The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-22
JuLOT's PUNCH.

Carrie Blaks Morgan.
JULOT'S PUNCH.
h Ia New Years day and . holiday At the
Ohildren's Refuge. In honor OF the ocea-
sion thors 10 to be . distribution Of play
gsnious industry of unknown comrades
whose first steps In life have bssn pso-
tsctsd by : more meroiful destiny.
Theso toys come from the four quarters
of the town and many Of them display .
rare ability In the art Of amalgamating
nothinea-a remnant Of goods . moEssl Of
cotton. . little paste. and from II the chill
dron have composed some marvel Of grace
and good taste. Subscriptions have been
opened. money has poured in and ppr-
,chasss old and new have bsen msdee., tn
toys srs arranged In bsapiifnl asdegi Tiers
are dolls, farms swords. Runs Noah's srka
bailpeas. Tin soldiers, In short perfect
treasure .ot picturesque 1 fan'l'., ses Il ~ !,
nyx*. srt, ..,shssd III As..-se ~ ,,4,a.'y ~
The d%istsibution has taken place and
ebildish delight il at its height in the. class
seomp. s.d the4 coprts. a,tA ~.
4 For his part JnloA ,hss received 2 Punah.
Alas! ths bad e. take Il 20 hiA bed In ths
aixth, ward. vhsrss Ae is kept. in company
With some. other companions ip misfoftunG
by a disease that never pardons. In great
haste and with care Mr.. Punch has been
Suspended from the summit OF his eilded
hat to the triangle which supports the cur
tains OF Julot's cot. When the sick child
SECS him, clad in . silk coat. half red half
yellow, he opens wide his eyes burning with
fever, and a feeble smile flokers on his pale
lips. as no whispers softly. "Oh. you lovely.
lovely Punohp'
Then. anxious to press the doll In his
arms. he tries TO sit mp In bed, but falls
back, poor little thing, full length on the
pillows. And now he remains there. silent
and m~otionless, In an admiration border
ing on ecstasy.
and thin, that shows the blu veins. slips
from under ths bed cover. Slowly. slowly,
IL crawls over the quilts. and Selling Ne
thread which moves the doll given -
bfusque, phil. Oh marvel! Mr. Punch 10
Immediately dashed into space. e right, to
left, arms and legs; his eyes roll In their
orbits, he puts out his tongue and Eakss
she moaV l%Aughable- contortionsl in 1ths
world. All! NJ. Pupch. Mr.. gPupch. bow
naturaLyou are, with your powdered wig.
your hooked nose, your pointed chin. II 70
'eaty % r~:copniz. you, ,yoa rogue. Will.
YOU bfanaish ysuE stick like Z. tyne hend.
she terror Of, the police. u.. c., q ";
sAnd4Julot, his mouth open, his eyes half
closed. pulls She thread with rhythmics1
movement forgetting his life Of misery
while Mr.. Punch, dances before him He
10 only four years old. Julot. His fifth ysaT
il Just beginning with the new year, and
consumption 10 finishing in his frail organ.
ization the dark work which. for the last
few months, il has pursusd without mercy.
Consumption! Julot Knocks It. While Mr..
Punch jumps about at the end Of the thread
he IL distracted from his suferings, and
let's his thoughts wander into the Lar of
dreams-a charming country. whore little
children pass their time In play; whore the
loving mothers have their lips full Of
kisses, and where one is never-oh! never
-beaten.p@ re SsjaE
Who 10 Julot? Tho card axsd ats~tAe
head Of his cot says:
Jules Davis. Destitute. Tuberoeious."
d That 10 all-tsrrifyinR in its laeonioism,
this official notice. But downstairs, In the
books of the house. on . great register,
extracted from a bulletin of the civil gov
eminent, and also from . note of the DO
lice. In substances:
"Jules Davis. Born the 10th December,
1s8-, at Paris, IN the fourteenth district.
Son Of Elisa Davis. lower-vsndsr, and of a
.1Atn0k " ubuO0 lJttOn buy0
to six months in Jail for sho rliftine. Both
July. 49,; sent to servo her term At the
prison Of Baint Lazars."
Now Julot, who's, whole family consisted
of the unknown father and the thievinR
mother, had been sent to ths Chi.drcn's
q policeman had taken him to the Refuge.
whore the wrote down his name, surname
and all the other information. and a. the
unfortunate child could scarcely stand.
they had quickly put him in the sick ward.
The place = pleasing enough . the eye IN
the fire burns night and day, which fills the
air with warmth and comfort; there are also
about fifteen cots. exquisisely clean and
soft. where the sick children rest, while the
nurses come and 90 with Rentle footsteps.
Here oil il repose and calm, and Julot. In
spite of his sickness. ~abandons himself TO
the delicious scnse of rest and comfort.
In the confused limbos of his memory he
can recall a long series Of miserable lodg-
ings, taken and quilted each week. dirty
the sounds of savage laughter. In the mar
row passages he had been won't to meet
drunken men and women in rags, and to
hear low songs and oaths continually. 1nd
all around, under the eyes of himself and
other children. condemned by . cruel fate
placed in their esandidSp pulls 9, aims Of pre-
coeious Woe and precocious CORRUPTION des-
tined to spring up later. \ a ~
But oil these horrors are far far away.
surrounded BY the VA nth Of the beautiful
ward. under, The prot. dsfoh friendly
oh nothing. Julot pulls the thread and
Mr.. Punch gasnbols 4sts acreaturs BOG.
essssd. wAile julot. Sfnit4t ana7 II happy %
The day declines and night comes; che
Qasts lighted In ths wards, and b soft LIGHT
filters through the white ,ourtaips Of the
cots on which the sick, children lie. -
Now and then pafoxysms OF couohinsu
ssar tAe aiI; sometinea ! moan. someiinies
. CALL The night hurSe always iurnps M
and advances oward the cot whence the
sound has come, draws back the curtains.
bends forward. Asks softly' what ia cha
matter, and, according to cireurlstsnocs i
comforts the child with y tender word. or
%administsrs the medicine prescribed by the
doctor.
And Julot?
Julot docs mot breathe . word. His
strength is falling. His livld. drawn face
bet avs an u~nspeakable ~a9ony--the result
Of privations endured. blows received, i'm.
prudenoes undergone. In . word, a long
and dolotous martyrdom ia inscribed. in
insfacsable marks, on his thin face. His
dim Dyes see the outline OF MIR. Pupch
through q mist. And vet. from time 10
slime. % II mechanically. he pulls the
Thread which works the doll and Punch 70
spends by q Rrimaos. -
Ono by one the hours strike. II Ia mid.
night. whom suddenly a sofa murmpr. nj.