The Forrest City times., 1895-06-14

Oome rlRnt In, DEAR" said the kind
hearted old captain.
They saw charming little creature
about six years old. who smiled back
again from under her neat bit of hat;
she wore pink dress that made her look
still more like flower, and she said:
Bon jour" prettily to the gentlemen
as she passed. Henry Staples, the store
keeper and postmaster, rose behind the
counter to serve his customer as II she
had been a queen, and took from her
hand the letter she brought, with the
amount OF its postage folded up in q
warm bit of newspaper.
The captain and his friends looked on
with admiration.
Give her piece Of candy-no. give
it me an I'll give 1t to her." said the
captain, eagerly, reaching for his cane
and leaving his chair with more than
usual agility; and everybody looked
on while he took striped stick of pep
permint from the storekeeper and Of
fered it gallantly. There was some
thing in the way this favor was ac-
cepted that savored of the French
court and made every man in the store
a lover. N
The child not only made a quaint
DOW before she reached out her hand
with childish eagerness for the unex-
pected delight, but she stepped for
ward and kissed the captain. 4sser
There was q murmur of delight at
this charming courtesy; not man
there would not have liked to find
some excuse for walking away with
her, and there was general sigh
as she shut the door behind her and
looked back through the glass with q
parting smile.
That's little French Mary. Alexis
little girl" said the storekeeper, eager
to proclaim his advantage of previous
acquaintance. 'She came here yester-
day and did an errand for her mother
as nice as grown person could"
II never saw a little creatur' with
prettier ways" said the captain, blush
ing and tapping his cane on the floor.
This first appearance of the little
foreigner on an April day was like the
coming of young queen to her king
dom. She reigned all summer over
every heart in Dulham-not face but
wore its smiles when French Mary
came down the street, not mother
who did not say to her children that
She wished they had slch pretty man.
ners and kept their frocks as neat.
The child danced and sang like fairy,
and condescended to all childish
games, and yet, best of all for her
friends, seemed to see no difference be-
tween young and old. She sometimes
followed Capt. Weathers home and
discreetly dined or took tea with him
and his housekeeper, an honored
guest; on rainy days she might be
found in the shoemaker's shop or the
blacksmith's, watching them at their
work; smiling much but speaking lit
tie, and teaching as much French as
she learned English. To this day, in
Dulham, people laugh and repeat her
strange foreign words and phrases.
Alexis, the father, was steady at his
work of gardening and haying; Marie,
the elder, his wife, washed and ironed
and sewed and swept, and was a helper
in many households; now and then on
Sunday they set off early in the morn
ing and walked to the manufacturing
town whence they had come, to go to
mass; at the end of the summer, when
they felt prosperous, they sometimes
hired a horse and wagon and drove
there with the child between them.
Dulham village was the brighter and
better for their presence, and the few
old-fashioned houses that knew them
treasured them, and French Mary
reigned over her kingdom with no re-
volt or disaffection to the summers
end. She seemed to fulfill all the du-
ties of her childish life by some exquis-
ite in stinct and infallible sense of fit
ness and propriety.
One September morning. after the
first frost, the captain and his friends
were sitting in the store with the door
shut. The captain was the last conner.
& 1--WE got bad news" he said, and
they all turned toward him, appre-
hensive and forewarned.
Alexis says he's going right away"
(regret was mingled with the joy of
having piece of news to telD. "Yes,
Alexis is going away; he's packing up
now, and has spoken for Fosters hay
cart to move his stuff to the railroad"
What makes him so foolish?" said
Mr.. Spooner.
HE says his folks expect him in
Canada; he's got an aunt livin' there
that owns good house and farm, and
she's gittin old and wants to have
him settled at home to take care of
her."
i've heard these French folks only
desire to get forehanded a little, and
then they go right back where they
come from" said some one, with an air