The evening Republican., 1902-07-14
ON A SPRING
EVENING.


engagement was not On such formal
basis as is common in the world.
They had been brought up together
without becoming aware that they
loved each other. The young girl,
little tiirtatiOuS, teasel the young
man sometimes, She found him attrac-
tive and good fellow. and each time
he left her SHE kissed him. AS for
him. ne thought, qaitc simply, she
Is charming. my little cousin, and he
remembered her with that instinct
i've tenderness that man always
feels for Il pretty girl. His reflections
did not go any further.
Then one day Jeanne beard her
mother say by chance to her aunt
to her Aunt Alberto, for her Aunt
Lisbon had remained an old maid
II assure you that those children
will love each other at oucc, one sees
1t; as for me, Jacques is absolutely
the Son-iu-law dream of.
And Immediately Jeanne began
to adore her cousin Jacques. Now
she blus he'd when she saw him, her
hand trembled iu the young mans
hand. her eyes fell when she met
his glance, She tried to make op-
portunities for him to kiss her so
naively that he no ticed it, and in a
burst of pride where there was as
much satisfied affection as real
affection, he took her in his arms,
whispering in her ear
II love you; love you"
From that day there were moth
ing but billings and cooings, a sort
of review OF all their loving ways,
which their great intimacy render
ed natural and unembarassed. In
the salon jacques kissed his tiancee
before the three old woman, the
three sisters s-his mother, Jeanhe's
mother and his Aunt Lison; he
walked with her alone whole days
in the woods, the length of the little
river, ACROSS the wet fields where
the grass was filled with wild
flowers! they awaited the day fixed
l'l tllCil lliaIliuSV NltLOlt lllllTtt
ienCe.
The two mothers, and their Sis
ter, Aunt LisOn, looked at this loves
young dream with indulgence.
Aunt Lison above all seemed very
much touch when she saw them.
She was Il little woman who spoke
seldom, cilaced herself always, never
made any noise, appeared only at
meal times, went Immediately after
each to her avn room, where she re-
manned shut up most of the time. She
had II good, an aged face, soIt, sad
eyes, and counted for almost uothing
in the family.
The two sisters were widows, hay
inc held their place in the world, con-
Sidcred her as an insignificant being
and reatcd her with careless fam
iIiarily and with a sort Of conde-
sccnding goodness. She was named
LiSe, having been born at the time
Bcrangcr rcipned over France. When
they saw she did not marry; that she
would never marry, from LiSc they i
made Lisou. Today it was Aunt
Lison-an humble, clean, old creature
Iri@htfuIly timid even with her own
people, %ho loved her with all aiIec.
ton part custom, compassion, and
we'll meaning Indifference.
The children never came to her
room to kiss her: the maid only cross.
ed her threshold. 1t was the most if
they knew where her room was, that
room where flowed ON all alone her
sad life. She did not take up any
space: when she was not there they
never spoks OF her, never thought Of
her.
She was one of those colorlcss be-
ings who remain unknown, even to
their nearest and whose death leaves
no gap or emptiness in the house;
one OF those who do not know how
to enter into the life OF habits OF
love of those who live beside them.
She walked with noiseless steps,
never brushed against anything,
seeming to communicate to objects
the proprioty of never giving forth
any sound; her hands seemed almost
to be made of cotton, SO dclicutely
did they manipulate everything they |
touched. When they pronounced |
Aunt Lison' those two words, 50 |
to speak, woke no thought in the !
mind Of the person, it was exactly |
us il they had said ''the teapot" or
the "sugarbowl.'
The dog Loute possessed Il much |
more marked personality; they pet
ted her necessarily, they called her
my dear Louie, my beautiful
Loute, my little Loute." They /
woulu have cried after her much
more.
The marriage Of the two cousins
was to take place the end of May.
The young people wers living eyes in
.ach others eyes. hand IN hand,
thought. in thought, heart in heart.
The late spring, hesitating. shiver
ng 50 far under the light frosts and
misty fresh nights. broke forth all Of
, sudden. A few hot days, a little
lazy, had stirred all the sap in the
'arth, opening the leaves as il by q
miracle, spreading everywhere that
good scent Of moss and early flowers.
Then Jnc afternoon the victorius
un dried all the lloatlng mists. shonc
ut over the fields; his light gayety
lad filled the country, penetrated
'verywhere-p!ants. animals, aud
men. Love birds flew, beating their
wings, calling each other. Jcanhe
md Jac!uss, oppressed by the deli.
lous happiness, more quiet than
Isu a, rem aiming all day side bv side
m a bench before the door Of the
haCeau, not der ing to wander alone