Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-02-03
ing to arrange his thoughts for presen-

ing to arrange his thoughts for presen-
tation that he forgot to answer.
"Mees-tere Andee," he at last began,
"your leetle daughtere ARR much upon
my meditation. weis zey have re bess
condition possible"
Andy stopped with the uplifted glass
half way to his mouth and began with
q troubled countenance scrupulously to
study its contents.
"My fatere was one taileur, Mees-
tere Andee." Blossier inexplicably pro-
ceeded, putting his glass down on the
step and talking eagerly, with out
stretched palms, "and my moo-tere was
-was-she make tay, nose delicate
wiz fin-gere. ct moi. mel help. l help
bote when leetle. when biggere."
Andy had forgotten his glass now
and was staring and yet trying to look
polite and not too conscious Of the
strangeness Of French ways.
"And, Mees-tere Andee, my fin-gere
also. Away, even now-I sew for my
clo'es myself alway. you not know? !
know 1 do anything zat way easee.
beautiful. and Ze maniere. re politeness
-ah. Mees-tere Andee, you know ze
French peepul zey have re maniere-l
teach ze leetle daughtere all. keep Ze
houze, sew de clo'es, so not in Strath
boro is such cloes, Mees-tere Andee, 81
vous-peremeet me. Mecs-tere Andcc
come chez vous to your hOuze-you
comprehend
BY this time Blcssier was standing
on the walk in front OF Andy. rapidly
pantomiming his ideas and pleading,
with gesture as well as VOICE. rs !.
begging that children Of his OWL
should be cared and !aGored FOR ~
Andy. For moment Andy sta. I'd o.
in silence. and Blossicr's heart WAS IL
his mouth Then he got up. caught and
wrung the Frenchman's hand an IL
slant. dropped it and. turr:.s his back.
pulled his old soft hat o:tr his face.
Two days later Strathb0ro had the
enormous excitement of seeing Bios
sier's household gooGS-a queer little
CARLOAD they made moved to Andy
McGraths house. and behind the cart
walked Blossier. carrying our old
friend. the double bass.
So was established the oldest house
hold south of Mason and Dixon's line.
1t was year before Strathboro
sounded the full depths Of its oddity
and ceased to vibrate with the excite
ment of fresh discovery. Blossier took
completely a woman's place in the
household economy, and the world has
rarely seen few more touchingly funny
sights than that little man sitting cross
legged on the floor of James old sitting
room making feminine fripperies Of an
Enthusiastically Partisan character, friv-
olous and modish. airy and coquettish.
to be worn by his favorite, the faithful
but stolid Janey. He sits there yet,
bald, little shaky, annOyingly dim OF
sight, but still enjoying turning out,
for Janey's babies now. such dainty
CONNECTIONS Of laces and ribbons as no
other fingers in Strathboro have ever
concocted. Strathboro has long ago
accepted Andy McGrath's establish
mentor Andy still heads it-as one
of its peculiar possessions and takes
much pride in 1t. and Jimmy Pendle-
ton, who buys goods In Memphis, or
one Of Judge Caldwell's granddaugh-
ters, who is belle and visits the best
people from Louisville to New Orleans.
or any of the most Travelled residents
Of the place. will tell you again and
again that the fame Of its French and
its Frenchman has gone abroad as far
as west Tennessee and southern Ken
lucky and even northern Alabama.
Janey only of the children. with her
husband and her children, lives In the
old place. The rest are married and
scattered, and Andy and Blossier seem
to depend on each other more and
more as the years so by. They never
had anything to say to each other, and
they have nothing now, but they love
to sit side by side on the gallery on
summer evenings or by the open fire
In winter, as might two rough coated.
long acquainted old dogs and with no
more sense Of failure of companionship
in the silence. Each understands how
past and present are mingled In the
others mind as Janey's children tum-
BILE about, nightgowned for their final
romp, and each knows the dear figure
that as wife or patron saint Is ever In
the others thoughts. though Jane Nc
Grath has been buried so long that
even in this small world she is become
to others little more than name on a
tombstone, and together these two look
forward quite trustfully to the time
when their names also shall be on
tombstones. And, surely. II there Is
assurance for the msrciful and the
meek and the pure In heart-for the
salt Of the earth. in short-as to that
yelled and awful door through which
poor humanity is always crowdipg
AL \ ro6