not far from the Esplanade, there was a
shop, in the days. tell of, of a public
writer, for in those days also there were
so many claims and petitions to be made
TO the government and so many people,
like Jean, that did not know how to
write.
And the writer that kept this shop was
an old soldier far on in years, q brave
man buta little testy, who was anything
but rich and had the additional misfor-
tune of not being sufficiently chopped TO
pieces to secure admission &c the Hotel
des Invalides.
Jean, without prying at all, had many
times seen him through the dingy glasses
Of his little cubby hole smoking his pipe
and awaiting customers, and 80 today he
entered fearlessly with a civil
"Good-day, monsieur. l have come,
If you please, for you to write me a let
ter"
"Ten sous, little one" Pere BONN re-
sponded, gazing over his spectacles at
the midget before him.
Jean had no cap, and was therefore
unable to lift it, but he said very po-
litely:
"Then excuse me,' and he turned to
reopen the door.
But, pleased with his manners, Pere
BONN stopped him.
s'Stay!' said he; stell me first, little
one, if you are the son of a soldier"
"Oh, nor said Jean, ''only mammals
son, and she's all Alone
II see" said the writer, "and you
have not the ten sous?"
"No, no sous at all, said Jean.
'Nor thy mother either, tbs plain to
be seen! And thy letter, little one-is
it to make the soup conner
"Yes," said Jean, exactly
advance, then. Ten lines or a half
sheet. One is too poor for that"
And Pere Bonin spread out his paper,
dipped his pen in the ink, and wrote at
the top of the page, in the beautiful
hand of the quartermaster that once he
had been:
Then a line lower:
To Monsieur
seWell, go on" said he, show do you
sall him. baby
"Who?" demanded Jean.
"Parbleul the gentleman"
"What gentleman, monsieur
"The one to make the soup come"
Jean this time comprehended.
.But it isn't a gentleman" said he.
"Ahl BAH a lady, then?
"Yes-no-that is
"Name of namesi midget" Pere BONN
cried, ''don's You know whom you are
going to write a letter tor
"Oh, yesls%said the child.
"Out with it, then, quicki I can't
wait all day!"
But little Jean stood all red and con-
fused. The fact is, it is not as easy as it
looks to address ones self to public
writers for correspondence of this kind,
but Jean was brave and presently an
swered softly:
1T is to the Holy Virgin that l wish
to send a letter"
Father BONN did not laugh, not at all;
he simply wiped and laid aside his pen
and took his pipe from his mouth.
'.See you, midget" said he severely,
81 don't want to believe that You mock
an old man; besides, you are too small
for me to trounce. Face about; march!
Out you goi"
Little Jean obeyed and wonderingly
turned heel, or foot rather, since heel he
had none; and, seeing him so submissive,
Pere BONN a second time r~econsidered
and regarded him more closely.
Name of names, of names!" grum-
bled he, ''but there is misery in this
Paris! What do you call yourself, babyf'
jean"
Jean what"
"Nothing-just JEAN"
Pere BONN felt his eyes sting, but he
only said:
.'And what do you wish to say to the
Holy Virgin?
s.To tell her that mammals been asleep
since four O'Clock yesterday, and that l
amt wake her up"
The heart of the old soldier suddenly
stood still. He feared to comprehend.
He demanded again:
but that soup you spoke of a while
lgos'
Eyes" said the child, Il know l had
b speak of it, you see, because mamma
before going to sleep yesterday gave Inc
the last piece of bread"
Sand what did she eat, prayg'
Nothing for more than two days-she
always said she wasn't hungry"
"And you tried to wake her, say you
how:"
LAS / always do-Hssing her"
ibid she breathe?:'
Jean smiled, and that smile made him
beautiful.
II don't know" said he. Don't we
always breathe?"
Para ponin had n hastily furu his