Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-03-31

Esperance watched In anxious ST.
lence as by slow degrees iaspard
struggled back TO life.
He would fain have resisted the
returning consciousness, aware that
there was a great weight upon his
mind, and longing 10 escape 1t. When
at last, he was recovered, and opening
MS eyes saw Esperance tear-stalned
lace, he remembered everything, and
FOR the first time broke down COM
pletely.
i Esperance was thankful for those
tears, woman-like, she loved Gaspard
far more now that he gave way to
I his emotion, than she had, when for
/ her sake, he had borne up through
the long walk She crept nearer to
him, and was glad to feel his arm
round her, and his cold trembling
hand pressing hers. Nothing is such
a close uniter as a common grief;
Cas- ard and Esperance had never be-
! fore been so much to ca b other.
Truth to tell, Gaspard had hitherto
! been very much self-engrossed The
early less OF his mother, and his sol
| Itary education, had strengthened the
natural tendeHcy; but prvatlon, grief,
and heavy re possibility, were doing
their bes, TO rouse him.
Espei ances new love was 4 further
help; she had always been TOO much
wrapped up in her father to spare
many thoughts for Gaspard, but now
! that he no longer needed her loving
care, she was able to transfer all her
solicitude to her brother All this
! Of course did not take place at once,
/ but 1t had its date from that terrible
| evening when in the cold, dark. lonely
salon they first realized their orphan
hood
Who has not felt the utter misery
! OF waking in the morning after any
/ great change, the sense of oppres-
sion, the dawning consciousness, the
/ awful realization? We learn from the
very keenness of the pain to value the
| fCrgetfulness of sleep.
/ Esperance had passed through it all,
when she awoke on that dreary LIST of
1 December Everything reminded her
of her grief; the perpetual firing was
still going on, but one National
/ Guard would never again serve his
country; there was the tramp of a
I battalion marching down the street,
! but never more could sh1 look from
the window to wave a farewell to her
father; within the house she could
/ hear Jayotte preparing the coffee
only two cups would be needed that
morning. And then with a rush of
/ tears, Esperance for the first time
asked the question which we too often
allow to imbitter our grief "Why?"
/ Why had this sorrow come to them?
/ Why had her father fallen, when
hundreds Of others had escaped? Why
did God allow war at all? If she could
caly see how good was to come out OF
evil!
( In the midst of her quastionings
Javotte entered, a world Of love and
/ tenderness in her wrinkled old face.
Esperance, for the first time, folly
realized how great a comfort the
faithful old servant was.
"And my child has slept?" she in
CURED anXiuusly, her harsh voice I'M
usually softened.
Yes. sighed Esperance, YEARLY.
Kiss me, please, Jayotte, | am very
desolate."
/ The old servant obeyed, murInnring
soft terms of endearment over her,
hut Esperance suddenly started back
"Javotte, how terribly thin you have
grown! your bones feel quiet sharp.
Javotte shrugged her shoulders con-
tentedly.
THAT may be, child, bur then one
does not expect to grow ia; in a
siege
But you are thinner than any one
l have yet seen, much more even than
Madame Lemercier."
"Chut' Why child, I am an cid
woman" replied Javotte shaking her
head reprovingly; "oae can r)t be
always young and unwrinkled. But
come, take our coffee. cherie we lose
our time and | must go quickly TO
the market or we shall grow thin too
soon"
Esperance was satisfied for the
time. and Javotte left the room, glad
to end the discussion, and murmuring
under her breath, "My little blessed
oae! dost think would not rather
starve than see thee sgffer?'
/ Esperance had just finished her
toilet when she heard Gaspard's step
on the staircase She FASTENED TO
meet him, surprised that he should
4 have been out so early.
Have you been TO have your
wound dressed?" she asked He did
not answer for a minute, and then
1 Esperance understood that he had
/ been TO their fathers interment.
You should have taken me, too"
she said, her eyes filling. why did
4 YOU go all alone?"
Il did think of you, but you were
/ sleeping. and | could not bear to wake
IL -.