The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-03
PERE BLANCHET'S
COMMISSION.

Four-5-s-7-7 o'clockl Mechanically,
methodically, Joseph Blanchet rose every
morning at the last stroke.
He gave an hour to his toilet, an hour to
his newspaper and half an hour to his
breakfast. After a twenty minutes walk,
always through the same streets, at 9:55
he reached the museum of x, where he
was attendant, and saluted Madame Guar
rigues, the doorkeeper: "Good day. Ma
dame Guarriguesl' Good day, Monsieur
Blanchetl" A few words rapidly ex-
changed about the weather followed then
he went up to the picture gallery and
found himself at his post just as the clock
was striking TO-
Sixty years old, tall, spare, pale. his still
supple form wearing the quiet, half-mili-
tary uniform of our National museum
attendants. Blanchet had nothing about
him of the jovial, Dragging and classic old
under officer. He did not smoke, he did
not drink, he did not swear. He had a
sweet. low voice, and talked little. He
was thin, bald and dignitied. He wore
large ring on the little finger of his long,
genteel hand. His silver eyeglasses,
swinging from right TO left over the
front of his uniform, gave him touch of
clerical dandyism. His face was melan-
choly, with its mustache still black, but
thin. There is nothing to say of his
nose; but. by way of contrast, his eyes
were wandering, timid, undecided, and
shining with constant preoccupation.
Upon each cheek, at the same height, was
a round bluish-brown scar, around which
his beard, carefully shaven elsewhere, left
few white hairs. A ball had passed
through his mouth, breaking out two teeth
on each side; for, though there were small
signs of it. Blanchet had been in special
service, in the artillery. He had come out
of it chief quartermaster, decorated with
the Legion of Honor and with a military
medal, not to mention his medals from the
Crimea and Italy, and he wore these
honors with some coquetry.
His commission! His dutyl These two
words had ruled his whole life. He was
born scrupulous and obedient. When a
child he was always first in his class and
the last to leave it. The fear of not know
ing his lesson weighed upon him; he rose
in the night to study it, said it to himself
all along the road till the last minute,
going back to the book at the least hesita-
tion. He believed he knew it, he did
know IL in truth but at the moment of
reciting the fear of doing badly seized him
by the throat--he lost his head, trembled,
stammered-and the master. attributing
to idleness what was only an excess of
zeal, sent him back to his seat in disgrace.
The poor little fellow was in continual
torture.
In the regiment he had the same scru-
pies, further increased by responsibility.
the least command assuming a peculiar
importance in his eyes. 1t was even worse
still when he became corporal, and then
quartermaster! He was responsible not
only for himself. but for others. The drills
in the court of the quarter or polygon,
the inspection of the stores, the appear
ance of the men, the care of the horses,
were all so many anxieties, even in time
of peace; but in war when an order mis-
understood or improperly executed might
have such serious consequences, the bur-
den was crushingl
When there were rumors of surprise,
and his captain would say to him in the
evening: You know, Blanchet, tomor-
row, count upon you, keep your eve
open" the poor fellow endured unutter-
able terror. Keep his eye openl Oh, yes
he would keep his eyes open he would not
close them all night, in spite of fatigue.
The words, 81 count upon you'll" entered
his brain like gimblets. For fear of forget
ting the order, he would write it down and
read 1t over aud over by candle-l light in his
tent. When the commission had been
scrupulously fulfilled and his captain had
said TO him, THAT is Just right, Blanchetr"
ne began to breathe once more.
but what battery was like his! 1t was
cited as a model for the whole regiment
Blanehet was adored by his superiors. their
confidence IN him never having been de-