The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-12
On a Spring Evening.

[From the Commercial Advertiser.]
Jeanne was going to marry her cousin
Jacques. They had known each other
from childhood, and the engagement
was not on such formal basis as is COM
mon in the world They had been
brought up together without becoming
aware that they loved each other. The
young girl, little flirtatious, leased the
young man sometimes. She found him
attractive and good fellow, and each
time he left her she kissed him. As for
him, he thought, quite simply, she is
charming, my little cousin, and he re-
men bered her with that instructive ten
derness that a man always feels for
pretty girl. His reflections did not go
any further.
Then one day Jeanne heard her
mother say by chance to her aunt-to
her Aunt Alberto for her Aunt Lison
had remained an old naid
II asusre you that those children will
love each other at once, one sees it; as
for me, Jacques is absolutely the SON.
in-laW dream of. "
And Immediately Jeanne began to
adore her cousin Jacques. Now she
blushed when she saw him, her hand
trembled in the young mans hand, her
eyes fell when she met his glance. She
tried to make opportunities for him to
kiss her so naively that he noticed it,
and in a burst of pride where there was
as much satisfied affection as real affec-
ton, he took her in his arms, whisper
ing in her ear:
II love you; / love you"
From that day there was nothing but
billings and cooings, a sort of review OF
all their loving ways, which their great
intimacy rendered natural and unem-
barrassed. In the salon Jacques kissed
his fiancee before the three old women,
the three sisters-his mother, Jeanne'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 for their marriage without impa
tience.
The two mothers and their sister,
Aunt Lison, looked at this loves young
dream with indulgence. Aunt Lison
above all seemed very much touched
when she saw them.
She was a little woman who spoke sell
dom, effaced herself always, never made
any noise, appeared only at meal times,
went Immediately after each to her own
room, where she remained shut up most
Of the time. She had good, an aged
face, soft, sad eyes, and counted for
almost nothing in her family.
The two sisters were widows, having
held their place in the world, considered
her as an insignificant being and treated
her with careless familiarity and with
sort of condescending goodness. She
was named Lise, having been born at
the time Beranger reigned over France.
When they saw she did not marry; that
size WOulu pTODdOly never marry, from
Lise they made Lison. Today it was
Aunt Lison-an humble, clean old crea-
ture, frightfully timid even with her own
people, who loved her with an affection.
part custom, compassion and well-mean-
ing indifference.
The children never came to her room
to kiss her; the maid only crossed 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 spoke of
her, never thought of her. She was one
unknown, even to their nearest, as if
unexplored, and whose death leaves no
gap or emptiness in the house; one of
those beings who do not know how to
enter into the life or habits or love of
those who live besides them.
She walked always with little noise
less steps, never brushed against any
thing. seeming to communicate to OBJ
jects the propriety of never giving forth
any sound; her hands almost seemed
to be made of cotton, SO lightly and
delicately did they manipulate every
thing they touched. When they pro-
so to speak, never awoke any thought
in the mind of the person; 1t was exact
~ as if they had said 1.-The teapot or
the .sugarbow1."
much more marked personality; they
petted her necessarily, they called her
my dear Louie, my beautiful Louie,
my little Louie" They would have
cried after her much more.
The marriage of the two cousins was
to take place the end of May. The
young people were living eyes in each
others eyes. hand in hand. thought in
thought, heart in heart. The late spring
hesitating, shivering SO far under the
light frosts and misty fresh nights,
broke forth all of sudden A few hot
days, a little hazy, had stirred all the
sap In the earth. opening the leaves as
| il by a miracle. spreading everywhere
that good scent Of moss and eat3Y How
ers.
Then one afternoon the vic{ar1cl1u sun
dried All the floating mistA, o1cno out