The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-06-08


4 The style md manner of the mas
terly writer, and which opened the Sc
ries of Les Gueux dc Provence, has
never been published in volume. :,
- : F .sst
write this at tho end of q long dor
mitory, on = wretched table that the
kindness of one of the hal. walters has
allowed me to put near my bed; the pu-
pills are asleep; it. Is dark and It is
damp; three little lamps are Pickering
In their places; from the four corners of
the great room rises sound of regular
breathing, with now and then . snore,
or = long drawn sigh.
Outside, . slight wintry wind is blow
ing, that brings me by whifRs the echo
OF voices and of musical instruments.
There Is ball at the town hall, great
ball and concert given by the gentle
men members of the Society Of Saint
Vincent de Paul. From my seat,
through the moist window panes and
the gratings, I can see the guests pass
and repass, like black cuttings behind
an oiled paper. Monsieur, the princi-
PAL, and madame. his wife, must be
there also. Brrou! It is swfully cold;
ny feet are frozen and my throat is
parched; must 60 and refresh myself
q tho fountain and walk up and down
4svhile to get warm.
s.Ah! thrice accursed be the day when
Ientercd the internal place; especially
asaasssthoussnd other openings could
have been found for me! It is true that
/ have not sou; yet how many, who
are no better off than l, have succeeded!
Margerot enlisted; Quarteron is study
ting law; Piradoux, the first scholar in
the class, plays on the flute most nasal
ly. and goes about with strolling COM
panies. Yet again, it is who am the
most to be pitied. Had I but entered
some great Lycee at Paris, or at Lyon,
It would have been different. But no!
must needs shut myself up at B in
little collegiate school. Why did
not go to Timbuctoo at once? Or why
not have made myself an ignorantia
brother while was about it?' - y
Good heavens, what an existence! I
am obliged to set up at four O'clock in
tho morning, to 60 to bed much later
than the Others, always to be on foot,
always with eyes and ears wide open,
forever scolding, calling loud, spying,
canting and correcting. If any pupil
blows his nosesat the wrong moment,
Or wishes to laugh inopportunely; If i
domestic passes the night out Of the
house. or if q lamp has no wick; if 1
find q crust of bread in the courtyard,
or bit of paper under . table, 1 must
ut once take pen and write out re-
port and denunciation.
This the state to which / am re-
duced; 7, who tnve always been called
frank, amiableaand, in short, . good
fellow All thin that at the end or each
month"; may receive forty-seven francs
and fifty centimes It is true that am
lodged; and fed;sbut 50 poorly!.a, .-,,.-~ .,,.~
Tho boys are snoring like contra
BASES; the wind glides through the
openings Of the doors. and strikes. my.
poor egs. Ths. water of the fountain
is frozen. Oh! = I had just few drops
Of rum. to warnsny stomach = little.
am up to ny ears IN debt, and I
plunge deeper and deeper in, that
trouble every day. Yesterday, even, I
ordered a costume of my tailor; it was
foolishsto do 40, and almost q robbery,
but how could do otherwise after the
affront received the previous evening?
Our principal was going upstairs, hav-
Ing on, his arm the pretty wife of tho
sous-prcfee; was behind them, tightly
buttoned up in my old jacket, and stiff
as cahe; know not what ridiculous
pride made me DESTROYS to parade my
frisl<y figure and my quick movements,
hsNt VnvfHH md 7 a6A4
steps at . time, with my hat in my
hand, rubbing against the wall, and
showing plainly. without wishing. to do,
90, the white threads of my own shoulder
blades That evening M, the principal,
called me- into his" private room, and,
scrutinizing me from head to foot, told
me that was Z disgrace to his estah-
,<hshfnenk andsthat lodked like apbeg-
gsf. think he was, indeed, halt in
clined to offer me an old frockcoat that
he wore on fanny days. The NEXT
morning I called on the best tailor in
the town, and now I have. one more
tereatsdebt. 9 Oh, what , miserable Nfei
When can escape from it?
~ Hushag the door at the opposite end
Of tie room has just been opened,
and it moves silently on it's oiled hinges
1t is the proctor, going on his rounds.
He advances On tiptoe, IFS feet covered
with heavy cloth shoes, like the oars Of
Assmugglex. He has OF his woollen
dI1Wers and W knit weietcoat Sol
fMMy he carfies dark lantern, that"he
turns quickly from bed to bed, on the
right and on the left great,
twisted nose casts grotesque shadows on
the wall. ''Good evening. sir!'' He goes
out without having answered me, the
old prig. May the b6ny arms Of his
wife lovingly encircle His u neck and
strangle. him. % II he were p mad dog
whether l end my life or not in this
prison, ~ shall always reinember the
evening entered here. ! arrived 1t
{ t6EHP1f& On:appro4ctsing the vol
leRe from the end Of the street, / heard
nasal voices singing, 4eemhahdsd BY,
IN organ. I remained two .or three
.wi9ue4standipg, upon the upper stem
6IGstraissA th2 heavy kidckek, looks
ing up and down the deserted street.
breathing in long draughts Of the fresh
cir, strengthening my courage a. well
. my voice. lean still hear in my ears
B ~