The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-03-04
BRIGITTE'S FORTUNE.

onotCI bnln, ury ana wrlnkled as an
apple that lay withered during a long
winter, such was the good man, Farmer
Landry. Indeed, he was one of those
close listed old peasants of whom it is
graphically said that they can shave
something from an egg shell.
Since the death of his wife he had re-
tired from agriculture and lived alone in
o little house at the end of the village.
And yet, not entirely, alone, for he had
vita him his old servant Brigitte. But
the poor woman counted for so little in
the household, little above the dog, but
not so much as the donkey, that cost a
hundred and twenty francs. She entered
his family at the age of twelve to guard
the cows, and had been there ever since.
She knew no other family life than this
one, and the exceeding parsimony of the
master seemed to her entirely natural.
She was now tall, hale woman of fifty,
red-faced, quare-shouldered, with feet
and hands that might have been the
pride of pugilistic trainer. While ex-
acting very little in the way of compen-
sation, she drudged like pack horse /;
for indeed, she could not do otherwise in
Farmer Landry's house. Besides, in her
simple mind existed a canine attachment
and real admiration for her master, who
was not ashamed to take advantage of
her good nature.
OF course, in the service of this miser
Brigitte had not earned a fortune. But
the honest creature was amply satisfied
when the old peasant, in a patronizing
tone, praised her zeal: "What good,
simple creature you are, Brigitte, are you
not2"
Then the good woman's mouth would
open into a loud laugh.
"He hel hel master! You have al
ways your little manner of joking; he !
he hep
One day while Farmer Landry was him
self replastering his garden wall, SO as
not to pay the mason, he made a false
step aud fell into the pool just over the
point where the deepest hole was. He
splashed wildly about for few moments,
calling vainly for help with all the power
OF his lungs. At last, worn out by his
efforts, he was about to sink from sight,
when Brigitte at last heard him. The
devoted creature courageously jumped
into the water, at the risk of drowning
herself. She succeeded in pulling him
to the bank; he was entirely unconscious,
but she raised him in her strong arms, as
she would a child, put him to bed, and
with rubbing and remedies recalled him
to life. On seeing him open his eyes,
the good Brigitte shed tears of joy.
"Ah, good master, how glad am that
you aie not drowned and buried in that
holel"
The old peasant was glad of it, too,
although he had one lively regret-tho
loss of his trowel, which fell into the
water at the some time with himself.
However, he had the decency not to ex-
press the wish that Brigitte should return
and jump in after that also. Indeed, in
the first impulse of gratitude, he said to
his servant with touch of emotion:
sit is you who pulled me out of the
hole; shall never forget 1t, my good
girl, you may be assured of that. / am
going to make you present"
"Oh, master, indeed there is no need
Of that !"
''But l tell you I will give you some
thing; don't doubt it,"
And really, the same evening, after
thousand hesitations, he drew forth his
long leather purse and called Brigitte to
him. While making grimace like one
having tooth drawn, he selected a sill.
yer piece of twenty cents.
Here, Brigitte, is your present. It
shall not be counted in your wages, you
know. Do not be extravagant with it;
that would be sin.
For the service rendered it was not
unbridled generosity on the part of the
giver, and the former had some dim in
timation of the fact, for he added (as if
to enhance its value):
at is just the price of a lottery ticket.
Buy one, my girl, aud you may win
twenty thousand dollars"
1t was the first time in his life that the
poor man allowed himself to be liberal,
so the thought of it haunted him for a
long time; he constantly wondered about
the fate of his bright silver piece. He
often asked the servant if she had yet
bought her lottery ticket
"Not yet, master" was her unvarying
answer.
But at length she decided to end this
constant questioning by pacifying him.
So one day she replied;
eye master, have bought one"
"Indeell What number2"
"Ok, the number is 34."