The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-03-04
THE cAlLpREN,s FRIEND.
How Armand Berquin's Hours of IlIne
Were Soothed by His Adorers.

How Arnaud Berquin's Hours of Illness
Were soothed by His Adorers.
The story of the friendship between Ar
maud Berquin and the children who lived
near him in Paris Is as charming as any OF
his own stories, which won for him the
title 1.-THE Children's Friend" A little
garden adjoined Berguin's residence in the
Montmartre quarter. There the children of
the neighborhood came to have their friend
join in their play, tell them stories and
settle their little disagreements. Their
mothers and fathers, too, fell into the way
OF consulting him about family d faculties
and referring to him any differences which
arose between friends, and Berquin rem
dered decisions from which those children
Of larger growth never appealed. Ber-
quin had long wished for his mother to
come from Bordeaux to visit him, and at
last the old lady consented to undertake
the journey. Berquin was delighted. He
prepared for her room exactly like the
one she occupied at home. Everything was
arranged to make her surroundings per-
fectly homelike.
Just then came the news of her sudden
death, and her son, who was already out Of
health, was plunged into a state of melan-
choly and soon became seriouslyill. While
his life was in danger his little friends of
the Montmartre quarter never relaxed their
vigilance Some placed themselves as SEN
tinels at each end of tho street and asked
the coachmen to drive another way. Others
brought branches every morning to spread
in the street to tleaden the sound of the We
hicles that were obliged to pass through
A little group waited at the door of his
room, hardly daring to breathe, listening
for news of the invalid. When they heard
anything, they passed the word along to
others at the foot of the stairs. These
in turn reported it to those at the door, and
presently it was known by all the anxious
ones.
The children's friend began to recover,
but he was, still Melancholy, nervous and
unable to sleep The doctor noticed that
music and flowers had a calming effect
upon him. Immediately the children ceased
to patronize the fruit and candy stalls and
bect ne steady customers of the flower sell
ers. Henceforth their friends room was
filled with the freshest and most beautiful
of blossoms. One day they hired two hand
organs to come to the garden and play un-
der his windows. This brought to the in
yalid's face the first smile since his Illness
The next evening his ears were greeted with
music far more soothing. A piano and a
harp and three young girls voices rendered
his favorite songs and some of his own com
positions.
This exquisite concert was repeated for
many evenings. One night when he spoke
his thanks to the invisible singers and said,
"How have inspired SO much interest and
kind feelingf' voice replied, 'Haye you
never reread your own books, them" Care
and loving attention gradually restored
him to his usual health and spirits. The
children had won their friend back to life
The French academy crowned his works,
but no honor ever touched him as did the
devotion and the hand organ serenade of
the children of the Montmartre quarter
Manchester Times.