Evening capital., 1895-10-01
AN INFANT PRODIGY.

SAaNeS u lucAE pAoASo0iohs tICS AaA
no time to spare for Lucette. who was
left to the care of her grandmother. a
dear old lady Of GO 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
Lueette, while her son and danghter-in-
law were learning their parts or re-
hearsing tho.g roles at the tLcater. Poor
little Lucette From her earliest days
she had been lnlled TO sleep by long
speeches and awakened by explosions Of
dramatic wrath. How many times in
the apartment Of the Vernieres. which
looked upon d gloomy court in the Rue
de Bondy, had she been startled by the
melodramatic voices and eStravagant
gestures of her parents while repeating
Robert Macaire, - "The Wandering
Jew "Th'rty Years of an Actors
Life" and other works Of the same
class. When the Ve4Iiieres were "on
tour, - the grandmother delighted to
take Lucette for days outing in the
suburbs, where tho grass was green
enough and the trees tall enough 10
make one think oneself really in tho
country.
"The child needs breath Of fresh
air. she would say, and while she sat
upon 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 years old, Lucette was
lively as kitten and sang like lark.
The grandmother took especial pride i'll
teaching her to repeat passages from
Racine and fables from La Fontaine,
which the child woul9 recite with Sc
rious air in a voice both musical and
impressive.
About this period the parents began
to bestow more attention on their charm
ing little daughter.
One evening at dinner Lucette gave
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 out in the flesh.
She's in love with the boards already.
She'll do. !"
"Not quite bad idea, said the
mother.
''Bahl'' interposed the grandmother.
"There's plenty of time to talk about
that. There So
Listen. granny. There'sno time like
the present Now, in very short while
they re going to put on The Old Cor
porap 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 tho
manager has no one to fill the part of
Emmeline, the little girl that Corporal
Simon carries perched on his knapsack
at the siege of Ulm Well, if / were TO
propose Lucette"-
"You're fool" interrupted the old
lady, with great energy. "A child Of G
years-delicate, sensitivel You want to
kill her perhapsF"
''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 away. She will make
respectable acquaintances and at tho
same time learn her profession. Just
leave us alone. and all will go right
The old grandmother had to submit.
Fifteen days after Lucette was letter
perfect in the short part Of Emmeline,
and VernieIe, having laid his proposal
before the manager, brought his daugh-
ter down to rehearsal.
"She's a prodigy. She'll cram the
house, was that astute gentleman s re-
fiection as he watched the performance.
At the finish he accepted the offer and
closed the bargain.
The curtain rose for the first act Of
"The Old Corporal" +" 1t was the camp
before Ulm. General Roquebert, whom
Napoleon had ordered to "draw the Aus
trians'' in order to mask an important
movement of the main army, was con-
fding to the old veteran, Antoine ST.
mon, the care of his daughter Emme-
line
The audience, a most sympathetic and
enthusiastic one. had eyes only for Lu-
cette Verntere, the child who imper-
sonated Emmeline. As for Simon, he
ragged and stormed inwardly at the I'M
happy fortune which had turned him
into nursery maid, = instead Of per-
mitting him to bear hand III tanning
the hides of the 'Kaiserhchs.
The corporal and Emmeline had taken
shelter ON the outskirts Of a wood, when
of sudden Simon perceived the glitter
of cannon and the sheen Of steel among
the trees. Almost at the same moment
the enemy spoke . Volley after volley
whistled through the branches, scatter
ing the leaves and tearing of the bark.
Its nothing. 1aid he to the child.