Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-30


| tie child when we came to America, yet
| even then the spirit Of the Saint-Mehels
| seemed to me divine"
II wish ] could remember when l was
| little child"
Can you not recall anything?"
az have a dim knowledge OF objects.
What objects?''
/ st Regis church. and my taking first
communion; and the hunting. the woods
/ and water, boats, snowshoes, the kind of
! food | liked; Skenedonk and all my
| friends-but l scarcely knew them as per-
sons until l awoke.
What is your first distinct recollee-
tion?'
"Your face"
Miner
Yes. madame, yours 1 saw it above
me when you came into the room at
night"
She looked past me and said:
"You have fortunately missed some Of
the most terrible events that ever hap
pened in the world monsieur. My mother
and father. my two brothers, Cousin
Philippe and /. were in prison together
: My mother and brothers were taken, ana
we were left
1 understood that she spoke Of the Ter
ror. about which ] was eager TO Know
every then unwritten detail Doctor Chan-
try had told me many things. II fasci-
mated me FAR more than ancient history
which my master was inclined to press
upon me.
How can you go back to France, ma
| dame?'
That's what I ask myself every day.
That life was Nike a strange nightmare.
Yet there was our chateau Mont-Louls,
two or three days journey east from
Paris. The park was so beautiful
think OF il, and Of Paul
And what about this country, madame!
Is there nothing beautiful here?
THE fact has been impressed on me,
monsieur, hat il does not belong TO me-
I am an er1iEre. In city or country my
father and Cousin Philippe Kept me with
them. L have seen nothing of young peo-
pie. except at balls We had no intimate
! friends. We were always going back l
am still waiting to go back monsieur
and refusing TO go If | must.
Ii was plain that her life had been as
restricted as mine, though the ponos
were different. She was herded with OLD
people, made wife and mother WINE ne
vet a child, nursed in shadow instead OF
in the hot sunshine which produced An
mabel de Chaumont
After that we met each other as COM
rades meet, and both of us changed IKE
the face Of nature, when the snow went
and warm winds came.
This looking at her without really APP
| OrOacnlnR was EOlAiB OAA hAAcNNANASf
/ one day Count de Chaumont rode up 10
the manor, his horse and his attendant
servants and horses covered with mud
| filling the place with a rush of life.
He always carried himself as II he felt
| extremely welcome in this world. And
though a man ought to be welcome In ms
own house, especially when he has mace
IL a comfortable refuge for outsiders, L
met him with the secret resentment we
/ inf
He looked me over from head to foot
with more interest than he had ever be-
fore shown.
1--WE are getting on, we are getting
| on Is II Doctor Chantry, or the little
madame, or the winter housingT Our
white blood is very much in evidence.
When Chief williams comes back to the
summer hunting he will not know his
boy" i,
"The savage is inside yet. monsieur" I
| told him. Scratch me and see"
mot l." he laughed.
eft is late for thanks, but I will now
thank you for taking me into your
house"
"He has learned gratitude for little
favors! That is Madame de Ferriers
work"
81 hope I may be able to do something
'aThat's Doctor Chantry's work. He is
full of benevolent intentions-and never
empties himself. When you have learned
all your master knows, what are you go
ing to do with it,"
II am going 20 teach our Indians"
Good. You have a full days work be-
fore YOU. Founding an estate in the will
| derness is nothing compared to that. You
have more courage than De Chaumont
Whether the sprfng or the return of De
| Chaumont drove me out, could no longer
stay Indoors but rowed all day long on
| the lake or trod the quickenlng WOODS
Before old Pierre could get audience with
his house accounts, De Chaumont was
In Madame de Terriers rooms, inspecting
| the wafer blotched letter He did not ap-
pear as depressed as he should nave been
| bv the death OF his old friend.
"These French have no hearts" l told
| Doctor Chantry.
He took off his horn spectacles and
wiped his eyes. responding:
but they find the way to ours.
Slipping between islands in water paths
| that wound as a meadow stream winds
through land, 1 tried to lose myself from
he uneasy pain which followed me every
where.
There may be people who look over the
scheme OF their lives with entire COM
placeuce. Mine has been the outcome OF
such strange misfortunes as to furnish
evidence that there is another fate than
the fate we make ourselves. In that
early day 1 felt the unseen lines tighten
| around me- l was nothing but young
student of unknown family, able TO read
| and write. to talk little English, with
some knowledge OF history, geography,
mathematics and Latin. Strength and
SCOPE came by atoms. / did not know
| then as I know now that / am a slow
grower. even when making gigantic ef-
| fort. Al oak does not accumulate rings
with more elaboration than change and
build myself.
Nv master told me a few Gays later
that the count decreed Madame de Fer
rier must go back to France He intend
| ed to go with her and push her claim
ard his daughter and his daughters gov
erness would bear them company. Doctor
Chantrl end J contemplated each other,
glarirg in mutual solemnity. His eyes
were red and watery. and the nose sharp
ened its cone.
'sWhen are they going?" I inquired.
"As soon as arrangements for comfort
able sailing can be made. l wish l were
going back to England. i shall have to
save twenty-five years before 1 can go,
but the fund is started"
IF I saved hundred and twenty-five
years ! could not go anywhere; for l
had nothing to save. The worthlessness
of civilization rushed over me. When j
was an Indian the boundless world was
mine. I could build a shelter and take
food and clothes by. my strength and
skill. Ny boat or my strong legs carried
me TO all boundaries.
ala what ailad mo brst