The Opelousas courier., 1892-09-17


ave my host a very Shick letter.
"Pardon me" said n yffriend, Ise
this comes from the prison, and ] mus
read it at once"
When he had finished he seemed gu it
depressed, for one who had seen s
many human beings sentenced to deaf
without showing the least emotion.
g Read it, he said, throwing me th
large missiye.
Here are the contents:
Your Honor: My trial is set for tc
morrow. | have e~ndeayored to explai
my case To the young lawyer who defend
me, but from his name / think my his
tory only amuses him. I am afraid t
speak of it to you, and for that reason
write. Pardon the liberty. Believe me
sir, / am an honest man, and not a genu
inc thief.
have not always been the poor wretch
] am now. In times past | was quitt
well off. / was by no means the richest
man in Sorgas when | married Dilonue,
but ] was certainly the one most in love
She was so pretty More than one gen
tleman envied me on our wedding day
We were very happy. Every evening
when came home, tired with the day.
work, just to see her smile seemed to resi-
me. A little girl, beautiful as the angels,
came to crown our happiness. Employ.
ment was not lacking, and | worked with
a good will. | fear my letter will be verJ
long, but ! must give you all the details.
By and by, fnding ourselves better
of, Eilonne confded to me her ambition.
She wanted TO own a donkey. She sold
butter and eggs in the town. and the
distance was long on foot. with a
donkey, " she said, az can easily go to
market and take Solange w~irEeme.n We
laid aside i've franc pieces for the pur.
chase of Our little beast, and one beauti-
full spring morning Ne started az D
o'clock to be first ON the field al the
County Fair. We walked along gayly
under the fresh green foliage, and l can
still recall how merrily the money
clinked in my pocket. After walking
for On houl and a half We arrived at the
grounds. We had taken turns carrying
little Solange. She was four years ole
and solid on her tiny feet, but not abb
to walk such a distance.
There were at least thiRsnke VS. fol
sale. I chose one, but Dilonne said il
had a wicked la. At last, by careful
search, we f0AN q very small one. HI
Vas young and had q playful little air Al
he paved the ground impatientIy witt
his small hoofs. He had handsome
dark eyes and wagged his long ears al
every sound. We knew he must be gen.
tie, for Solange, having slipped away tt
get nearer to him. he patiently allowed
her to pat him.
The owner, seeing that rhe beast
suited us, asked forty francs for him. /
offered twenty-five. After an hour spent
N bargaining, we agreed upon thirty.
Toward evening we started for home,
the good little animal following US very
willingly with Solange on his back. The
installation OF our new possession was
quite an affair, but be appeared to appre-
ciate 1t all, for from that time / think ha
really loved us. We named him aRi-
quet.n Every morning at breakfast time
he used to COME for his bit Of bread to
the window; his pretty head framed in
sweet peas and morning glories, he would
rub our hands gently with his nose TO
express his thanks.
just as we had planned, twice q week
Dilonne wenttotown with her butter, eggs
ard fresh vegetables in one basket, and
Solange in the other for q counter bal
ance. l could watch them from a long
distance as they approached our home,
always q little tired.
But there came a day, after three years
Of continued happiness, when Dilonne
could not leave her bed. NY poor darI-
ingl She had the typhoid fever. Doc
TORS came from town. They cut her beau
tiful black hair: they put ice on her
head; but nothing could ave her. She
died while attempting to sing d little
song. | could have wished to die also,a |
was so changed for me--but Selange wal
left, She was growing very fast, and
looked exactly like her mother.
On Sundays we two, Solange and /,
would 60 to The cesaetery which sur
rounds our little church, and stay there
By The grave until afternoon, when We
used to take i walk, the little ons
mounted on Riquet. Thus. we woule
ramble on for long distance, gathering
great punches of grass for tie Donkey
supper.
One afteFnoon-it was during ths
olive harvest-there were signs Of &
storm, and the MISTER made ~ work un-
I'll daybreak to iuish the picking. j
could not 90 home that day III the next.
but the following evening I started, hap.
III n the thought of once more seeing
solanga. TO lny great surprise, she did
not come to meet me, and on getting
nearer our cottage I could see no lighl
II the windows. Trembling with fear,
| entered the house. saw my cherished
little girl lying on the bed all dressed
Trembling with fear, FRA dc collector pro-
The door was open, ahfs %, Landry ct Acs
Che sill watching her, i Ino. n, Ogden lscs
vas stretched into tie rA
IL ! burning fevet, hayn
Tie night before ghiI aalng from q +
Tor me. SUING caro-, ID th
Forgsvf style, ait moderate price
yoe all msH newspapers for sale at Iii
laeaF oails90 cents per hundred.