Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-01-04
The Little Lacemaker.

Sas good as she was pretty, and
her modesty and simplicity commanded
the respect of all.
Left an orphan at thirteen 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 9th
er so much.
Left alone in the little lodgings, thus
suddenly become too large for her, Noe
mi with bleeding heart applied herself
to her work and wrought maryels from
the fax fields.
Each Saturday she carried back her
work and when she returned home di-
vided her earnings in two parts. Must
she not send small subsidy to her sol
dier, who was thinking of her there in
his far-away garrison?
On his side Louis behaved in his regi-
ment as he did in Valenciennes; that is
to say, like an honest man, and SO, at
the end Of the second year of his abb
sence he was able to announce one
beautiful morning that he had been
promoted to be sergeant.
You can imagine how happy Noemi
was! How her heart throbbed with joy!
Oh, how proud she was of her dear
brother! But her happiness was short.
Insa 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 learned the successive defeats of
the French army, Woerth, Rozenville,
Saint-Private, Gravelotte, Sedan. Then
more news, nothing.
Noemi, who never read the papers,
hastened now to the office of the Guet-
teur de Valenciennes and of the Echo
de la Frontiere, seeking there some lit
tie ray of hope. She listened to the
belAA OA t1C oIAOClp clO AAlhSACO Will
the groups Of people commenting on
the Hews, she gave ear to the painful
: accounts of the war and she learned,
with sinking heart, that her brothers
regiment had met with severe losses.
Meanwhile the wounded soldiers were
sent, through Hirsan and Ayesnes, to
the towns and cities on the northern
frontier. Every day fresh conveys ar
rived 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 convoy of wounded from
her brothers regiment had arrived dur
ing the night.
To the poor girl glimmer of hope
returned.
She ran from one to the other, asking
of the nurses, bending over every cot;
but the hope of the morning vanished.
AL at once she remembered that the
day before they had opened in Saint
Saulve a hospital intended especially
for the officers. Was there any possi-
bility 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.
what do you wish, mademoiselle ?"
"Oh, monsieur! Pardon! 1 am look
Ing for my brother, Sergeant Louis Yer
dier."
"You mean Lieutenant Louis Yer
dierY' 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 JOY,
tottered forward few steps and with
an outburst of infinite happiness knelt
before the bed of Lieutenant Verdier,
who. with his head wrapped in linen.
was lying in heavy stupor.
Louis! Louis! 1t is L." 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 stretch
ed 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
ton, or we cannot guarantee anything,
sapristi! Your brothers wound is do
ing well; he will recover, that is GER
tain. If you do not undo our work.
'Oh, monsieur lie docteur-
"Never mind monsieur lie docteur.
This is enough for to-day. 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 work ordered of me piece of
magnificent lace for a wealthy English
house. began to work on it last night
and hope to finish it in ten days For
this work they will pay me very high
price. Do you know what am going
to do with the money!