The morning news., 1892-03-19
TIE DEATa OF THE DAuPa1N.
one Of DAudet's Ballads Turned Into
Prose.

Ol5 "a 6~o4AOL6 . oaAAa46 INTO
Prose.
Ths little dauphin is very sick. the little
dsuDhip is going to die; the holy sacrament
IS celebrated night and day aud grand
tapis are kept burning for thel recovery Of
tn, royal child
The streets in the residence section Of the
city are sad and silent; the clocks strike no
more, and carriages go at a walk Outside
the walls Of The Falace the common peoDIe
peer curiOsly through the gratings. Some
Swiss, with their gilded belts, grouped in a
corner Of the court, are talking with an air
of great Importance.
All the chateau is in commotion: the
chanberlains and stewards are running IN
and down the marble steps; the halls are
crowded with pages and courtiers dressed
IN silk, who go from group to group asking
news in a low voice. On high perrons sit
ladies' OF honor weeping and bowing low as
they dry their eyes with their pretty en-
hroidered handkerchief
In the conservatory is a numerous as
semblY of physicians in robes. One can see
them through the glass windows waving
their long black sleeves and nodding
lesrnedly their huge wigs. The governor
and esquire Of the little dauphin walk up
and down before the door awaiting the de-
cisions of the feculte; several menials pass
by without saluting them. Monseigneur
PEsquire swore like pagan. Monseigneur
rGOvernor recited verses from Horace
Once in a while down there in the direction
of the stables they hear a long plaintive
neigh. it Is the chestnut horse OF the little
dauphin, whom the hostlers forgot, and
who whinnys sadly before its empty manger.
And the king Where Is hel The king
mas shut himself up in one OF the back rooms
Of the chateau all alone. His royal hign-
ness does not like any one to see him cry.
AS for the queen. it's quite another thing
SEATED at the side of the little dauphin, her
beautiful face stained with tears, she sobs
aloud before every one just as a sewing
maid would do.
On bis lace-trimmed bed, with bis eyes
closed lay the little dauphin. whittier than
the pillows on which he rested. You would
have believed that he was asleep. But no ;
the little dauphin was not sleeping. He
turned toward his mother. and, seeing that
SIZE wept, be said to her: MADAME la reine,
why do you cryl Is it that you believe 80
surely that am going to dieF"
The qusen wished to reply, but sobs pre-
vented her speaking
do not cry then, madame la refine: YOU
forget that l am the dauphin, and that
dauphirs cannot die So"
The queen sobbed more violently, and the
little dauphin began to be frightened.
'Hom said he, II do not want death to
come and take me, l can easily keep her
from coming here. Order forty very big
lansquenets this very minute to mount
guard around my bedl An hundred big
cannons to watch night and day, with fuses
ready lit, under our windows, and it will
be bad luck to death if she dare come
near u.s."
To please the royal child the queen gave
The order. That hour heavy cannons were
heard rolling in the court yard and forty
grand lansquenets, halbreds in hand, came,
arranging themselves around the room,
These are old veterans with gray boards.
The little dauphin clapped his hands when
be saw them, and, Recognizing one, called,
"Lorrainl LorrainI'
The old soldier advanced to the side of the
bed.
II love you very much. my old Lorrain.
Let me see your big sword. If death comes
20 carry me away Wen have to kill her,
ehln
Lorrain replied "Yes, monseigneur -
And two large tears trickled down his
tanned cheeks.
Just then the priest came to the side of
the little dauphin and spoke to him for a
long time in an undertone showing to him
a crucifix. The little dauphin listened to
him with an air of great astonishment, then
all at once interrupted him:
II understand fully what you say to me,
Monsieur rAbbe. but, after all, could not
my little friend Beppo die in my place, il
We gave him lots of money!
The priest continued speaking to him in a
low voice, and the little dauphin looked
still more perplexed. When the priest had
finished the little dauphin, with deep
sigh, answered:
"All that you have told me is very sad,
Monsieur Fable; but one thing still consoles
me; it is that up there. among the stars, in
paradise. l shall still be the dauphin.
know that the good God is kind friend
and he cannot fail to treat me according to
my rank"
Then he added, turning toward kis
mother; "Let them bring me my best
clothes, my light green doublet and my vel
vet slippers. | want to make myself grand
for the angels. and enter paradise in the
costume of dauphin."
A third time the priest bent over the lit
tie dauphin and spoke long TO him In a
whisper. In the midst OF his talk the royal
child stopped him angrily.
But, then," screamed he, ito be dauphiu,
Is that nothing at allF'
And wishing to hear nothing more, the
little dauphin turned TO the wall and wept
bitterly.
GEORGE LARCoMBE GARMANY.
Princeton N j. March 16 1892