The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-11-18
The Youngsters awoke and ran in in

The youngsters awoke and ran in in
their nightgUwns harcinutcd, to en-
brace their big brother. They wanted
him u ear something, but he was rot
hungry. unlv thiTstv-0h. 50 :, i.s ) !
SO ho driuil pint 1T WAFER IN gilr" /
tho wine aud beer tuwEich ha hsl b,ln
treating himself all day at tho i'm.
a step was heard i'll the court. Alas
it was the blacksmith returning!
"Chlistian. there is your father.
Hide yourself quickly until have time
to speak to him to explain ali ~ cried
tho mother, pushing her son behind tie
great uarthCuWarv siuyo. " h!." she start
ed 10 sewing Cnc@ more with trembling
fingers. Unfortunately the zouave's cap
rcstCd on il chair, and it WAS the inst
thing Lcry saw WHEN he entered. This,
then, explained his WiIes pallCr, her
embarrassment. He understood it ali.
"Ghristian is hcren' he cried furious
II, and. taking down his aabcr, with IA
gesture Cf rage rushed behind the stove,
where the xGuavr, pale AID sobolcd,
was croulhirE, leaning against the wall
for fear Of failing.
The mother threw herself between
them.
"Lory, Lory, DO not kill him. she
! cried. ''It was who wICte him to re-
( turn - that you needed him at tie
/ forge"
She clung t. her husband 5 arm, and,
sobbing, dragged him back, and in their
room the weeping children could hear
| their parents voices-one full Of tears,
| the other Of anger, so changed thatsthCy
could hardly recognize them.
! The blacksmith stood still n moment
and looked at his wife.
"Ah, it was you, was it, that made
him return: Very we'll. He may 60 to
bed. ! shall see what | will do in the
morning"
The next day Christian awnEe after
sleep fall of nightmare and terror to find
himself i'll the room where lie had slept
when d child. Across the little lead
framed panes grew a hop vine in flow
er, and the sun was already high i'll tho
heavens Below the hammers sounded
on the anvil.
His mother was at his bedside. She
had not left him during the night be-
cause she feared her husbands rage
might return. Her husband also had
not sought his couch, for until it was
dawn he had walked about the house,
weeping signing, opening and shutting
the drawers Of the presses, al.d now
that it was day had quietly entered his
SON. S room, dressed as for journey,
with high CATERS, largo hat and car
rying an iron ferruled mcuntaineer'
staff He came up 20 the bed, saying
only, Get up"
The hoy, trifle confused started to
put on his zouave uniform.
Not that" said his father sternly.
But he has no Others" his mother
interposed.
Give him mine, then. shall not
need them any more"
While his son was dressing, Lory
carefully folded the uniform, and, max
ing package of it, hung it by its strap
over the end Of his stick.
Nov come down stairs" he said at
last, and the three went down to the
forge without speaking. The bellows
Ioarcd, the men were at work. The
sight OF the open shed door reminded
the zouave of his childhood, how he had
played there so long between the warm
road and the door where the sparks Of
the forge shone III the black coal dust.
! feeling of tenderness came over him,
desire to have his fathers pardon, hut
when he lifted his eyes he encountered
an ineEorable glance. at last the black
smith spoke:
My son." said he, there are the
anvil and the tools; ali are yours And
all this, too" added he, pointing to the
little garden, full OF the sunlight, and
the humming of bees framed i'll the be-
smoked doorway. THE hives. the vines,
the house, all belong to you. As you
have sacrificed your honor for these
things it is only right that you should
take care of them. You are master over
all here As for me, am going away.
You owe five years to France, and am
going to pay them for you"
"Lory, Lory, where are you going:"
cried his poor wife.
"Father!" wept his son.
But the blacksmith had gone, walk
ing away with great strides without
turning once.
At Siddi- bel Abbes at the garrison
of the Third zouaves, not many days
later there was enrolled among those
who had enlisted as volunteers one
whose age had passed half century by
five years. From the French of Al
phonse Daudet For Short Stories.