Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-05
PIERRES FOUNDING.

It was Pierre who first called her that,
and Pierre was creole, and Felice, his
wife, was creole, and so they both
said, "Snow wide," but then they meant
'Snow white" and everybody called her
that. And very white she did look to
Pierre that morning in the early spring,
many years ago now, when he found her
lying on the doorstep, feecy white
shawl all around her, and only her little,
round, baby blue eyes showing out of
the whiteness. N
''See what the good God has sent me,
Felice," said Pierre, taking the little,
soft, white bundle in his big, brown
hands and carrying it III to his wife, ga
little snow white baby"
And Felice turned back the shawl
from the baby's head, and there, pinned
Pierre bent down to see he read, ''For
Pierre and Felice."
"Did not say, Felice," he cried. "See,
it is for us-the good God has sent it."
When Felice bent down to kiss the
rosy lips that cooed and smiled up at
her she smelt the perfume on the little
baby's clothes, and then she thought of
the sweet, pale, gentle lady whose hair
she had dressed a few nights before, and
of the tall, dark man whom the lady had
not called her husband, but her ''friend. !"
But she did not tell Pierre all this
What she did tell him was that they
would take their new treasure and show
it to the priest, and Pierre--good, simple
hearted Pierre-went along very close
beside Felice, wishing nightly that he
could take the little white, soft bundle
in his own arms.
And Pere Martin, when he looked into
the little baby's eyes, remembered the
slight, graceful woman who had knelt
SO long at vespers the evening before,
and the sweet, gentle voice in which,
when the service was over, she had
questioned him about the coiffeuse,
Felce, and Pierre, her husband, who
lived in room in the crumbling gray
house beyond the church. He remem-
bered also that the hand that dropped
into his the heavy purse of gold, telling
him it was to be given to this same Felice
and Pierre, if they should need it, had
no ring upon the third finger, and Pere
Martin sighed as he looked into the
baby's face and murmured, "Another
lamb into the fold" But he, too, did
not speak of what he remembered. In
stead, he told them he would himself go
with them to the Office of the old notaire
on the corner and that all would be ar
ranged, and that the next day after
mass they might bring the child to be
christeped.
And so they did and gave her the
name of Snow-white. No other name
would have suited her half SO well.
Snow white she was when they found
her, and snow white Felice always tried
to keep her. She was never too busy to
put few dainty tucks in baby's little
white slip, or to wash her face or to curl
her golden locks. And Pierre never
came up stairs without stopping to wash
his hands at the big tub down in the
court so that he might not soil the baby's
dress when he took her in his arms, and
when he kissed her he always looked to
see that he had not left the impress of
his lips on hers. It was marvellous to
see what change the baby's coming
made in the lives of the two, Pierre and
Felice. Somehow Pierre'e step grew
lighter and his laugh grew cheerier.
His fellow workers noticed it down at
the big warehouse where he hauled cot
ton on the dray, turning and pulling the
bales with his sharp hook.
.''Oh, must not be SO rough" he said
to them, "since there is now little one
/ may disturb with my big stepping"
And Felice's songs were gayer as she
tripped about at her tidy housework,
and her fingers were DETER as she did her
hair dressing, and her coiffures were
more elaborate and graceful than ever
before.
SIT makes difference, is it not so,
madame" she said as she was dressing
the hair of fond young mother, who
sat the while gently swinging the cradle
of her first born; cit makes difference
that there is now little heart for your
big one to hold. l know. 1t is all
changed with me, now that the good
God has sent us little one. It does not
matter so much now that must go up
and down the stair, that must bring
the water from the cistern in the court,
that must be forever crimping and
curling and sticking in hairpins."
It did seem that all the little house
hold was changed. There were not many,
to be sure, for besides Pierre and Felice
there were only Marta, and Babette and
Sieur Antoine in the little gray house.
Marta lived in the first floor, and from
her apartments there came always the
pleasing odor of burnt sugar, for it was
in her own little back room that she
made the white and golden ropes of
candy that she sold upon the street every
day. Marta's delight knew no bounds
when Snow-white was able to sit alone
and hold in the little chubby fist stick
Of her whitost and crispest candy, suck
ing it till it ran down her wrists and chin
and upon her white dress in streams Of
sticky sweetness.
1T is by the reason that the little one
likes it that make this cream candy, :"
Marta would ny to her cuatomezs. -