The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-27
AN INFANT PRODIGY.

tiers.
Slaves to their profession, they had
no time to spare for Lucette, who was
left to the care Of her grandmother, q
dear old lady Of 60 years, who loved
the little "morsel," Just opening its
eyes on existence, with the strength and
fervency of three-father, mother and
self.
All day long she would play with
Lucette, while her son and daughtor-in-
law We're learning their parts or re-
hearsing their roles at the thcatcr. Poor
little Lucette! From her earliest days
she had been lulled to sleep by long
speeches and awakened by explosions of
dramatic wrath. How many times in
the apartment Of the NerniereS, which
looked upon Il gloomy court in the Rue
de Bondy, had she been startled by the
melodramatic voices and eXtravagant
gestures Of her parents while repeating
Robert Macaire,' 1.-The Wandering
jew" ''Thirty Years Of an Actors
Life and other works Of the same
class. When the Nernieres were "On
tour" the grandmother delighted to
take Lucette for a days outing in the
suburbs, where the grass was green
enough and the trees tall enough to
make one think oneself really in the
country.
THE child needs q breath Of fresh
air." she would say, and while she sat
upon a folding stool, reading with pro-
found attention the journal she had
brought with her, Lucette would roll
upon the grass in happy innocence,
amusing herself with chasing butter
flies, pulling flowers or listening to the
blackbird whistling in the branches.
On these occasions the little white
face would glow all over with health
and pleasure, while the good old dame,
made happy at seeing ''her child" look
ing SO much stronger and better, would
thank God for her and lie down to rest
with a peaceful smile and quiet con
science.
When she was 6 years old, Lucette was
lively as a kitten and sang like q lark.
~ SldlltlIllOIllC1 NoOh pSS Ill
teaching her to repeat passages from
Racine and fables from La Fontaine,
which the child would recite with a Sc
rious air in q voice both musical and
impressive.
About this period tho parents began
to bestow more attention on their charm
ing little daughter.
O,a ayar.,,v NJ l.p,,or I ,,poffn r-a N
recitation, and Verniere, listening with
his mouth full, cried: wife, we must
make an artistic of this youngster. What s
bred in the bone comes NJ in the flesh.
She's in love with the boards already.
She'll do"
mot quite a bad idea" said the
mother.
BAH interposed the grandmother.
There's plenty of time to talk about
that. There's
Listen, granny. There'sho time like
the present. Now, in a very short while
they're going to put on The Old Cor
poral' at the Theatre du Nord. I'm cast
for the principal role, that of Corporal
Simon, in which l succeed the great
comedian, Frederick Lemaitre, but the
manager has no II to fill the part Of
Emmeline, the little girl that Corporal
Simon carries perched on his knapsack
at the siege Of Ulm. Well, if I were to
propose Lucette''-
You're a fool" interrupted the old
lady, with great energy. "A child Of G
years-delicate, sensitive! You want t.
kill her porhaps:'
"Get along with you. Don't worry
yourself with nonsense Of that sort,
granny. The child will take no harm.
She will be with me. It's an opportunity
not to be thrown way. She will make
respectable acquaintance and at the
same time learn her profession. Jus,
leave us alone, and all will 90 right.
The old grandmother had to submit.
Fifteen days after Lucette was letter
perfect in the short part Of Emmeline
and Verniere, having laid his propose
before the manager, brought his daugh
ter down to rehearsal.
shes a prodigy. She'll cram tn
house." was that astute gentleman's re
Election as he watched the performance
At the finish he accepted the offer au,
closed the bargain.
The curtain rose for the first act O
1.-The Old Corporal" 1t was the cam
before Ulm. General Roquebert, whom
Napoleon had ordered to draw the Aus
TRANS in order to mask an importan
movement of the main army, was con
fiding to the old veteran, Antoine 81
mon, the care of his daughter Emme
line.
The audience, a most sympathetic an
enthusiastic one, had eyes only for LII
cette Vernierc, the child who impel
sonated Emmeline. AS for Simon, h
ragged and stormed inwardly at the III
happy fortune which had turned hi
into a nursery Waid," instead Of pc
hitting him to bear a hand in tannir
the hides of the "Kaiserlichs."
The corporal and Emmeline had take
shelter on the outskirts of a wood, VIII,
Of q sudden Simon perceived the glitt
of cannon and the sheen Of steel amol
the trees. Almost at the same nome
the enemy 'spoke." Volley after voIl
whistled through the branches, seattle