Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03


IL, ID " preserved, and moved
/xG-sipli about nimbly still, al
%N%El though she was past
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= Isl \ , ,:; ii a's In .a D:1s:'
Monsieur D'Argival
They had lived in the
same house, in the same street, for forty years.
Monsieur D'Argival had lived there even longer
than that, for it had been his fathers house,
and mis- rather had died there, and it was from
chat house that Monsieur D'Argival. then q
handsome young man Of thirty. set out one
hne day for Boulogne and returned in q few
weeks, bringing with him his young >bride-his
cousin Marie. to whom he had been betrothed
almost since they were children.
Ihey were happy young couple then, and
they were happy old couple now. They had
had everything to make them happy. Monsieur
D'Argival followed bis fathers profession he
taught the violin. His father had . splendid
connection. and his son inherited ii. The
pupils even preferred the son to the father
In the first place he was cleverer, then he was
more patient, and he was ever so much moro
agreeable All the young ladies who took les
sons OF Monsieur D'Argival, fills, declared that
NO was U6dE, ana WQen tQey were 1ntrO-
duced to the young wife they unanimously pro-
nounced her to be '.sweet."
The husband and wife retained their charm
ing characters through life. and when they fin
ally gave up business, having amassed q nice
| little fortune. which would enable them to live
comfortably for the rest Of their days, Monsieur
D'Argival was "a dear old gentleman" and
Madame D'Argival was "a sweet old lady"
Fortune had smiled upon them in the pro-
| fesslon (the wife was an excellent musician and
| took pupils as well as her husband), their
pupils had turned out well, and the little con-
| certs they gave occasionally had always been
| we'll patrOnized and profitable.
And then. you see, they had never been ex-
travagant. They found their happiness in their
| home and in each others society, and when,
after fifteen years Of married life, child was
at last born to them, their happiness was COM
plete.
They lived not only for each other now, but
for their boy, the little Claude. They toiled
for him, they saved for him, they worshiped
| him.
Never was there boy born into the world so
beautiful their boy, SO loving as their boy,
| SO good as their boy, and some day, when they
were old and their time came to 60 hence and
| be no more seen, Claude would have everything.
So they lived on in the little home in Soho,
| living the simple life of French bourgeois
couple: Every morning Madame D'Argival
might be seen with her bonnie, the excellent
Lise, going from shop to shop and doing the
daily marketing, and all the neighbors had q
CHEEKY ''bonjour" and smile for Madame
d Argival.
| And when little Claude was old enough he
| Joined the little party, and that was always his
morning promenade. Holding his mothers
hand, the little fellow trotted gaily by her side
while Lise, carrying tho basket, walked respect
| fully behind.
BY and by, when the boy grew older, Mon
| sieur D. Argival suggested that he should be
ant to q Enc nd hat aPt
ward he should 60 to q college in France, but
| Madame D'Argival wonld not hear Of it.
She could not bear to be parted from her boy,
| and her husband, who yielded to her In all
! things, yielded to her in that. He had gov
erness at home, and then a master at home,
| mothers side.
Some of the French boys in the neighborhood
chaffed him a little as he grew older. They
said that he was tied to his mothers apron
strings, and as he was shy boy and hated
| ridicule he made few friends, and failed to pick
up even that knowledge of the world which
boy can gather from his playmates.
There were others besides the little French
bors who thought that Claude was likely to
become a mollycoddle II he was kept too much
at home.
Every Sunday evening Monsieur and Madame
D'Argival had few friends to dinner. There
was NJ. Courtin, the French grocer, from Old
Compton street: NJ. Hogard, the French book
| seller from Leicester Square; NJ. GARNER. the
violinist, who for twenty years had always been
in the orchestra at the italian opera, and
Madame David who had made fortune in the
little French hotel at the bottom Of the street
in which the DArgivals lived and retired to
Bayswator. There were other ladies and gen.
| tlemen occasionally, but those were the main
guests on Sunday evenings and the oldest
friends Of the family"
NJ. Hogard had been Claude's godfather and
Madame David his godmother, and so it was no
presumption on their part occasionally to offer
the parents advice concerning him.
Claude is getting big boy" said NJ. Hogard.
1T Is high time he went little away from
home. What do you say, Madame David?"
II agree with you," said Madame David. at
Is not good for boys to be always with their
mothers. They should learn something Of the
world that is outside their home"
When these conversations occurred Monsieur
D'Argivai would look across at his wife and say
you hear what our friends say, my dear; are
they not right?'
But Madame D'Arglval would look sad aud
say that it would break her heart to part with
the boy, and, besides, the world was 30 wicked
Boys learnt so much that was evil away from
home, and then the tears would come in her
eyes, and she would plead that at least he should
not be sent away for a little while longer, not
till he was older and stronger and more able to
take care OF himself.
The conversation was resumed many times as
suit. The mother had always some excuse,
and she always won the day. Monsieur Claude
grew up such bright, clever young fellow that
| at last the opposition was sienced. There was
no need for him to go away, for he had COM
! pleted his education at home, and he was now q
| young man.
When the question Of leaving home and the
watchful eve Of his mother was raised anew, it
was from quite an unexpected quarter.
1t was Claude himself who made the sugpes-
| ton. His education complete. his parents
had given up teaching and we're living on the
| interest Of their savings. He thought that it
| was time he did something for himself. He
wasn't musical, so he couldn't teach, but he
was fine hnguist. and was excessively clever
| at figures A position had been offered him
| good position-and he thought he ought not
| to refuse it.
Madame D'Argival was Mortified She was
| about to protest. but NJ. Hogard was present 1T
was at one Of the little Sunday dinner parties
that the conversation took place. and broke in.
1.-The boy is right" he exclaimed land l will
be frank with you, my dear old friends. 1t is I
who am to blame for putting this idea into
| Claude head"
''lou. exclaimed Monsieur D'Argival
"Yes-you see, am interested in Q big con-
Germ which is being started in Paris. 1t will be