The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-05-25
4 PIECE OF SOAP.

month OF December. The CAV 7s..s cloudy
;und dull. and the wind N:.s re.sri8C
among The ok trees. vVS; Going n
dine with Maitre les BitGn2e, wll@ IL
those days I.ed III the I:sat PUraiS
fam Gu the farther side tt the Nehtl
moorlands.
The dia1er was 70 be served at s
O'Clock. As left the forest Ct Bcile-
Ger5c and to1l the little eros; la5l. that
led to Monroe Heard t~I.cc&1urcn belts ~
the valley Sinking 4.
As I went along The idea cane to ne
to get sL&vcd. 1t was quite ii natural
idea, sCrEy tcard NaShlI1ing Eac-tEe
cold wind :telIS K bite 81 uushaEet
skin. Ny beard WIS eight days Old, ard
there wc@e-to &c other people ut dinner.
so 81 gu3Ite 2Dorc rl,soi!t&bie If shaved,
At the cIt.":nce e the Village on the
right ilaao S'a.c stood d ri tcresQue lit
tie elm. Ti.owiml Ns&s r.ttl5ng tae leave
Of the holy trees thar svcod IL front 81
it. Inside / eagld hear The SQUAD cf load
voices. [ went il, and ordering Il glass
of vino &skesl the lost If there was .
barber ii the village.
"Parblca <a1i!" cried an old peasant
who was sitting with his feet IN tie
stove and lighting las pipe with a fire
brand. "Tl.ere is old Rr:aeyent. who
shaved lsewhole camp Of Nel1on during
the Wa. Il m is at h0Ine--aIdh he ought
to be, for Is I passed the church iast
now l saw his dog Rona9t running dow,
the street.-the will do the trick for you
first rate, and very q%uiclir too!'
And this Brideye.lf. said another
peasant, who was stirring lis cup of cof-
fee at the end of the table. Confidently
means to live and die hepe. l Thought
he went away to his vegetables and his
cabbages III the country when the camp
left Monroe. He ono from the neigh
borhood Of Pfron. GoesE't be?:'
$50 he always says, YET tle never gees
\ much farther from his little shop tl:l4
a rabbit does from its burrevv.
"And how does he live? A little
poaching CT the sly and occasionally
dressings beard are not enough to I'll the
pot. Yet he does nothing else, 50 far d
/ can see"
"Bridevent ~ Il sly 0,a, Maitre L.
Hodey, and has pnt aside little money.
He used to keepat c%antilie. and has done
other things than shave chine.o
Satisfied with what I hal heard, /
asked the proprietor to show me Bride
vents house aud left the inn. [ found
IT,. as he had DIES ribbed. II lew, pictur-
esque cottage, standing alGHe far back
from the road, with its broad. sloping
roof giving to it Il somewhat l1gubrious
"a ,,A+ Hl-,a,.1 L. -. II
situation.
When | was within u few feet Of the
porch, which was partly concealed by
low bushes, the d"H suddenly opened
and a figure appeared.
1t was that of a small man. Z, very
small man, squat, dark. thicllset. with
long arms aud tremendously bowed legs.
The enormous head. which did rot set
straight on the massive shoulders was
covered with unkempt BLACK hair. The
neck was short and thick, and there was
scarcely any forehead 70 abe seen.
Add TO this feature that had the .ap-
pearauce of having been crushed a large
mouth wt.sh thick lips that droopod at
one corner and two large cleaning
black eyes. and You may haze some IDEA
of this singular Individual.
Myiirst thoughtson seeing silis hidenus
sapparltIol was to turn and actrace my
steps or to go strai:5jl IL past she house.
But a second glance at the person show
ed me that he was properly dressed. and
that it was his defornlity chis fly that
thus inspired the sensation of repug-
Rance. So. suppreSSi,ls my surprise. ]
addressed him in d voice that wqs Ill.
most gay:
Eth bien, my friend. at this time Of
day, and with this kind Of weather. !
suppose trade wish You is not booming.
Do yon think You can shave me before it
gets too dark
Come III. monsieur he said sing-
ply. Il will do the best | can"
He Went IN first. 10 make room fer
me to pass. and pointed to chair beside
the fireplace. The interior Of the cottage
was very modest. Everything was clean
and in its place. A high. cd fashioned
bedstead stood in enc corgsyr. and in IN
other a cupboard with deep shelves .inl
several dozen plates with h]ae patterns
painted on them.
A tail kitchen clock, a mirror, atlale@#
several chars and a kncading trough
composed the rest Of the furniture iii The
room Two on three dingy looking pic
lures hung on the smoke stained walls.
From the rafters hung smoked hams.
dried plants and sausages, long and
black. In the corners stood fishing rods
and fowling pieces, and two guns rested