The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-12
THE BLUE HOUSE.

0CTJ IS Lnc bbOry bnub my Oucio Jcou,
who died recently, used often to tell mo:
You know, no would say to me, that my
business called me often to the four quar-
tiers of France. I noticed on one OF my
journeys, near tho outskirts Of Dijop.
which is called Blaisy Bas, n little cottage
Of strange aspect aud Of still more strange
color.
The FIRST time noticed lit Is fully 40
years since then-it was'a at a stopping of
the express train. In the garden I'm front
Of IL little girl was playing with doll,
n child OF about 10, very fair and rosy,
dressed In dainty spring dress and with
blue ribbon In her hair. She was very
pretty. l was not happy that morning.
Business had not gone well, and was re-
| turning to Paris sad and preoocupied.
| This sudden vision In the tiny garden
calmed me. Wac it the;beautiful day, tho
charm of this little girl and the beautiful
country that was looking atf I said to
I myself, Zone must be happy to live here;
no sorrow, no weariness And envied
the little girl her childish carelessness and
gayety.
But the train started to move. At the
same time one of the windows Of the house
was opened
"Laurinel" voice called.
And tho little girl went in. Laurine-
the name was pretty. and an hour after
ward In the idleness Of the journey
thought Of it again, and I saw once more
the child. the doll, the garden and the lit
tie blue house. Then,all was jumbled to-
| gether, grew faint and was forgotten, the
more because for a long time i had no
business in that part Of France.
Invent often to the north Of France or
| A. 60 1nxyt t, Nm
| and you understand / had other things to
think Of About ten years passed thus,
when one fine day set out for Marseilles,
and on my return the old memories re-
turned to me. took the night express In
order to pass through Blaisy- Bas In the
morning. It was stili there, the blue house,
Of we'll faded blue now, and, moreover,
IL seemed to me that IL had less well
cared for, less well kept look than former
", but in tho garden atall girl was seated.
She was very fair and with pink ribbon
In her hair. 1t was Laurine. recognized
her at once Near her was. a young man,
very prepossessing and animated. her fiance
without doubt, and around them was the
same smiling calm, the same peace OF
mind.
was positively quite happy, quite
moved myself, and when again the train
started I leaned from my window and,
waving my hand, nodded my head and
cried:
Farewell, Mile. Laurine''
The young girl looked ut me quite aston
ished. Then the young man. They burst
out laughing, and still from my window I
watched them waving their handkerchiefs
at me. was delighted.
Year after year passed. I was nearly
always on the Marseiiles road, but busy,
very busy. Each time was forced to gain
an hour or two by taking the fast express
that passed Blaisy Bias in the night with
out stopping. At last one day, less busy
than before, I took the evening train which
stops at Blaisy- -Bas I'm the morning. How
many years had passed since that little
soene!in the garden when / had seen Lau-
rine with her fianceP Twelve, or perhaps
l6 years, / don't remember.
This time, when the train stopped In
front, of the little station, there was In the
garden only small boy, with unkempt
hair, playing with great dog stretched
on the grass. Was not to see Laurinep
| was already quite sad, when the little
| boy began to call:
mamma, mamma, the trainp'
Then lady stepped out of the house. 1t
was certainly she, littlo less fair, but
nevertheless recognized her at once, and
looking at her quite tenderly discreetly
raised my hand to my hat. She answered
my salutntion a little surprised She was
indeed always the same, as simple and
amiable as her own life. On departing,
to mark my passage with little souvenir,
tossed an orange to the child In the gar
den, and saw it roll down the terrace fol-
| lowed by tho big dog
Then came tho most eventful period of
| my life. 1t was short timo after this
that made my great journey to Turkey =
so ovontful, so full of sudden changes,
that today, after so many years, / seem To
speak of q dream. How many ups and
downs had before l made my little for
tunei 1t was down there, you know, that
! was shipwrocked on the Black sea- You
can imagine II in that life Thought often
of Dlaisy Bas and tho blue house. All,
well, on the sinking ship. In that ominous
hour when l was separated from death
only by a plank, it was still that memory
that crossed my mind as clear and precise
as In the first hour. said to myself:
my poor Jean, this will teach you 10
travel around the world. II you had been
willing to live quietly, like your friend
Laurine, In somo blue house under the sun
OF Burgundy, such things as this would
not have happened to you elthor."
i cscnped nevertheless, and have often
told you how. You know of the Holland
ship that passed, as though by miracle,
st the end Of two days, when my strength
| wns spent. Al tho end of 10 or 90 years
you see, at my age ono forgets the exact
datos-I returned To France, and after
passing several days In Marseilles took
for tho last time the train for Paris. I
had never been ambitious, and the little
money I was carrying home would suffice
for my old ago. This was then my last
Journey, the end Of oil my adventures.
At ! o'clock wo arrived at Blnisy. Bns.
Can you believe meS My heart beat as II
| II would burst and confess that was