The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1896-11-01

tAAAA Bic was praying. AACAC WdS a
long pause. Finally 1 spoke. Mad
anne" said l to her, Il am very sorry,
but you may be alarmed about some
| trifiing symptom, and so, no doubt, the
physicians will tell you. l do not be-
lieve you can be Ill as is that woman.
She is dying. Her face showed it, but
you Monsieur" she said gently,
still in English, Il am sure. l have
| already seen them, and now go again
to see NJ. lie Directeur himself. to know
II he thinks it will be of any use for me
to come here. Everyone has been kind
and believe he thinks my case Curl
Gus one That is why l am here to-
day. But l am sure it is what l said
| quite sure, quite sure
| L sat bordering how it must seem to
| have to look death in the face-death
which we all know about, and none of us
believe in.
The room was beginning to empty.
Half dozen persons remained. At in
| terVals my neighbor told me her his
tcry-lt was a sad one She was by
! birth French Canadian. She had
been twice married, and was now for
the second time a widow. Her first
husband was an Englishman, a sea-
farlng man, with whom she sometimes
! made long voyages On one of these
voyages to French colony-Algeria-
he died. On her arrival she sold his lit
tie ship, and with the proceeds estab-
lished herself in Algiers, depending on
her needle for livelihood There she
met her second husband, Frenchman,
who died after few months Of married
NE After his death child was born
glrl-and this child always sickly,
would de- she was told, if she kept it
III the Southern climate. She had
struggled on, not daring to leave her
small earnings, until the previous sum-
mer had shown her that it must be the
last passed in Algiers. In Canada, left
years before she knew no one 1t was
not the custom of her class to write
many letters, and she knew not whether
the few relations she had there were
still alive. She had therefore come in
SAILING vessel to Havre and thence to
farls, where she could speak the Ian
sUage, and which was not far away like
Ndnaua. 1T was hardy thing to come
10 Paris she said; but what could I
do! My child is all l have She must
oe saved. 1 do not care for myself"
| Anu tnen ner face, which had been SO
luu Oh llght and hope and sacrifice, sud
uehiy became white. And now, when
came the other day with my little girl
10 ask about her and to have an exam
NATION made, the young doctor said:
| your little girl is no danger now Mad
anne, although you did wisely to bring
her away. But you and then he
looked at me, and M. lie Directeur. who
came In, told me that 1 needed care
more than my child"
ohe was poor, she was friendIess. She
had been in Paris but a FORTNIGHT She
had lodgings in one of the OUTLYING
parts of the city, she said. but she did
not ike the people Of the house-thev
were evil people-and She sbould 90
ELSEWHERE. Her little girl she had left
behind to-day, however, with a neiph-
pof' whom she told that she was going
to some of the great shops of Paris IN
search OF work. She could bear it bet
ter to hear what she must heaI without
the child. And in few minutes she
would know-what? IF il were NOT for
my pauvre Lucie," she said. II should
not care. No, it would be better but for
her, for her-what will become"-and
She quivered in a spasm of dumb tear.
| less misery
l searched for a card. and. finding II
| wrote my address upon it in pencil and
gave it to her. And yours"-I said IT
| must nave yours, too. l know q Iady
here who will help YOU" And handed
her another card and my pencil. Write
1t quite plainly and fully" said. the
Iuli name, the address, your little girls
age She is four years Old" said nv
poor friend, slowly taking the PENCIL
from me. You must put il ALL down ,,
rejoined, and 1 walked across the room
to the window, where 1 stared vacantly
at group of sharp-faced children
slowly revolving to the music of
hand-organ. The misery of the world
seemed so tremendous, the riddle of this
painful earth SO hard to read for a mo-
ment that 1 forgot where I was. Recov-
er1ng little formulated my plan. To-
| morrow / should see my old Breton
friend, Mile. Plouganiel, a person of en-
| ergy and tact. / should not leave Paris
until had thoroughly interested her In
the case. and done what l could AS for
the excursion to see the choir Of Beau
vais, | could put it off as I had done
three times already. Tastes for Gothic
architecture must wait
AS / turned back for the address of
the woman hand was laid on my arm.
recognized the nurse who had spoken
to me half an hour before IN. lie Dr.
recteur will see Monsieur" she said
! smilingly. looked at her vacantly. an
| lie Directeur," repeated the nurse did
not Monsieur desire to see him for per
mission to visit the Church Of S. Lucien-
| le-Pauvre? He Is very very busy to-
/ day, but nevertheless he said that he
would give the card as a favor although
| visitors are not now admitted as freely
| as formerly. Unless it is a matter Of
/ Indifference to Monsieur" she added
as she gently pushed me toward the
| door which servant held open could
see the doctor within-a short neat, die
tatorial looking man, ruddy, decided and
! evidently not given to wasting words.
| But turned toward the woman. Let
| me have the address," said / to her as
she rose tFinidly. She was trembling
and l saw that her hand refused to
write. MY trouble is here" she whis-
pered, pointing to her right arm. "Ah,
| queile douleaur c'est affreuxi' and her
| race grew crimson and great beads Of
| moisture stood on her brow. She did
| not~seem to wish me to have the paper;
! but she was suffering so she could not
| speak. and gently took 1t from her AS
| the door closed behind me. leaving her
| alone, | heard her say family. "Plus
| tard, Monsieur. vous revien-draf. peu-
| tetre?"
| Monsieur" said the directing physi-
| cian Il am very busy man. Our
good Suzanne here tells me that you de-
/ sire to see that truly beautiful monu-
ment of Gothic architecture S Lllcien-