The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-03-31

EcilS tnElCtl, and tho Infant saviour, ~
ing in the n.;l?!gcr, appeared. There wcro
the OK, the ass ard the fat goose Higher
| up angels To; cred in the Clouds which the
| dove, carrying the olive branch, flew
across. Tie Eagi, the shepherds, followed
by their beating flocks, filed by in process
sion. Guillemine began to fldgct on her
stool. She bit her lips; pulled her fingers.
Master Tiphninc himself is restless. Like
the little girl, he is awaiting the surprise.
| There it ia-the temptation of St. An
thony! The fmps which dance about and
| the friend that gambols cavort unceas-
| ingly. That was the surprise that Guile
mine was waiting for. Wild with joy, she
jumped about, clapped her hands and
/ laughed. All, this laugh! That was tho
surprise that Master Tiphainc waited for.
The old grandfather laughed in his turn.
! He laughed until he was ready to weep,
| and the procession ended as the cock, ris-
| ing again, closed the entertainment with q
| browning COO coo-r icool Master Tiphaine
seized the little girl, shaking with laugh
| ter, clasped her in his arms and mingled
his snowy locks with the blond ringlets of
Guillcminc.
One cold day in December the sightseers
of Epinal, who in spite of the cold came
to the shop OF the master clockmaker as
punctually as certain citizens of Paris not
long ago used to go to the Palais Royal to
regulate their watches by the report of tho
cannon, found the door INSTRUCTED by old
SEVERN Tiphaine.
mo one can come in today" said he
sadly.
"Why?' they asked. us the clock
brokcn?'
1.-The clock is not broken" replied Ii
| HI l.. d. H,,.I
lemine is Sick poor little one, and we arc
expecting the doctor, who ought to be here
soon. so, then, l ask you, please to go
away without noise. p"
They ;.ccctlcd to his request, made their
excuses and withdrew. Master TiDhairu
then entered room with closed shutters,
lit up by few burning fagots. At the
end of this room in an alcove, where the
fantastic shadows danced about, there was
a white bed, and in that white bed, quite
pale and delicate, Guilleminc was lying.
AT the foot of the bed young man and Il
young woman were standing, looking
sadly ut the little girl Master Tiphainc
advanced with soft steps, trying to prevent
the floor from crcaking under his weight,
and when he was quito near the bed he
said, addressing the young man:
We'll, my son, has she spokcn?"
"No; she has not. She does not seem
to hear when she is spoken to, and yet she
looks at us with her beautiful blue eyes.
FEATHER" said the young woman, ~
am frightened, for our Guillcnlinc is like
u dead person, lying with the eyes wide
OPEN"
Master Tiphaine bent over the couch
and tried to smile.
"Guillemincr' said he Little Guile
mine"
The PROSTATE child fixed on him eyes
that seemed to see no longer. She did not
stir.
God have pity on us!' sighed Master
Tiphainc, drawing aside.
Poor, gentle Guillcmine! On the pre-
vious day, little after the midday repre-
scntation, n high fever had seized her.
During part of the night she had been
dcliriuus, crying out and struggling
against invisible beings, and since morn
ing she had remained in this state Of
alarming torpor, her limbs stitfencd, her
eyes staring. Master Tiphainc looked at
the lips of Guillemine those poor, pale
lips from which only yesterday tho melody
of laughter escaped.
There was knock ut the door, Tt
phainc went to lift the latch. An old man
entered.
"GuiIlcminc," said Master Tiphaine,
'hcre is the doctor, who has come to pay
you Al visit.
The doctor examined the child and med
itatcd Il long time.
"Well:" said Master Tiphaine.
The doctor shook his head with an anx-
ions air
1t Is scrious-vcry serious, he said.
Tho young man, hearing these words,
made a sign to the young woman and went
cut.
What Is to be donc?" asked Tiphainc
Above all, Sho must be reused from
this fatal tOrrOr 1t is this prostration
that Eakcs me uneasy. Now, then, try 10
divers Ecr, rouse her up; otherwise 1 can
answer for nothing.
| TherCupon the doctor went away. Then
the young woman sat down near Guile
mine ard, REFRESHING her sobS, sang an old
roundclay that used to please the child.
But Guillcminc's eyes showed that she did
not hear.
! What is to be done? What is to be
lonc?" sobbed the young woman, and she
began her song again. Hours passed,
Guillemine became more and more pale on
the white pillows. Afflicted, hopeless,
Tiphaino tho young man and tho young
woman became silent now. and all was
still in the room. Suddenly rhythmical
noise was heard.
Tick, took, tick, took!
Master Tiphainc knit his eyebrows and
relapsed into n profound meditation
Abruptly he arose and went toward his
son.
Help me to roll Guillemine's bed up in
front of the clock, " said he.
What do you want to dor" asked tho
young man.
hYou will sce,''
They rolled tho bed into the hack shop
and placed it before the clock. Master III
phaine raised the curtain that covered his
masterpiece. The clock appeared Guillo-
mines eyes seemed TO move.
Look closely now, Guillemine! You
are going to see the manager and the wise
kings and st. Anthony. How you are go
ing to laugh!'
but, father" said the young man., it
is II O'Clock at night and the figures will
not appear until noon tomorrow. Can
Guillemine wait until them"
She shall not wait, replied Master
Tiphaine in q low tone, land the figures
are going to appear"
But" said the young man, turning
pale, you can only bring about such q
HYes, that is true"
FEATHER, this Is your life work.
Master Tiphaine motioncd to his son to
be silent.
Bring me q light" he said
He then drew out nails, screws, plates,
laying bare the systems of wheels, etc.
Tiphaine worked slowly, for his hands
trcmblcd little.
"Give me the hammer" he said sud-
denly.
Armed with the hammer, he was about
to strike n blow, then stopped. Was he
hesitating? He looked at Guillemine,
who was staring fixedly at the clock.
PAY attention, my Guillcminc! Now
yeu arc going to laugh. You will laugh,
won't your
| He struck sharp blow. The machine
seemed to groan. The spring unbcnt with
formidable humming, the gcarings
rolled around. Master Tiphaine threw tho
hammer far from him and, staggering,
had to lean against the wall.
Light up the clock now" said he to
his son, land look, my Guillcminc!''
The hands turned wildly. There came
the cock, the men at arms, there were the
OK ami the hoarsc, fat goose, and the bells
tinglcd and the chimes rang out.
Guillcmine had raised her head, her lips
partly opened as if in hesitating prelude
to laughter. All, there is ST. Anthony,
who, quicker than ever, runs along, drag
gcd by his friend with extraordinary gam
bolings, and the imps, and St. Anthony
and the wise men and the shepherds
| danced a frantic round to the hurrying
sounds of the ehimes and the bells.
At last the hesltating laugh of Guile
mine rose by degrees, ascending like a
song of reviving life, and finally breaking
forth clear and radiant.
But while she, the gentle little girl, was