The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-01-03
.. THE
Little Lace Maker.

or Valenciennes, was as good as she was
pretty and her modesty and simplicity
commanded the respect Of all.
Left an orphan at 13 years Of
age she lived with her brother, three
years her senior, who, having suddenly
become the head Of the house, labored
for his little sister and himself at cabi-
{ net making.
The two lived happily together; but
the years passed and the time of mill
tary service came. Louis was obliged
to go. The separation was terrible to
those two children, who loved each
other so much.
Left alone in the little lodgings, thus
suddenly become too large for her,
Noemi with bleeding heart applied
herself to her work and wrought mar
vels from TIE fax fields.
Every Saturday she carried back her
work and when she returned home di-
vfded her earnings in two parts. Must
she not send small subsidy to her
soldier, who was thinking of her there
in his far-away garrison?
On his side Louis believed in his
regiment as he did in Valenciennes;
that is to say, like an honest man, and
SO, at the end of the second year of his
absence he was able to announce one
beautiful morning that he had been
promoted to be sergeant
You can imagine how happy Noemi
wasi How her heart throbbed with joy:
Oh, how proud she was Of her dear
brother! But her happiness was short.
In q few weeks came letter. The
war-cloud had burst all at once; armed
France rushed to the frontier Of the
East.
The dreadful war began.
From the letters OF her beloved
Louis she elearned the successive defeats
Of the French army, Woerth, Rozen-
vile, Saint-Private, Gravelotte. Sedan.
Then silence followed-no more let
tiers, no more news, nothing.
Noemi, who never read the papers,
hastened now to the Office Of the Guet-
teur de Valenciennes and of the Echo
sde Ia Fontiere, seeking there some
little ray of hope. She listened to the
talk on the street, she mingled with
the groups of people commenting on
the news, she gave ear to the painful
accounts of the war and she learned,
with a sinking heart, that her brothers
regiment had met with severe losses.
Meanwhile the wounded soldiers
were sent, through Hirsan and Aves-
nes, te the towns and cities on the
northern frontier. Every day fresh
conveys arrived in Valenciennes.
All the hospitals were full, and still
they came. Then private ambulances
were organized everywhere, churches
and factories opened their doors to the
unfortunate wounded soldiers.
One morning the report was circu-
lated that a convoy Of wounded from
her brothers regiment had arrived
during the night
TO the poor girl a glimmer Of hope
returned.
She ran from one to the other, ask
] ing Of the nurses, bending over every
cot; but the hope of the morning van
ished.
All at once she remembered that the
day before they had opened in Saint
Saulve a hospital intended especially
for the officers. Was there any posi-
bflity that an unknown sergeant might
have been brought there? Surely not.
Yet, Notwithstanding, she found
strength to go thither.
An army surgeon came toward her.
seWhat do you wish mademoiselle"
"Oh, monsieur! Pardon! / am look
ing for my brother, Sergeant Louis
!, Verdier.
asYou mean Lieutenant Louis Yer
Er?" And pointing with his finger
down the long row of mattresses on
the floor, there he is in the sixth bed"
To the poor girl it seemed as If the
earth vanished from beneath her feet
She choked back an exclamation OF
low. tottered forward few steps and
with an outburst of infinite happiness
knelt before the bed Of Lieutenant
yerdier, who, with his head wrapped
In linen, was lying in heavy stupor.
'Louis! Louis! 1t is T." she ex-
claimed, trembling, with claSped hands,
ready to fall
At this appeal the wounded man re-
covered his consciousness, opened his
: eyes and perceived his sister, but not
being able to raise his head he
stretched forth both his hands, which
she seized in hers and covered with
tears.
In the meantime the surgeon ap-
preached, and, half unwillingly, led her
away.
"You must not cause him any emo
tion, or we cannot guarantee anything,
sau-isti! Your brothers wound is do
ing we'll; he will recover, rnat is GER
tain, il you do not undo our work.
ooh. monsieur le docteur-
"Never mind monsieur le docteur.
This is enough for today. Come back
tomorrow morning, but now go home"
do you see, my dear Louis, said the
happy Noemi to him few days later,
sitting by the bedside Of her brother,
yesterday the merchant for whom l
work ordered of me piece of magnif-
cent lace for wealthy English house
I began to work on it last night and l
hope to finish it in ten days. For this
work they will pay me very high
price. Do you know what l am going
to do with the money!"
Speak, my darling answered the
young officer.
"The surgeon says that you will soon
be able to get up. I am going to take
you home to our little nest and take
care of you day and night. You shall
see how happy we will be and how
quickly you will be we'll"
Dear, dear sister! Oh, what good
idea and how I shall hasten to get
strong, so as to be able to go with
you
One morning. when she came i'll. rl-