The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-02

between $50 and z. She always went
straight upstairs into the sewing room
and commenced work at once. She was
tall, spare woman, while her eye
brows were so long and bushy that
they looked like mustaches over her
, eyes.
She limped in walking, but not in the
same way as an ordinary cripple. She
was more like a boat at anchor, for
when her long, bony body was resting
on her sound leg she looked as though
she were just about to make plunge,
in order to reach the top of some huge
wave, and then suddenly she would de-
scend as though an abyss had opened
under her feet. She always reminded
me Of a storm at sea when she walk
ed, as she seemed to rock about, and
the strings Of her big white cap would
float about with every movement she
made.
I simply adored Mere CIochette and
as soon as [ was dressed in the morn
ing I always went straight up to the
sewing ROOM where 1 found her busy
at work, comfortably installed with 81
foot-warmer She would make me SIT
down on the foot warmer, so that
should not take cold in the large room.
as it was Just under the roof and very
chilly in winter.
She used to tell me stories while she
darned the linen with her long, bent
fingers, which moved SO quickly back
7 only saw through her big spectacles,
seemed to me to be enormous, and
they always looked so deep and full
of expression. From what 1 can re-
member of the things she used to tell
me, and which interested me SO much
at the ti1clc, she must have been a
simple-minde6, kind-hearted woman.
She would tell ne all the events Of
the village; the story of COW which
had got out of it's shed and which had
been found in the morning standing in
front of Prosper Malet's windmill
watching the sails going round. Then
| I remember a story she told me about
a hens egg which had been found in
the church steeple, and no one had
ever discovered what hen could have
got up there. Then there was the his
tory Of the faithful dog owned by Jean
Pilas. His masters trousers had been
stolen, and the dog had traced the thief
and brought back the trousers, which
the guilty man had hung onto the han
die Of his door to dry during the night,
after having been caught in a thun-
derstorm.
She told me these absurd stories in
such an impressive way that they fixed
themselves on my memory like veri-
table dramas and mysterious poems
The clever stories invented by celebra-
ted authors which my mother used to
tell me in the evenings did not seem
to me anything like so thrilling and
wonderful as those related by the poor
peasant woman.
One Tuesday, after spending all the
morning listening to Mere Clochette's
tales, 1 had been with one of the
servants to the woods just near the
Noirpre farm. We had been gathering
nuts, and I can remember everything
oh 100
pened yesterday
AS soon as l reached home I ran up
stairs to the sewing room, and to my
horror, on opening the door, 1 saw
poor old Mere Clochette lying full
Iensth on the floor, her face down.
ward, her arms stretched out holding
her needle clenched between the fingers
OF one hand and little garment Of
mine In the other. I can remember
now noticing her blue stockings and
ner spectacles. which had rolled against
the wall as she fell.
I 1 rushed downstairs shr;aL;ne
went. and my mother and the servants
were soon with my poor old friend
presently l heard them saving that
| she was dead, and shall never forget
| the terrible. heartrending grief I felt
chllo though L was. | ran away. quiet
! ~, INTO the big drawing room, and hid
! ing in dark corner I knelt down bv q
low armchair, and burying nv head
In cushion, cried bitterly, until was
tired out with my emotion. must have
Deen there long time, for it began
| to get quite dark
Presently the door opened and some
one came in with lamp, and just after
my father and mother entered the
room with the doctor. They did NOT
see ME, and so continued their CONVEX
sation. He was explaining to nv mar
ents what had caused the poor old
woman's death. 1 did not UNDERSTAND
anything about it, but listened to Tis
WORDS, all the same. Some refresh
menus were brought in, and the doctor