Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1902-08-13
| CLOCHETTE
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selves.
This one IS so old. so old, that
cannot comprehend why it has re
manned, living and tenacious. in my
mind. Since that time have met with so
many things, sinister, affecting or
terrible, that il surprises me TO find
that a single day cannot pass with.
out the face IF Mother Clochette re.
tracing itself before my eyes. just
as | knew her, SO long ago, when
was only 10 or IL years old
She was an old seamstrcss. who
came each wesh. on Tuesday. to mend
the family linen. My parents in.
hablted one of those country dwell
ings called chateaux, which are sim
oily old houses with peaked roofs,
with four or five farms grouped
around.
The village, a large one, almost Il
town, was visible some hundred feet
distant. closely surrounding the
church, an cdifice of red brick. black
ened by time.
Every Tuesday. then. Mother Clio
chette arrived. between haIf-past six
and seven in the morning, and going
up TO the linen press, commenced
her work.
She was tall, thin woman, beard
ed, or rather hairy, for unexpected
and surprising tufts of hair appeared
all over her face.
She limped, not like ordinary Grip
pies, but like a vessel at anchor
When she rested her large body,
M
she seemed as if about to take a
leap, in order to ride a huge wave;
then suddenly she would plunge. as
If to disappear in an abyss, or to
sink into the ground. Her gait gave
he impression of tempest, as she
seemed to swing and balance herself
Mt the same time; and her head, al
ways covered with an enormous
white bonnet, the ribbons of which
located down her back, appeared to
traverse the horizon from the
north to south, and from south to
north, with each movement that she
made.
I adored Mother Clochette. As
loon as | was out of bed | ascend
ed to the linen press, where / found
her installed with her sewing. a foot
warmer at her feet When | ap-
peared she insisted on my taking the
foot warmer and seating herself
upon il. in order that | should not
take cold in the chilly room, which
was directly under the roof
THAT draws the blood from the
throat" she would say.
While She darned the linen with
her long. crooked active fingers. She
told me stories. Her eyes, behind her
spectacles with their strangely mag
nifying glasses (for age had weak
ened her sighO. appeared to me
enormous, strangely deep, and double
She had. as far as can recall
from the things which she told me
and by which my childish heart was
moved. magnanimous soul She
saw everything great and small She
related to me events Of the town:
the story of a cow which had es-
capped from the barn. and had been
found one morning in front of Pros
or Malet's mill, watching the turning
OF the wooden wings; or the story
of hens egg discovered in the
church turrct. where no one could
ever imagine what creature had
come to lay it there; or the ac-
count Of the dog of Jean-Jean Pilas.
that had recovered at ten leagues
distance from the village his mas
tcr's trousers, which had been stolen
by a paSser by as they were driving
before the door, after shower. She
related these simple events i'm such a
manner that they assumed. in nv
mind. the proportions of nevcr-to-bc-
forgotten dramas. Of grand and mys-
FERROUS poems; and the ingenious
tales invented by poets and narrated
20 me, in the evening, by my moth
or, had not that SAVIOR that fmlnc,s.
that power, which the recitaIs Of the
peasant possessed.
One Tuesday. after having pa ,ed
the entire morning i'm listening to
Mother ClOchctte. 7 went. with "a
servant to- gather nuts i'm the IIaUct
woods. back OF the Noirprc farm
ON my return / vcst up to rcioin
the old woman. ] recall all this as
distinctly as the events of ye.ter-
day.
ON 0Hen'uR the door ~ the linen
room j perceived The old scamstrc-s
living un the H0or beside her chair.
her face on tbc ground. her arms ok
tended -t.Il holding her needle in one
band. and iu the other one Of my shirts
one of her legs rhe longer one
douot.e-~J. Zoo blue stocking. wa
stretched under her chair, and her
-pcntae.e- were glistoning at The end
If the room. having rolled from her.
rushed out giving harp cries 9f
d.-tro The family came 90 my call.
and after pmc moments learned that
Mother tlochette was dead can
not describe the deep emotion. poip
nan' and terrible which contracted my
childish heart ] descended softly to-
tho dra" groom. hiding myself bon 81
dark corner in tho dcpth- Of an im
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