The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-08-07
AN INFANT PRODIGY.

A1N A1NL L11N Il lbObAOA Il .
She was the only child OF two artistes
engaged at one Of the boulevard thea
ters
Slaves to their profession, they had
no time to spare for Lucette, who was
left to the care of her grandmother, a
dear old lady of so 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 daughter-in-
law were learning their parts or re-
hearsing their roles at the theater. 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 Vernieres, which
looked upon 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 Vernieres were ION
tour" the grandmother delighted to
take Lucette for days outing i'll the
suburbs, where the grass was green
enough and the trees tall enough to
make one think oneself really in the
country.
1.-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 cher 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 a kitten and sang like lark
The grandmother took especial pride in
teaching her to repeat passages from
Racine and fables from La Fontaine,
which tho child would reoite with Sc
rious air in a voice both musical and
impressive.
About this period tho parents began
to bestow moro attention on their charm
ing little daughter.
One evening at dinner Lucette gave O
recitation, and Verniere, listening with
his mouth full, cried: "Wife, we must
make an artistic of this youngster. What Is
bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.
She's in love with tho boards already.
She II do.
"Not quite a bad idea," said the
mother.
Bah p interposed the grandmother.
"There's plenty of time to talk about
that. There g.
Listen, granny. There 'sno time like
the present Now, in 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 / succeed the great
comedian, Frederick Lemaitre, but the
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 @
years-delicate, sensitivei You want to
kill her perhapsP"
"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 DO thrown away. She will make
respectable acquaintance and at the
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 Verniere, having laid his proposal
before the manager, brought his daugh-
ter down to rehearsal
"She's prodigy. She'll cram the
house." was that astute gentleman's re-
Election as he watched the performance
At the finish he accepted the offer and
closed the bargain.
The curtain rose for the first act of
1.-THE Old Corporal " 1t was the camp
before Ulm. General Roquebert, whom
Napoleon had ordered to "draw the Aus
mi o,,dax 10 x,,ooiZ or. i,o,norfoylf
movement of the main army, was CON
filling to the old veteran, Antoine ST.
mon, the care of his daughter Emme-
line.
The audience, most sympathetic and
enthusiastic one, had eyes only for Lu-
cette Verniere, 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-
uniting him to bear hand In tanning
the hides of the "Kaiserlichs. +"
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 off the bark.
'tIt's nothing" said he to the child.
"Don t be afraid Here, let's play pick
a-back
The cannon poured in broadside.
Simon lifted the little girl upon his
shoulders and set her ON his knapsack,
and trembling for the first time in his
life, fired his musket, to the great de-
light of Emmeline, who clapped her
hands and shouted gleefully. In due
time a company Of French troops ar
rived upon the scene, and amid frantic
cheering from the spectators the corporal
and his companion are borne off in
safety, but General Roquebert has been