Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-04-14

LiZotte?
Yes, that Agenaisc lassie, half peas
ant, half wording, who revealed the
sweetness of woman's presence to the
little thinker and dreamer that / then
was.
must tell you that they are good to
look upon our girls of the Gascon
country They have not the rather
hard type, the accentuated Greek type,
of the Arlesiennes, but their tall fig
ures are less supple, less stocky, their
more humid eyes have more sweet
ness
Lizotte was an incarnation of this
charming and piquant type.
When l became her friend l was Is
years old. l lived in Fontgrane. Ev-
cry day l went to the parsonage to
take a lesson in Latin from the Able
Destourbes. The Abbe was kindly
teacher, a lover Of Virgil, whom he re-
cited with devout intonations, like a
prayer.
But what was best in the parsonage
was Lizotte-Lizotte Destourbes-the
little niece CT the ahbe, the daughter
of the Destourbes OF Agen-he who
kept at the corner an important estab-
lishment of fruits snd candies. Liz
otte was some months older than l.
the less did not disdain from time to
time to play the lady, as she paced
along the sidewalk on Sundays, at
tracing much attention from the
young fellows.
Unforgetable days, those Easter hol-
idays in the parsonage at Fontgrane.
Never Since have l made such tremen-
dous journeys nor such curious ones as
those which | then undertook with
Lizotte in the attic OF the parsonage
a real wilderness OF ontanglei beams.
Further, it was the season of ap-
preaching Easter.
l recall above all others certain
eyening of April, at the commence.
nAnt of Holy Week.
Lizotte and | were enjoying holi-
day on the plea that we had to attend
to decorating the church. dined pleas
antly enough at the parsonage between
the Able DestourbeS and the little
mink, who amused herself by kicking
me on the shins under the table. We
had finished the frugal repast that
was served up for the Lenten period
and had already left the table when
a messenger came TO call away Able
Destourbes to very cid lady who was
-; oh, Il i,I, =
fession.
He instantly donned his overcoat,
took his hat and stick, and sailed out
with the final instruction that | was
not to leave Lizotte alone in the par
sonage, for, the night being dark, Irma,
the housekeeper. etcompanied her
master, lantern in hand.
The charge gave me great pride, but
at bottom | was forced to own to my.
self that she had In ME a rather poor
defender. She was at that time far
braver than |. Taking me by the
hand, she drew me into the intermina-
Bile, winding corridors of the house,
then into the cool solitude of the nave.
She whispered into ny ear at the same
time awful stories OF ghosts, whose ia.
vorite season, as Is we'll known, Is
Holy Week, for elioging themselves
in consecrated spcis Suddenly she
burst out into a song. her fresh young
voice accentuating tn vowels in the
Languedoc fashion.
Come, divine Messiah,
Bless our unfortunate days.
Come, source of life,
Come, come, come!
But when she ce ised the church an
swered to her voice in such horrible re.
verberatory echoes that we madly flee
back through the sacristry and the
long winding corr dors to the dining
room of the parsonage, where we fell
into chairs, affrigh and and laughing al
our fright.
Then as the Abbn Dsstourbes did moi
return, LiZotte emil nerated to me all
the presents she i, received on hei
birthday, which fell that year on Palm
Sunday. AT last, 10 little friend rose
from her chair aud went on tiptoe te
open the buffet at tie dining room
ShC oiCW liou II boA VI Wulu
wood, which she laid cautiously or the
table
This box was present which LIZ.
otte had brought from Destourbes
d'Agen to his brother, the cure. A
hundred of the finest prunes were ar.
ranged side by side in layers Of TWEEN.
ty, upon beds of laced paper. The
prunes which Lizotte had brought
were phenomenal ones, large, meaty
bursting with Juice and luscious and
perfumed. The girl was right in the
pride with which she displayed these
products Of the paternal business. As
to me, l should have wished to com.
pare their taste at once with their
fine appearance. But alas! the slight.
est theft would be easy to discover.
The prunes fitted in one against the
other like stones in mosaic, and
fdOubtlesS hecause Sllch luXurieS were