The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-12-29
"MY FRIEND JACQUES"
The Pathetic Story Of a Comrade's
Devotion.

Last summer / took two weeks holi-
day at the Sc ashore, in the little port
of Cayeux, at the mouth of the Bay of
la Somme.
The population is composed princi-
pally of fishermen, who are considered
the most robust Whereabouts.
spent the greater portion of the
day upon the beach, and / had
often noticed a little cabin all covered
with honeysuckles and climbing vines.
Through the open door might be seen
the household utensils shining against
the walls; upon table covered with a
white cloth were the loaf of brown
bread, some butter and some pink
radishes. Merely looking at them gave
me an appetite, and 1 said to myself:
"It's strange. all the same, how the
poor people can be happy without any
thing to put the flour in the dough-
trough and the bread upon the board
save the labor of their hands!"
The inhabitants of this ca bin were a
fisherman of about thirty, young
woman and a small lad scarcely five
years old.
All was clean and cheerful in the
house.
Back of it spread an inclosure SYM
metrically planted with fruit trees; the
meadow was a mass of bloom. Morn
ing and evening / saw the young wom-
an call the dog, cat, goat and chick
ems, give the mess and straw to the
animals and scatter pure wheat for
the fowls; and how she laughed when
she beheld the frolicsorne goat gallop
away with it's tail in the air!
l greatly desired to make the ac-
quaintance of the proprietors of the
cabin, and an occasion soon presented
itself.
One day as passed by heard the
sound of weeping. The door was open
and, in my capacity of ply ysician, l in
quired if my care could be of any use.
No serious accident had happened; the
child had fallen and got confusion of
the forehead.
The father thanked me and asked
me to rest myself little. I eagerly
accepted the invitation. congratu-
lated him on the happiness he seemed
to enjoy, and asked him for particulars
concerning his occupation. He
answered me good-naturedly. Sud-
denly he said that his happiness would
be perfect were itnot for the loss of
brother.
''It is quite a story" added he; 81
will relate it to you ifyou like, for
am always delighted to talk of my
childhood's companion"
81 understand grief" I said to him,
land assure you that I shall sympa-
thize with yours"
The fisherman then told me the follow
ing narrative:
were like brothers; had we been nursed
at the same breast we could not have
loved each h other more.
cat the age of twelve we helped the
fishermen on board the boats and began
to save few sous. One fine day we
kissed our mothers and set out on a
long voyage. Six years afterwards the
village of Cayeux saw two handsome
sailors return; without Dragging we
were the twain-Jacques as straight as
a fir tree, with arms of iron, loyal
heart cheerful and determined, with
flashing eyes; I-ohl I-well. there were
uglier men!
''The people and the village seemed
to me unchanged-with one exception,
however-Jeanne Vernier, the daughter
of the coast guard. We had left her a
slim girl; found her on my return a
tall and graceful young lass fit to cap
tivate all the crew of the fleet with her
handsome eyes and winning waysl In
consequence of this Pere Vernier and
became close friends, so that / re-
mained sitting for whole hours in the
little room of his cabin, listening to the
fathers stories, but keeping my eyes
upon the 'danghter,i 49,
Jacques also came there some
times r- ssE
! Zone evening as Jacques and l were
chatting together seated on . bench