Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-01-12

community were freely visited on the
ron. who remembered nothing IN life
but hard words, averted looks and
blows. Averted looks, for amongst
other evils descending to him from his
forefathers was the horrible goltre,
which made the lad an object Of loath-
ing to strangers.
jacques was death in life. his hear'
had seldom beat to the spring Of JOY.
He wore All expression of misery es-
pecially irritating to the artistic eye
Of Monsieur Perrot.
Poor abused dogs and mules, had
they been able TO speak, might have
praised the delicate touch of the boy $
hands, and his kindness to their
misery heir browbeaten benefactor
was scarcely more capable of express
ING his unhappiness than they.
Dav by day his life was the same
iull round. He rose early, huddled
on his rags, and set forth to his duties
Mt the workshop of Monsieur Perrot.
This establishment, in which Monsieur
Perrot presided over large number
of apprentices and pupils engaged IN
the art of carving, stood on tae out
skirts of the village. The style, the
finish of every object permitted to
leave this workshop had rendered
Monsieur Perrot famous, and the pro-
prietor of the largest shop IN Inter
laken supplied the connoisseurs
amongst his patrons from the wealth
of artistic designs brought to him
twice a year by the old artist.
Besides the sweeping and busting Of
the workshop, jacques was expected tc
saw wood, attend to the fires and be al
the beck and call of all the workmen
as we'll as of monsieur, whose temper
was ever of the most irascible. In the
bows odd moments of leisure he was
permitted to listen to Monsieur Per
rot's general instructions, and other
wise learn as much about carving as
he could from the use Of castaway
tools and rejected material.
This morning Jacques had come late
to the workshop, for he had been de
tanned on the way by a housewife who
/ compelled him to perform a task of
peculiarly disagreeable kind. Sucl
! detention often befell him, for people
were not inclined to let him rise from
the old position of village drudge tC
the status Of slavery for Monsieur Per
rot alone. After the old artist haC
vented his rage on Jacques he turned
to his workmen with fury:
! 'Fools that you are Would that
might be young again for one week.
Oh, had I the use of these rheumatic
limbsi Idiots Content to go on yea
by year, copying, copying. When al
opportunity comes of Distinguishing
yourselves, you feebly cry, you can
think of theme. Pigsl"
Jacques had never seen the maste
in such an inclusive rage. The pupil
hung their heads.
Give hundred francs" cried mon
sieur, taking up a paper from hi
desk and holding it to his failing eyes
Give hundred francs It is a for
tune, and then the renownl" H
paused and glared round the room.
"Would monsieur read it again p
Osked one voice, family.
Monsieur did not read so much a
shout 1t again.
Give hundred francs for the mos
beautiful and natural design of th
edelweiss. Nothing conventional al
lowed in the competition. The priz
is offered by a wealthy American wh'
desires to take back 3 souvenir Of tn
high Alps to his country"
Monsieur threw aside the paper as h
sried passionately:
"And you say you aave never see
the edelwejas growing, that you kno'
not where to find it. Whence do yo
tuppose 1 wrought that design an
That, pointing with trembling hend
10 the models copied by his pupil
ssag after year. II searched until