The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-01-24
INTERNATIONAL R1ESS ASSOCIATION.

Neither Madame de Sorgnes nor
Martha offered any assistance, ac-
customed as they had become to
trust for everything to her. But
Guillaume did rebel. Tiomane imposed
silence on his revolts. He longed for
the time when he could rid her of these
disagreeable duties, and put his mother
and sisters at ease. In the mean
time, he would work like a galley slave.
Tiomane was only at the beginning of
the struggle. Day by day, the difficul-
ties, far from lessening, seemed to null
tiply, and, ven harder to bear than her
wearisome household labors, were the
unreasonable requirements Of her two
companions. During the first week aft
er their removal to the apartments in
the Rue d'Assas, they had been almost
cheerful in their feeling of relief at
their escape from the dull pension, and
the enjoyment Of the comforts of their
little home. But the complaints were
heard again. Ennui, the ennui of the
idle, overwhelmed them. On no con-
sideration would Madame de- Sorgnes
consent to see any Of her old Partisan
friends; indeed, she could not be in
duced to go out at all, fearing to meet
some Of them, and she had inspired
Martha with the same fear. The young
beauty could no longer be persuaded to
walk in the garden of the Luxembourg.
all perfumed now with the lilacs in
bloom, whence the strains of the mill
tary band came to the little drawing
room onatf1e' fifth floor, filling her with
inexpressible sadness. Tiomane sue
ceeded, however, after much coaxing,
In inducing them to go out sometimes
very late in the afternoon, when they
would not run the. risk of meeting any
acquaintances. But walking soon IA
tigued these indolent orientals. BY an
anomaly Of her childish character,
Madame de Sorgnes, who had decided
to flee from society, went out, accom-
panied by her daughter, one fine morn
Ing in May, and taking a carriagedrove
to the Champs Elysees, and the. Bots de
Boulogne, an amusement which cost g.
francs-more than the expenses, of a
whole day. Momane chided her gently,
but was at ;ence told by Madame de
Sorgnes that.she could never think of
entering an omnibus. In a few days
repeated her drive twice, and went
to dine at the Restaurant de a Cascade.
The mother and. daughter always re-
turned from these excursions more ex-
cited and more dissatisfied than ever.
The view of this Partisan luxury, the
carriages, the toilettes, the shops~re-
vived all their regrets. They seemed
like two lost souls, who, from the infer
nal regions, see the joys of the blessed
in heaven. The days, soon came when
they yielded to temptation. They pur-
chased bonnets, gowns, and the thou
sand-and-one costly trifles of the fem
mime toilette. In vain Tiomane i'm
plored, pointing out the yawning abyss
to which they We're Fastening. They |
We're deaf to her prayer and entreaties.
This third month was most disastrous.
The follies and extravagances of the
mother and daughter could no longer
be counted. What barrier could Tio-
name interpose between them and Ger
tain ruin? Her pleadings irritated
them, without doing any good. They
treated her as an impertinent, tiresome
person, from whom one escapes as
quickly as po~ssible-whose warnings |
one ridicules and despises. She spoke |
to them on the subject only once again. |
One. morning after breakfast she I
begged Madame de Sorgnes to listen to
her. OF her little capital, very neces-
sary to- add to the small and very I'M
certain income from the railway shares,
there remained only 400 francs and if
Guillaume did not succeed in getting a
position as a engineer what were they
to do?
IT beg, Tiomane. thai these daily jere-
maids may cease" Madame de Sorgnes
answered petulantly, putting her fingers
lin her ears.
Tiomane removed the breakfast
things n left the room to hide the
tears she could not restrain. After her
household duties were finished she went
out for a walk. feeling the need of soli-
tude-the solitude OF a crowd-where
one can at least think undisturbed. She
walked on, weary, discouraged, angry.
saying to herself that, perhaps, after
MI 1t was useless to struggle n longer
nothing could save this thoughtless
self-indulgent mother and daughter.
that they were of the number Of those
who run headlong, eyes open, to the
precipice at whose base is certain
And yet how could She abandon them to
their impending fate?
Self-sacrifice has its Observation-Disclosures
superhuman longing which sustains the
martyr She ~reproached herself for.
documentary weakness and resolveds
again TO try tt protect them-to save
them from themselves. She tried to
think what she sceuld do to- add to their
slender Her time was al
most all taken up IN household cures,