The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-02-27
NON a..


Some years ago l passed several
weeks at fishing village on the coast
of Brittany. What a hole it was. But
how picturesque! A miserable anchor
age, for ten boats at the most, single
stony street, which I can compare to
nothing better than mountain tor
rent. On top of the hill church, a
veritable gothic toy, which stood in
the middle of a cemetery from which
magnificent view of the ocean was
obtained. Finding myself in the vein
for work, fingered in this out-of-the-
way corner until the end Of September,
which, by a rare chance in rainy Fin
islere, was. that year exceptionally
mild and clear.
But one cannot always compose
verses and write, and a walk was my
hygiene and my distractions My most
frequent promenade was along the
beach, having on my right the bleak
and rocky cliffs and on my left the I'M
covered stretches of sand-an i'm
mense desert Of sand left bare by the
outgoing tide. Two or three times
had exchanged civilities with some
custom house officer going his rounds,
his gun slung over his shoulder. was
so. regular and peaceful promenader
that the sea swallows were no longer
afraid of me, and hoped in front Of
me, leaving the print Of their star
shaped feet in the wet sand. l walked
six OF eight kilometers a day, and re-
turned home with my pockets filled
with those dainty shells which are
found by burying the hand deep down
In the damp pebbles.
This was my fayorite excursion.
However, on the days when strong
breeze was blowing and the tide was
very high l abandoned the seashore,
and, climbing the village street, Il
strolled along the sandy moor, or else
l settled myself with book on a
bench in a corner of the cemetery,
which was sheltered by the church
tower from the west end
1t was lovely spot, conducive to
sadness and revery. The church tower
stood out against the autumn sky,
over which dark clouds were scurry-
ing. Grows, whose nests were in the
steeple, flew out with their hoarse
caWlng, and the shadow Of their large
wings glided over the scattered tomb
stones, almost hidden in the grass.
In the evening more than at an anv
other time, the last rays of the setting
sun bathing the sea as though with
blood, the ragged branches of the skel-
eton of an old apple tree silhouetted
against the crimson sky and the deep
intense stiffness of the wild home of
the dead flooded my soul with melan-
choly.
1t was on such an evening as l have
just described that. wandering among
the tOmbs, many Of which bore under
the sailors name this nournful legend,
Died at sea- 1 read on a new cross
the following words, which astonished
and puzzled me: Here reposes Mona
lie Magnet. Died at sea, Oct. 26, 1878,
ut the age Of 1917
lIed at sea! A young girl! Women
hardly ever go out in the fishing boats.
How did this happen? -
well, monsieur" said gruff voice
behind me suddenly. you are looking
at poor Nona's tomb?
| turned around and recognized an
old sailor, with a wooden leg, whose
good graces l had acquired by the aid
of few glasses of brandy, which II
had given him in the taproom at the
inn. T.
eyes," I replied. 'ButI thought you
fishermen never permitted women to
go out with you. I have even been
told that they bring you MISFORTUNE
"And that is the truth" responded
the good man. Besides, Mona never
went into a boat. Would you like to
know how the poor little one died?
Well, / will tell you.' ..n.
First of all, I must tell you that
Pierre, her father, was topman, like
myself. and an old comrade At Bour-
get, when Admiral La Ronciere raised
his golden helmet on the point of his
saDer, and we flung ourselves, Ratchet
in hand, on the embattled houses, we
marched elbow to elbow, Pierre and I,
and 1t was he who received me in his
arms when those cursed Prussians put
ball in my thigh. That same evening
IN the ambulance at the fort, Pierre
held my hand and gave me courage
Whlie the surgeon. amputated my limb,
and he was there at my bedside when
the admiral brought me my medal. But
those rascally Prussians got the best Of
us, and we were sent home. I, with my
wooden leg, was practically helpless.
on board a fishing smack Very soon
afterward his wife died from an inter-
mittent fever, leaving him the care of
little Mona, who was going on ten years
of age. ..
Naturally, while the widower was at
sea, it was I, his comrade, I, the old
bachelor, who cared for the little one.
She was good and pretty child, mon
sieur; courageous and sweet-tempered
We very often went to the rocks at low,
tide to gather turtles, shrimps, pra wn,
and sometimes we We're fortunate
enough to find lobster: All, but we
were good friends!
"This went on for about two years.
Mona had made her first communion,
grown and shot up like a thistle in the
sand. But one day the Amelia, LIE
Magnets boat, was overtaken in a
storm and wrecked. The skipper did
not haul in his sail soon enough, and
the boat struck on that reef you can see
over there-just little more to the
4 starboard. There were four men in the
crew-the skipper, two sailors and my
poor Pierre. But the sea only gave up