The herald., 1894-07-13
BOARDING SCHOOL.

The effort made by mature mind to
recall again its earliest impressions is
very curious thing. One evokes them.
They rise up under the form Of very
small person, whom one succeeds in de-
taching from ones self, but who never
theless continues to make one body with
what one has become, The impression
is singular; it is multiform. The image
of the vision of the myself is clear,
well defined AS soon as one says to
oneself, "When I was a child" one
can see oneself as one was at certain
hours, but as soon as one wishes to re-
member an event OF question of fact ond
cannot escape from ono's actual person
ality, and it is impossible to rid that
fact or that event of its connections, of
all it's future consequences One would
like to describe childhood with childish
words. Ono capnotsdo it.
Is it interesting for another mind
than one's own to rehearse what one did
at the age. of 8 yeazs? I fear not, yet
nevertheless l will try. Since I run
this risk, desire to run it absolutely,
and to describe in the most natural way
possible what appears to me from out
the past,
One Gay-it WAS not q Sunday-my
grandmother put on me protty white
dress which she had embroidered her.
self, and she said to me: "This is your
birthday. You ape years old on this
4th day of October"
"Three yearsl'' These two words re-
peated themselves in my head. They
had in them something grave and
gay at the same time. To grow
is the perpetual dream OF childhood,
which eptertains some very surprising
illusions upon this subject. They said
increasingly around me, "She is tall for
her age looked at at1nyself. 1 thought
of the children who were smaller than
I, and 1 found myself tall. A pride
came over me, which was increased by
word uttered by my nurse, Arthemise.
For the first time she called me made
moiselle -
On that day all the persons who saw
me kissed me- returned the kisses Of
my grandfather and Of my grandmother,
suspending myself by my arms on their
necks, but l remember that many peo-
pie displeased me by kissing me too hard.
l made an exception for my nurse,
Arthemise, whom / adored, and for my
big friend, Charles, who had promised
to marry me, and who called me his lit
tie WIFE, thought, not without pride,
that now, when I was years old, he
would call me ''his big wife, 3" thing
which he did with much respect on Of
feripg mo drum.
My grandfather and my grandmother
expected for breakfast my father and
my mother, who lived three leagues
from Chauny, at Blerancourt. Every
time they came they were late, because
the route across the prairie of Mani
camp was SO bad, SO bad that people
told the children the following story: A
COW had fallen in one Of the rlts, and
tho herder, who was always searching
for her with his whip handle, could
never find her again.
l was hungry, and at each moment |
ran to tho front door. held onto the
doorpost and leaned outside. was a
little afraid The front stairs seemed to
me SO high with their four steps, but
then I thought I would be very useful
to the Kitchen if could cry out at the
first glimpse of them, "There they arel"
I was extremely restless. | even fell
once, to the great fright of Arthemise,
who feared for my pretty dress. Finally
my parents arrived.
Thoy told great story which I do
rot now remember. The carriage and
the horses were covered with mud. My
papa and my mamma said that the road
was bad, thing which impressed me.
My mother wore six dress, very much
looped up and very much hidden under
her shawls. / can yet see her unfold her
jupe and shake it. L help her by beating
the silk, and repeat with admiration,
Mamma is pretty!"
My father takes me up and puts my
head upon his shoulder. He has tears in
his eyes, My mother takes me in her
turn, and she cries also.
"It is long time since we have seen
you," says my father, "a very long
time"
ooh, yes, long time!' repeats my
mother.
I am looking for that long time and l
do not find it. My grandmother an
swers:
"Oh, no, not very long time, two
months. -
And J. am more contented.
We are sitting down to breakfast.
My grandfather tells some things at
which everybody laughs, but am think
ing already that the gayety will not
last. that my mother will begin again
to cry in moment and that the days
when my parents from Blerancourt are
present are always sad ON account Of
me we'll know why. have story,
and | tell it whonI am asked for it:
Ny grandmother took me from my
mother when ! was months old. She
stole me- Then I made 80 leagues in
the staSecoach. 1t was when was very
Il