The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-03-30
FORGIVEN.


over lately bereavcd. for bis lit.le son
with whom he lived alone, % small child
dressed as nicely ~ though he bad u mother
was hardly years old However neither
the father nor the aOn wore any Grape either
on their caps Or siesvr,
Every day. early iu the morning, Tony
Robec. who worked as a typcsgtter in a
printing shop 70 the Latin quarter, went OF
with his little Adricn. still half asleep, on
his shoulder ard would leave him no q
BchyOl In the rriglLD.n0Od. where after hia
days work wns done, he would call FOR him,
and leading the little fellow by the hand
would stop M fhp butchers and milkman's
and take home in the child's schoolba8lzct,
Just az n woman wOuld have done what
was necessary for their dinner, and then
would shut himself up IN his room till the
next day
The tender hearted gossips Of the house
pitied the poor father. who was still fine
looking man scarcely 20 years old, but
with such sad, pale face, his beard al
ready streaked With gray and his earnest
eyes looking like those Of n lion in rrpOse
and they said ~ they looked after him:
That man ought 10 marry agaiu Ileis
o good fellow and never drinks Hc could
easily find Dice girl TO take care Of him
aud his son. Have you noticed how clean
he keeps the little bOy2 Never q hole or a
spot on bis clothes llc is an orderly man.
You can sce Ii at once. and IL seems he earns
10 francs day"
They would have liked 20 have made his
acquaintance Generally it is not difficult
70 make friends with ones neighbOrs in
these popular houses, where they live half
the time with their doors open. But Tony
bad reserved air, n polite way Of bowling
TO them on the stairway which intimidated
them.
Every Sunday the father and con, clean rs
two new pennies, went fora walk. The had
met them IN the museums in the Jardin dcs
PlaDtas They had also seen them before
dinner time IN a little cafe Of the quarter,
where Tony treated himself to his sole lux.
ury in the week a glass Of absinthe, which
he drank slowly. while Adrien, seated by
bis side On a leather covered bench, looked
at the illustrated papers.
No. mesdames," said the concierge Of
the house, who was sentimental, to her
friends. that widower will mover marry
again. A Sunday or two ago met him in
one Of the paths Of the MOntparnasse Gem
etery. His wife no doubt is buried there.
1t made me gad to rec him with his moth.
erless child He must have adored his lost
one. 1t is rare but there are some like
that. he il inconsolable."
Alasl yes Tony Robec had loved his
wife deeply and could not be consoled 70.
her loss, only be was not a widOwer
His history was a very simple and not a
happy one. He was a conscientious work
E.ua@ IL
trade, and il was not before a long time
that be had succeeded in setting type well
and in earning his livelihood in a small
way, and that was the reason why he never
had thought Of marrying until be was over
% years Of age. He should have chosen q
serious minded girl, acquainted with poy.
erty, as he had been himself But love
laughs at reason, and Tony lost his heart to
young flower girl 10 years old, who, al
though she |ss yirtuOus, had a very frivo
lous character, thinking only Of dress and
knowing how to make herself look like q
little princes with her lovely face, a few
bits Of ribbon and some bright colored stuff.
he had put by small amount of money,
sufficient TO furnish wee apartment quite
well, and besides the usual necessary furni
ture he bought wardrobe with looking
glass In it for 50 francs in the Faubourp
Saint Antoine in order that his sweetheart
could See herself in it full length, and then
be married his Clemantine, and at first
they were blissful!y happy. How they did
love each other, to be surel
They have two rooms in the fifth story in
a house on the Boulevard Port Royal, with
. small balcony and a view over all Paris
Every evening when he left his printing
house, situated on the left bank Of the
Seine, Tony RObec, with his overcoat hiding
bis workman's blouse, looking quite like q
gentleman, would 90 10 the corner of the
bridge Of Saint Peres to wait for his little
wife. who would come from the Rue Saint
HonOre, where her workshop was, and arm
In arm, close together, they would hurry tc
their distant home 70 eat their merry even,
Ing meal
But their Sundays, s,abOve all, were delight.
fuL They were 50 happy at home they did
not 20 ont. Oh, their breakfasts in sum,
mer. with the windows open looking out
over the great city and the blue sky, how
good they werel While he was slipping his
coffee and smoking his cigarette Cleman
tine would 20 tc water the flower pots or
the balcony She is too clever" he wOuld
say TO himself. and then would get III
from his chair softly and surprise her by
kissing her On the back of her neck. "Will
you never have done, you silly fellowS" She
would gay lGughingly.
And then in due time a child was born
their little Felix, whom they put out Il
nurse at MarEency. where they would 20 IL
Zee him every tTo weeks But he died
when be was a year old Of commissions
However, they were soon consoled by Adri
ems birth. whom the mother wished tC
keep with her, and so she left her work
shop and took in work at home, earning
only about half as much, but managing al
the same TO dress herself prettily, and
would play the lady in the Luxembourg
gardens. rolling her baby before her in 8
little straw carriage
But although Tony toiled four times
harder than ever, working besides in q
newspaper Office az night, he could not
earn enough for their expenses and fell intG
debt Then. when the child became strong
enough 10 wean and was left during the
day Al ehildreu's refuge, the mother, who
was often unOocUpied, fell into the danger
Gus habit Of gadding about in the streets
alone
You can imagine the difference between
the poor man, grown old before his time
with care and worn out with hard work
and this frivolous girl, only % and as pretty
Es picture by Grsuze. One evening, on
coming home with his little boy, fOrwhom
he had stopped as he passed by the refuge,
Tony Robee found letter on the mantel.
piece from which, as be opened the en-,
velOpe, Clenantiae's wedding ring fell out.
In this letter the heartless creature bade
him and her son goodby and asked their
forgiveness al the same time
The romantic jurymen Of the present