Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-02-03
smart as Janey," concluded the self

any town in the state. There are nu
merous children in Strathboro tha
talk French with each other together
at their play. s.r. sometimes. In fact
there is Il little niggah here about tht
house somewhere now that heard say
ing Ycu. Liza. where's that picka
ninny of yours?" The judge interrupt
| cd himself to call n servant passing the
| ;locr.
"She done sleep. jedgc."
Every we'll: never mind"
"Wcll. sir. must let you hear thai
little darby talk French in the morn
Ing. 1t sounds comic; it does indeed
She picked it up from my grandchil
dren. Strathboro always had literary
taste. This county has produced @
large proportion of the great men OF
middle Tennessee, Mr.. Hunter-a large
proportion, even take the whole state
together, strand, owing to the cir
cumstances I have related to you, 6
rivalry in the French language and lit
erature sprang up among our people
| ladies and children, that is, chiefy-til
now, sir, almost as many Of them have
read 'Corinne,' sir, Nine. de Stae's
masterpiece, as are familiar with the
'Beulah' or st. Elmo Of our own Miss
| Evans"
The Judge spoke truly. 1t had come
about that learning French was the
game the town most affected, and Bios
sier was, of course, the teacher.
The tone about him had not greatly
changed. A familiarity with French
had not much decreased Strathboro's
sense Of the anomalous in the exist,
ence of Frenchman, but the face of
life had greatly altered to Blossier
Stimulated by the gentle proddings of
Jane McGrath he had studied to fiji
himself for his new calling, and it had
come about that he had developed a
little genuine simple interest in exer.
cising his few wits, and, bless him, was
enjoying the sweets Of the intellectual
life.
Moreover. though the tone Of the
town about him had not much altered
its tone to him was necessarily in the
new circumstances more friendly and
considerate. and that deeply touched
and pleased the little man.
He still lived by himself, but now II
was in 1.-The office" In Mrs. Pembrokes
yard, and so he was within the pale OF
civilization and could be looked after
if he fell sick. Jane had not rested till
that possibility was provided for. But
fate is apt to pass over the possibilities
scrupulously provided for. Blossier had
never spent day in bed since he re-
covered from his burns when one au-
tumn the dear Jane herself sickened
and died and was laid away in that
shadow village always growing, grow
ing silently and ominously. by Strath'
boro's side.
Poor Andy McGrath was indeed left.
as Ant 'Cindy said. like the half Of a
pair Of scissors. Yes; that was It. He
was now a something absurdly useless.
unnaturally unfit for existence, some
thing to provoke the mirth Of Olym-
pus.
How strange thing, still strange In
it's awful familiarity, that a creature
so inoffensive. living in dumb. helpless
good faith the life thrust on him, could
seem so played upon!
At the funeral. after Jane was laid
in the ground and the earth was well
heaped over her, Andy turned his poor.
bewildered, pain dazed eyes upon the
faces about him, and amid their wea-
ried assumption Of solemnity, beneath
which the usual easy little interest In
the commonplace was already assert
Ing itself, he saw Blossier. his features
working convulsively as he gazed with
eyes that did not see upon the hideous
mound.
1t was not in Andy to feel resentment
against the others. Perhaps he. too,
realized in the depths Of his wordless
consciousness that poor humanity
could hardly exist except as 1t Is "well
wadded with stupidity" but his heart
went out to Blossier and was eased q
little at the sight of his grief.
He went to him and took his hand.
and without word the two men. the
two piteous old children. went away
together IN James grave.
Months went by, and Strathboro be-
came used to seeing them together and
had almost ceased to gossip about the
queer taste Andy showed when one
June day new fuel fed the fame Of
popular criticism.
The week before Blossier had over.
heard one Of his pupils, a middle aged
unmarried lady, say in his class to her
nearest neighbor that ut was a plum
shame the way poor Mrs. McGrath's
little girls was running wild. with no
body but Ant 'Cindy to look after 'em,
and she so old she didn't know what
she was doing anyhow" and that 1t
was her opinion that pore Miss Jane
would rather they had stepma than
to have 'em left with no raising at all
like that"
Jane had left four daughters. This
little incident gave Blossier food for
profound reflection. He reflected to
some purpose. That night. instead OF
going and sitting on the gallery steps
after supper with Andy, as usual he
stopped outside the front gate and
called wi.A a portentous, mysterious
air, "Mees-tere Andee, Mees-tere Andee
non, non!" in answer to the invita-
ton to enter, and then he beckoned,
still mysteriously, with sidelong, back
ward mods of the head, for Andy to
come to him. "Howdy" said he when
Andy reached the gate, now assuming
q light, degage air, totally inconsistent
with his previous manner. Come chez
moi, these evening"
When Andy was seated on the steps
of 'the Office" Blossier brought him a
mint julep and, with a glass Of cheap
claret for himself, the one luxury Of his
prosperity, sat himself down In the
doorway.
Mighty NICE" said Andy politely.
Get your mint close by?
But Blossier was SO absorbed In try