The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-12
envy poor mother" said Frank Sob

keeper AS they passed before the
chateau of the marquis, Nicholas
said to Sylvester, Before going to
prison, wish to see the marquis
himself"
"In good time," said Sylvester;
"here he comes"
In fact, the Marquis de Sancy was
advancing to meet them. He was a
man of about sixty, of good figure, a
looking gentleman. His white
hairs fell about his cheeks; and his
blue eyes, full of sweetness and
kindly expression, inspired confidence
in those who looked him in the face.
"Well, Sylvester" said the mar
quis; "what are you going to do with
these children?"
"My lord, they are little robbers,
whom 1 have caught for the second
time stealing wood"
The two brothers stood crying Bit
terly.
"You know this wood does not be-
long to you?" said the marquis.
eyes, sir" said Frank.
"Then you are very blamable in
deed; for, when you have been al
ready forbidden to take it, you ought
not to have done So"
"We must then have lain down and
died of cold," said Nicholas, sadly.
"How, child! what do you sayl"
asked the marquis, with seeming in
terest
Eyes, sir, l shall tell you the truth,
and you can judge whether we de.
serve to be punished or not. Our ia
ther was woodman: kept down by
hard work and poverty, he could
scarcely provide for his family. One
day they brought him home dying.
He had been crushed by the fall of a
tree which he had felled. After
many months of cruel suffering, he
died; and we were left alone, my
brother and l, with my dear mother,
who is old and infirm. A poor hut,
built on the sod, covered with bark;
a little potato field; such is all that
we possess. In summer, Frank and
l split wood in the forest, or we help
the peasants with their work; we can
thus earn little money, which helps
our mother to live. But in winter,
sir, all! then we are very miserable,
indeed. The snow covers the ground I;
the wind shakes our mean little
dwelling; the rain penetrates it every
where, and freezes on our very
clothes. We who are young can bear
all that; but our mother, sir! our poor
mother! oh! when we see her pale,
cold, almost persisted, trying in vain
to keep warm her freezing limbs, our
heart is torn, and tears run from our
eyes. Then we sally forth to hide
our grief; the forest is before us;
the earth is strewn with branches
which the wind has blown down, a
few of these useless remnants would
warm our mother. Are we to leave
her to die, when we can so easily save
her? There, marquis, is the whole
truth; and now say if we are guilty"
Eyes, my little fellows replied the
marquis, ''inasmuch as you have
taken what did not belong to you.
But you are good and dutiful chill
dren, and it would be very cruel
act indeed to punish you. Go; l for
give you. When you are cold, go in
to the forest and gather what sticks
you want: l permit you. You hear,
Sylvester?" addressing the game
keeper.
"Yes, sir" replied he, touching his
cap.
"And now, since these children
must be tired with the long walk you
have given them, take cart, and
carry the wood to the cabin of their
mother"
"Oh! thanks, thanks, good, kind
sir May heaven protect you for
your pity to the unfortunate" cried
the two children, taking leave of their
benefactor, with tears in their eyes.
The winter of 1829-30 was terrible.
The cold reached to an extraordinary
degree, and was exceedingly long
continued. The most rapid rivers
were covered with ice; and carriages
no matter what their weight, could
pass over them as on a highway.
Horses and beasts were frozen to
death in their stalls; men fell lifeless
on the hard earth; wild beasts issued
from their lairs, and came into the
villages, into the stables, and even
into the houses themselves to allay
the hunger and thirst which tortured
them. In short, misery and distre,s