Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-02-14
BRIGITTE'S FORTUNE.

Short, thin, dry and wrinkled as an
apple that lay withered during long
winter, such was the good man, Farmer
Landry. Indeed, he was one of those
closc-tisted 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
little house at the end of the village.
And yet, not entirely, alone, for he had
with 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-shouldored, 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 q fortune. But
the honest creature was amply satisfied
when the old peasant, in a patronzing
tone, praised her zeal: "What a good,
simple creature you are, Brigitte, are YOU
not2"
Then the good womaus mouth would
open into loud laugh.
''He! he! he! masterl You have al
ways your little manner of joking; he!
bel hem
One day while Farmer Landry was HIM
self replastering his garden wall, so as
not to pay the mason, he made false
step and fell into the pool just over the
point where the deepest hele was. He
splashed wildly abcutfor a few moments,
calling vanity 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 courageousiy 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
hr, ~. \
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 ale not drowned and buried in that
holel"
The old peasant was glad of it, too,
although he had one lively rcgret-thc
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
cit IS you who pulled me out of the
hole; shall never forget 1t, my good
girl, you may be assured of that. am
gong to make you present.
sob, master, indeed there is no need
of that!"
''But tell you l will give you some,
thing; don't doubt it ~
And really, the same evening, after a
thousand hesitations, he drew forth his
long leather purse and called Brigitte to
him. While making a grimace ike one
having tooth drawn, he selected sill.
yer piece of twenty cents.
Here, Brigitte, is your present. 1t
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 il
to enhance its value):
at is just the price of lottery ticket.
Buy one, my girl, and you may win
twenty thousand dollars.
It twas the first time in his life that the
poor man allowed himself to be liberal,
so the thought of it haunted him for
long time; he constantly wondered about
the fate of his bright silver piece. He
often asked the servant if she had vet
bought her lottery ticket.
''Not yet, master" was her uuvaryine
answer.
But at length she decided to end this
constant questioning by pacifying him.
So one day she replied
zee H'Fes, master, 1 have bought oue.n
'1ndeed What number?''
sob, the number is 81 !"
Every good said her master, repeat
ing the number to impress it on his
mind. Be careful not to lose It'll"
t'Never fear, master"
Because if you do fear sometimes to
lose It"
"Eh, masterl"
"Well, you need only give it to me
and / will hide it in my bureau
"Oh, shall certainly not lose It'll"
The habits of daily life in the little
household, disturbed by these events.
soon settled into their regular course:
eating sparely, very temperate drinking,
Jew hours for sleeping and many fol-
work.
Farmer Landry was almost consoled
Tor his forced prodigality, when one
morning, in the BARRIERS shop, where he
went from time to time to read gratis the
Gazette, terrible emotion struck him.
He read the result of the lottery drawing
and at the head these words, like lines Of