Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-01-14
THE FOSTER SON.
From the Epoch.

Victor Durame and his wife. Cesarine,
had just finished their supper of slices
of bread with thin layers of butter.
A tiny candle end was burning on the
table and casting Pickering light upon
the low rafters overhead, the bare walls
and uneven floor, the rickety china and
the black chimneypiece. In the corner
of the room was wicker cradle in which
lay sleeping baby boy, who two weeks
before had been christened Charles
The parents had been married little
more than year; Victor had inherited
from his father small farm, and he and
his wife had worked together. He was
a strong, well-built fellow, but slow of
movement and dull of intellect; Cesar
inc was taciturn, industrious and saving.
Their first harvest had been poor
one; one of their COWS had died, and lit
tie by little they were threatened, at
tackled and vanQuished by poverty.
On every side the wolf assailed them,
and now Cesarine had to care for her
child, and could not attend to all her
former duties. They must hire man
to help Victor with the farm work, and
this necessity appalled, them. While
they were anXiousiy discussing this mat
ter and computing the expense, cry
rose from the cradle, Cesarine went and
took out the baby and sat nursing it in
gloomy silence.
Suddenly steps were heard outside,
and the house-door opened. gentle
man carrying bundle entered hastily,
and closing the door stood looking at
the peasant group. Then he asked,
Are you Victor and Cesarine Du-
rame ?'
The man hesitated in vague alarm,
but his wife answered, eyes sir, We are
the Durames.
Then the stranger approached her,
laid the bundle In her lap and told her
to open it. She looked at him without
moving and he added quickly:
at is a child, a boy for you to take
care of with your own"
The woman in amazement unfolded
the bundle and displayed tiny morsel
of an infant which Immediately began
to wall and instinctively she lifted it up,
putt to her breast and hushed it's cries.
The gentleman looked at it with
moiste ned eyes and murmured:
'sHe will soon forget his mother ~
Then, rousing himself from sad rev.
cry, he spoke in a quick, decided tone:
You must make up your mind at
once, for | have no time to lose. l came
to you because [ heard that you were
Young, poor and industrious. If you
take CHI arge of my child you are to 60
every uarter to Fecamp, and the notary,
Monsie ur I4oisel, will pay you the sum OF
800 fra ncs You must take the child
with YOU every time, otherwise you will
receive no money. You will bring up
my son with your own, send the two to
school together, and then to college, for
which [ shall pay. through the notary.
When my son comes of age the sum OF
20, 600 franc will be at his disposal Do
you agree to keep him %
The husband and wife looked at the
spe aker in silence, for all these figures
set their heads whirling, and the gentle
ma repeated what he had said, and
ad ded:
"You will never see me nor hear OF
IN again. You can tell your nelghbors
ju st as much as you know about me. |
h ave taken nay precautions. Come,
answer me, yes or no.
Victor and Cesarine could not believe
thatsueh fortune was within their grasp
hey hesltated and pOndered, and at
asst the husband asked suspiclously:
| fHow can we be sure of getting the
money from the notary? We would
like to have the child, we would, but L
should think there ought to be a bit OF
writing on paper, a few words ="
There is no need of that ~ cried the
stranger impatiently. elf you do not
receive the money you can abandon the
child. Besides l will paw the first quar-
ter in advance"
He laid fifteen gold pieces down on
rhe table, and the sight of the money
mt an end to the doubts of Victor Du-
rame, who exclaimed unhesitatingl