Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21
THE LOST CHILD
A FRENCH CHRISTMAS STORY
BY FRANCOIS CoPPER.

ing before Christmas, two important events
happened simultaneously-the sun rose,
and so did NJ. Jean .Baptiste Godefroy.
? Cnquestionably the sun, Illuminating sud
denly the whole of Paris with Its morning
rays. is an old friend, regarded with affec-
tion by everybody. 1t is particularly well
come after fortnight Of misty atmos-
phere and gray skies. when the wind has
cleared the air and allowed the suns rays
to reach the earth again. Besides all OF
which. the sun Is a person of Importance.
Formerly, he was regarded as a god, and
was called Osiris, Apollyon. and 1 don't
know what else. But do not imagine that
because the sun is important he is of
greater influence than NJ. JeanBaptiste
Godefroy, millionaire banker. director of
the Compton General de Credit" admin
fstrator of several big companies, deputy
and member of the General Counsel o. the
Eure. officer of the Legion of Honor, ETC.,
etc. And whatever opinion the sun may
have about himself. he certainly has not
higher opinion than NJ. Jean-Baptiste
Godefroy has of himself So We are au-
thorized to state, and we consider our
selves justified in stating, that on the
morning in question, at about a quarter
to 7. the sun and NJ. Jean-Baptiste Code
troy rose.
. Certainly the manner of rising of these
t"O great pOWeTS mentioned was HOl the
same The good old sun began by doing
great many pretty actions. AS the sleet
had, during the night, covered the bare
branches of the trees in the Boulevard
Males hsrbes, where the hotel Godefroy is
situated with q powdered coating, the
great magician amused himself by
Transforming the branches into great bou-
quets of red coral. At the same time he
scattered his rays impartialy on those
poor passers-by whom necessity sent out,
so early in the morning, to gain their daily
a hn6 10 fn~t he
clerk, who, in thin overcoat, was hurry
ing to his office. as we'll as for the 'gri-
sette," shivering under her thin, INSULT
Client clothing; for the workman, carrying
half loaf under his arm; for the car con-
ductor, as he punched the tickets, and for
the dealer in roast chestnuts, who was
roasting his first painful In short, the sun
gave pleasure to everybody in the world.
NJ. Jean-Baptiste Godefroy, on the con-
trary, rose in quite a different frame Of
mind. On the previous evening he had
dined with the minister of agriculture.
The dinner, from the removal of the ''po-
tage' TO the salad, br!stled with trutfes,
and the bankers stomach. aged forty-seven
years. experienced the burning and biting
OF pyrosis. So the manner in which NJ.
an-Baptiste Godefroy rang for his valet
de-chambre was so expressive. that as lie
got some warm water for his masters
shaving, Charles said to the kitchen maid:
There he goes! The monkey is barhar-
ously ill-tempered again this morning. My
poor Gertrude, were going to have mis-
cradle day"
Whereupon, walking on tiptoe, with eyes
modestly cast down. he entered the cham
Der of his master. opened the curtains. lit
the fire, and made all the necessary prepa-
rations for the toilet, with the discreet de-
meanor and respectful gestures of sacris-
tan placing the sacred vessels on the altar
for the priest.
What sort of weather this morning."
demanded NJ. Godefroy curtly he but
toned his undervest Of gray swandown
upon stomach that was already little
too prominent.
Very cold, sir" replied Charles meekly
AT o'clock the thermometer marked 7
degrees above zero. But you will. see,
sir, the sky Is quite clear. and 1 think we
are going to have a fine morning."
In stropping his razor, M. Godefroy ap-
preached the window. drew aside one of the
hangings, looked the boulevard which
was bathed In brightness. and made a
slight grimace which bore some resem-
blance to a smile.
1t is all very we'll to be perfectly stiff and
correct. and to know that 1t is bad taste
to show feeling of any kind in the pres
ence of domestics. but the appearance of
the roguish sun, in the middle of Decem-
her, sends such a glow of warmth to the
heart that it is impossible to disguise the
fact So NJ. Godefroy deigned, before
. observed to smile. If some one had whis-
pered to the opulent banker that his smile
had anything in common with that of the
printers boy. who was enjoying himself
by making a slide the pavement, N.
Godefroy would have been highly incensed
But it really was so. all the same; and
during the space of one minute this man,
who was so occupied by business matters,
this leading light in the financial and po-
litical worlds, INDUCED in the childish
pastime of watching the passers-by. and
following with his eyes the files of con-
veyances as they gayly rolled in the sun
shine.
But pray do not be alarmed. Such a
weakness could not last long. People of
no account, and those having nothing to
do, may be able to let their time slip by in
doing nothing. 1t is very well for women,
children. poets and riffra1. NJ. Godefroy
had other fish to fry; and the work of the
day which commencing promised to
be exceptionally heavy. From half-past
to 10 o'clock he had a meeting at his office
with certain number of gentlemen all of
whom bore striking resemblance to NJ.
Godefroy. Like him. they were very ner-
Vous; they had risen with the sun, they
were all "blases." and they all had the
same object in view-to gain money. After
breakfast (Which he took after the meet
ing). NJ. Godefroy had to leap into his car
riage and rush to the bourse to exchange
few words with other gentlemen who had
also risen at dawn, but who had not the
least spark of imagination among them.
Crhe conversations were always on the
game subjeCt-money.) From there with
cut losing an instant, NJ. Godefroy went to
preside over another meeting of acquaint-
ances entirely void of compassion and ten
derness. The meeting was held round a
baize-covered table, which was strewn
with heaps of papers and well provided
with ink-wells. The conversation again
o. money, ana various metnOdS or
gaining 1t. After the aforesaid meeting he,
In his capacity of deputy, had to appear
before several. commissions always held
In rooms where there were baize-covered
tables and ink-wells and heaps of papers).
There he found men devoid of senti-
ment as he-all incapable of neglecting any
occasion Of gaining money.
After having quickly shaved. he donned
morning suit, the elegant cut and finish
of which showed that the old beau of
nearly fifty had not ceased trying to please.
When he shaved he spared the narrow
strip of pepper-and-salt beard round his
chin. as it gave him the air of trust
worthy family man in the eyes of the Ar
Iogants and fools in general. Then he de-
scended to his cabinet, where he received
the file OF men who were entirely occupied
by one Notwithstanding capital
These gentlemen discussed several pro-
jected enterprises, all of them of consider
able Importance. notably that of a new
railroad to be laid across a wild desert.
Another scheme was for the founding of
monster works in the environs of Paris
another of mine to be worked in one of
the South American republics 1t goes