The times., 1899-03-19


want. then. this Joseph. that he whines
so?"
Nine. Poulard laid down her distaff. and
looked half apologetically, half nervous
ly at the barber's wife, who was in the
midst of most thrilling scene involving
many OF the surrounding regulations. and
who must therefore be conciliated at least
till the end Of the tale. Then her eyes
turned to the open door, where on the step
her two grandchildren sat playing with
Joseph, the shoemaker's black puppy. Jo-
seph and Refine and Alphonsine were very
intimate, and the most OF their life was
spent on their grandmother's doorstep.
Nine. Poulard was small and brown and
crumpled like chestnut-the kind they
make rosaries of in Italy. She was old.
| but her hair was still brown, and her eyes.
which had been her chief dowry. had worn
well. Her cap was indescribable being
Breton cap of the most elaborate kind. a
thing Of twists and curves and streamers;
her collar. white and goffered. reached far
beyond her shoulders, and as she sat spin
ming in her kitchen she looked pretty
peevish old woman. She lived in her kitch-
en- with a row Of green bowls on the dress
1 er. and spoke seldom except when the
\ barber's- wife looked in to gossip, - She
| wasn't at all pleased with her life, Nine.
Poulard; she wanted more~honor and glory,
and there was nonS>to be had in the pres,
ent. so she retired to the past, only COM
| ing back now and then to slap her
grandchildren. She sat in the corner spin
| ming, and remembering the days OF milk
| and honey
| We all have our dreams, and hers had
\ been wholesale grocer's shop (the grocer
was there, to her hand so to say), beau
tiful shop, shelf after shelf OF choco.a,e
| Planteur merging into coffee. rice. soap.
| candles and sardines. Not only so but
he the grocer, had discovered how long
and brown and sleepy her eyes were, so
that it was all going well; she would o.
| cupy the first position in the country
round and sit behind the counter ON mar
ket days wearing cashmere apron, as
one does who gives directions and con-
| verses while Others weigh and measure.
| All. how we'll IT all promised She had
quite loved her young grocer; and then
| suddenly it went wrong. One evening she
| walked into her shop that was to be- and
| found a crowd in the back parlor and
laughter and voices and biscuits and q
bottle OF wine: the sun kept her from see
ing anything but dark forms aga nst the
window. but they ali seemed glad to see
her and to think her coming very appro-
priate.s and her fat father-in-law patted
her on the back, and called her a good
girl. and said that she had just come in
time to see her brother-in-law, and her
heart sank. For the love she had for her
wholesale grocer was of the quality suited
to eldest sons who inherit; and here she
found she had been wrong all the time
and had been squandering all her smiles
and her dreamy looks on a younger son
with no position and no counter. while
here was the one she really loved come
from over the sea with ready-m made
wife.
When Nine. Poulard reached this part of
the story she invariably lost her temper
She dropped her distaf, scoIded Afphon-
sine and Refine. and slammed the door on
the puppy, so that they had to leave their
doorstep and their play and hope for a bet
ter mood after tea. Then she would pick
up her work and go on with the story and
be comforted. In any case there had been
no mistake about POulard. AS the elder
Poulard she had loved him. and Poulard
the elder he was. and continued to be. And
though the grocer's shop had faded. and
the candles and the sardines had never ex-
isted, still. the memory of her wedding.
as. at last it had taken place, was sooth-
ing. 1t had lasted for three days, after
the manner OF the best Breton weddings
On the first day they were married. she
and Poulard Aine. he wearing a waistcoat
stitched with yellow and a broad brimmed
beaver hat with flowing ribbons, and she
black gown with velvet bands and lace
cap lined with blue, to please the Virgin,
in whose month of May the wedding was
held. On the second day she and Poulard
drove in big cart, accompanied by her
oak cupboard with brass hinges. twenty
four unbleached linen chemises and pair
of copper snuffers. and her brown eyes,
which (as has already been said) were
her chief possession. They drove then,
Tl fay haip
no further need of conversation now that
the thing was done. When they passed
cottage the woman came out and looked
at the cupboard, and understood and en-
We'd. At length they stopped in a village:
it was evening, and Pouiard drove TO
small house having a green bough hang
ing over the door, and against the wall a
board with the words freshly painted,
Bar; Lucien Poulard provides food. drink,
and lodging for man and beast" This
was a pleasant. prosperous memory; this
green bough swinging in the wind meant
carts drawn up by the wayside, and thirsty
people and vermouth and seltz and cognac
and syrup and cider. And the fact of Luz
cien Poulard's being prepared to supply
man and beast with food. drink, and lodg-
ing meant fairs and markets and country
wagons. and baskets of butter and eggs,
and yellow plums. and stalls in the square
opposite the church, and round brown wo-
men in blue aprons, and full stable. II
meant empty baskets in the afternoon
and hungry people, and long, narrow ia
bles, and fried tripe, and brown bread
Here Nine. Pouiard came back to the
present and found Refine crying and hun
CRY, and the black puppy gnawing one OF
her shoes and Alphonsine encouraging
him. rolling about the ofior and saying:
Look. then, grandmother. how hungry he
is. this little Joseph: he wants some rice |
cake Then Nine Poulard would rise up |
in a rage and say. 'Ah. boni | must keep |
house for dog then, must I?'' But new
ertheless. for peace and quietness she did |
it, and the three were soon rolled up under |
the table with slices of bread and onions |
and Nine. Poulard free to go back 10 her |
wedding feast and the lifting down of her J
oak cupboard, which took place amid many |
Jokes and the help of dark, curly haired |
men in blue blouSes, and a bottle of win !
ordinaire. 1t was finally settled in its I
corner where it still stood, inelosing one !
or two very thin white darned chemises |
cherished for old sakes sake and folded 1
peacefully in their grave on the top shelf.
But the dinner, ah. that was merry /
thing to think of, To this day Nine. Pou-
lard can smell the stew of liver and kidney |
and the roasted pigs feet and cream
cheese. can recall the heat and the uproar. /
everyone speaking and no one listening;
and then the washing up! If it had been I
the grocer himself there could not have [
been more dishes, for grocer pere was ,
thrifty and would have taken no pride in (
feasting the neighborhood would very
likely have done it hurriedly in two days, |
whereas there was still the dance to come. !
Nine Poulard reflected with pleasure Ii |
had happened in this very room she was
sitting in. before it had been divided into |
two after Poulard'S death when the busi- !