The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-04

Il weston Coyney).
ME- night In November. upon =,
~ Catherine's Eve, the great gate OF
\ the House Of Correction swu,s,
slowly back upon Its hinges and a yo,D,,
OF about thirty years OF az. nass., -,
Sne wore faded wooden dress and had
on her head the linen Breton can which
was her only head covering. II made a
singular frame for the poor. sad male
face, with Its unwhoIesome look. the Io.,L
That comes from coarse food ana Ion., i'm
lprisonment.
she was prisoner whose term had
Just expired. Her companions called ber
simply La BretOnne''
She had been condemned 10 st~ &c.,.
imprisonment for hiding away her infsot
because she had no money with which 10
provide Tor ~ and IN her complete ianor-
ance knew not even Il was a wrong Mani
OF the peasantgy OF Breton are little abJye
the brute in intelligence That was SIS
years ago. and now. after the long wear,
years she was once more to taste tbe
sweetness Of liberty
she was handed her clothes and her
gres
Frightened. awkward and limplne. she
stumbled along toward the principal inn
voice
asked FOR nights lodging The inn
Keeper locker at her sharply. His inn
was tull and he was not IN the habit of
haroorinE birds Of that feather" so he
Icuruy ADVISED her 20 40 TO "a tavern at
the extreme end OF the village
Without word the Bretonne turned and
went on laboriousiy and finally came to
the place. which was. properly speaking
nothing but n resort freauented by the
woodchoppers and charcoal burners of the
forest, AZ Nen as those masons who
worked IN the neighborhood She knocked
tlmidly and the proprietor came 20 the
door -
We listened TO her faitering request
meanwhile regarding her distrustfulIy
from under his bushy black brows. He
understood. lie guessed she had come
from the House OF Correction When she
finished he shook his head and sent her
away.
With dropping head and mournful eyes
she walked onward. ever onward She
had now no alternative but 70 reach
Langres that night and as the thought
arose Of the long. lonely road she had TO
travel her heart sank
~ was the end of November when the
nights close In early. soon she found her
SELF enveloped In darkness on the straight
gray road which lay between two sections
OF wood that bordered the highway A
strong north wind was driving roughly
before u the dried dead leaves and II
2 chilled her through and through
She had lived SIX years n sedentary
secluded life. She hardly knew how "a
walk. her joints felt stif. her feet &C.
cushioned 20 wooden sabots. suffered IN
the new strong shoes and above all she
was broken In spirit Three miles she
plodded until exhausted shivering and
frightened. she fell upon a stone and
wondered whether she were going 10 die
OF hunger and cold during the darkness
OF the night
/ As she sat there half frozen she thought
, she heard family through the gusts OF
wind the sound OF n voice singing. She
listened eagerly and distinguished the
Cadences % one % those caressing mo-
notonous songs with which the children
OF that country are rocked to sleep.
She rose painfully and staggered on In
the direction % the voice and at "A small
turning In the road perceived light
glimmering among the trees. Five min
utes later she came TO n clay hut. whose
roof. covered with clods % earth. was
built against rock and through whose
only window streamed "a ray OF Hight.
with beating heart she decided %
J knock. The song ceased. The door
opened and woman OF about the Bre-
tonnes own age stepped forward. She
was wrinkied and wcrn by hard work
Her short ticket. torn In several places
exposed the saliow and sunhurnt skin
Ifer rcd ha'r escaped IN q sorder from be
meath a little stun cap. and her gray eye
gazed wonderinEiy AZ the stranger who's
appearance was against her.
Good evening" said the woman. rails
ing the lamp che held In her hand. rWha
DO you wantT'
u can go no further" stammered I.
y utetonne. "the city II so far away and
\ am 50 tired. N you would only let m
Z stay here tonight. 7 have money and
& will pay you for your trouble"
q Come In" replied the woman after
3 rnornsutarv hesitation Then she adde
\ IN tone more curious than susp'c Gus .
why ga yeu not remain az Auherive
They would not let me-" frankly sal
~ the Bretonne because had Just LETT U
- House Of Correction and no one trusts
me"
"Ah. Welt Come IN. for have nothir
90 fenr I have only povertv' i cann'
leave "a poor Christian outside my do'
on such bitter night "a THIS. j W
make "A bed Tor you with bundle
heather ~ il the best can do"
She drew from under n shed some arr
fuis Of dry heather and spread " In
coru-~of the room near the hearth.
"Do you live here alone7' asked
M Bretonne.
r.. npon seven years old. I am wood cho
nor M gives me and nv child bread. DO
this grand old forest. Wei. wen. we
have our trouhiesl Now. then. your %
ia ready ana mere NFt soult hNNht'N' ="
bread left from supper. IL Is all / ma
10. % give YOU"
m she was interrupted by shrin chldi
-. voice which came from dark clos
-. separated from the rest OF the room ny
wooden partition. Good night" she sa
- hastily n must go TO my child VINO
frightened. Try 90 rest wei
she took the lamp and went into the q
ioininE room. leaving the Bretonne
darkness and the latter, after eating
potatoes threw herself upon the heath
but sleep would not come 70 her:
she could hear Ia Fieuriotte taking
low voice 10 her little one" whom
"A arrival % the stranger had awakened a
W Who could not be induced 20 90 to sic
again. Ia Fleuriotte rocked u TO and
and caressed ~. whispering tender a
IN less words the while. which touched
very soul OF the poor outcast.
The gentle. loving words aroused IN
Rretonne a sort % confused maternal
on stlnct-and she commenced 10 think;
Pings had not turned cut 40 badly
enid. nv own. would have been abe
the age OF this little girl"
AZ hat thought and the Sound OF