The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-09-15
MISS CELESTINE
Dy Fielding Ridge.

$3.50
ing to advantage the last moments Of
daylight. I could see their little fig
ures clearly outlined against the hofi-
zon as they scampered backwards and
forwards in the pasture beyond. Some
times when q ehild's mother had pat
ronized the village store in place of
weaving her own homespun, a dash Of
color. 8 vivid red, was added to the
scene.
The sails Of the windmill barely
stirred.in the spring air and as I looked,
Rougette and Cherry, Mol and Rose
came from the milking pan softly tink-
ling their bells as they passed.
In d little while, I knew, lights would
begin to glimmer in the village win
dows, and smoke would curl up from
the low mud chimneys, ~a-pleasing sign
of supper to come. Our neighbOr
across the way would soon gather in
her little flock from the troop Of
merry, shouting children, and I found
myself specializing as to how many
times theory Of "Angele, Jacques, venez
Done" would come shrilly across the
pasture, before they would finally
yield to parental urging.
Miss Celestine Lagraize sat opposite
to me on the porch. Though CONVERSE
ton langufshed, it wa evident that
with her this was not due to a contem-
patton of the scene. Picturesque it
was to me, but to her it was only one
of those dub realities which one ac-
cepts without thought and to which the
idea of beauty does not attach.
AS 1 looked at her, / could scarcely
believe that in former years she had
been called ''Ia belle Celestine Lee
graize," but so it was. My hostess had
told me but the evening before that
at one time Miss Celestine had been
the village belle. 1t was hard to
credit it.
True, her eyes were very large and
dark, but their luster was gone and
there was nothing left of her beauty.
After the manner of "Cajans," as they
are called in that part of the world,
she had aged early.
The topics which we had in common
were few, but Miss Celestine's social
call was something of long duration.
We had discussed flowers, chickens and
vegetable gardens until my brain re-
fused to give me another idea. The
shadows began to lengthen, and that
chill which marks the approach Of
night became perceptible. Still Miss
Celestine fingered. / could not hatteT
myself that it was because she had
found me overwhelmingly interesting.
/ was aware that it was a part Of her
social etiquette Zone handed down to
her for g%enerations) to pay this pro-
tracted call. She would have thought
it lacking in courtesy if. she had
brought her visit to a close sooner.
/ knew that after awhile she would
rise with the time-worn excuse for not
remaining still longer, "Eh bien, lie
m ennuie pas mails IL faut que lie
men allie" CWell, I'm not bored, but I
must go).
How often in other days when en-
PERTAINING 'Caian" visitors had I re-
joiced in the fact that I was not
forced to confess my feelings on
the subject. 1t would have been hard
TO reconcile courtesy and candor!
By chance, in a search for ideas, I
mentioned Pointe des Arbres, a thriv-
ing Louisiana town which I had Wis
tied in my rambles. 10 my surprise,
Miss Celestine suddenly became enthu-
siastic. She leaned forward and an
unexpected color came into her sallow
face.
"Ah, that is a place where one
might live" she murmured.
i remembered Pointe des Arbres as
a little town thriving in a business
senses but hopelessly provincial. I re-
called how it aped city customs and
thus lost the charm it might have
possessed had it chung to country
ways. The little Acadian hamlet was
at least picturesque. I could not say
as much for the town of larger
growth. Miss Celestine anu I evidently
regarded it from a different angle of
vision.
why, what is. so nice about Pointe
des Arbres?" I asked with real in
terest.
'There r 80 many people there p
said Miss Celestine, "and there is the
leEee to walk on, where one sees all
one 4I4GAuB Oh 6uuudy
Then there are balls in the spring of
the year-one is not dead like here.
Perhaps" she added hesitatingly as
though she feared I might think her
boastful, "you do not know that my
brother T~elesphore is a master me-
ehanic in Pointe des Arbres. Yes,''
she continued, ''and he lives in the red
house near the p~ostofice."
I remembered the place as a gaudy
little structure with a horrible pre-
tense atfstyle. The flower beds were
Primly defined by a border Of blue and
red stakes about six inches high,
while two ferocious looking dogs
grinned at one from either side Of the
steps. I had never been inside, but
in driving past, I had often wondered
g I might not decide with a reason
able certainty that within on the par
Tor hearth rug the counterpart Of
these dogs might be found in vivid
red on a background Of blueI But IL
was evident that TO Miss Celestine'a
mind this house represented all that
was beautiful.
aT -r,- w,~n- 49, - -. % Ia