Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-11-10
A MoTHER.souL SUPPRESSED.
A Story Of Guy de Maupassant, Which
is Recalled by kipine's They.

Springfield Republican. AT Argen
teuil she was called ia RENT Hor
tence." No one knew why. Per
haps because she talked like one who
had the right to command? Perhaps
because she was til, Dony and i'm
perlous? Perhaps because she govern.
ed whole colony Of domestic crea.
tures-chichcns, dogs, cats, canary
birds and parrots, all 80 dear to old
maids? But she never spoiled these
dumb animals either by carCss or ia
millarity, or endeaflng terms, nor
with those childeSt Lendrosscs which
run from u womans lips as she
strokes the velvet coat OF purring
cat. She governed her animals with
authority; she reigned. She was one
OF those old maids with n harsh voice
and sharp movements, whose very
soul seemed hard. She allowed
neither contradiction, nor reply nor
hesitation, nor CarclogsnesS, nor idle.
ress, nor fatigue. No one had ever
heard her complain or regret any.
thing, or express envy She said,
Each one has her share with the
conviction OF fatalist She did not
go to church nor Hike priests; neither
did she believe In God calling all
things religious tho weepers' MGR
chandse." For the 30 years that she
lived IN her little house with It's little
garden on the street front she had
never modified her ways or changed
that Unconditional virtue which she
had assumed at tho age Of q. She
replaced her dogs, her cats and her
birds, when they died Of old age or
by accident, without a tear or regret
she buried them In the garden beds
with a little shovel, stamping down
the earth Indifforently.
She had In the city some acqualn-
tances among families whose menfolk
went In to Paris every day. From
time to time she was Invited to take
q cup of tea with them Of an evening
She always fell asleep IN the corner,
and had to be awakened when 1t was
time TO go home, She never allowed
any one to escort her homo, having no
fear night or day. She never seem.
cd to love children. She passed her
time in n thousand masculine occupa-
lions, -carpontorlng gardening, cut.
ting wood with saw and Ratchet, re-
pairing her old house. oven when 1t
was necessary pasterlng the walls,
Her relations visited her twice u
year, the Cunino and Colombel fam
ihos, her two sisters having married,
one herhalist, the other the owner
IF a small estate, Colombel couple
had three--llenri, Pauline and Joseph
Henri was 20 years old, Pauline was
II and Joseph only three years old
having come as an alterthought to Mr..
and Mrss. Colomhcl, No tenderness
united the old maid to her relations.
In the spring Of 1882 Queen HIor-
tcnse fell Ill all AT once. Her neigh,
bors sent for u doctor, whom she dis.
missed with little ceremony The
priest then came, sho was onragod,
and almost jumped ont Of bed to
tie servant cried while making the tea
The situation became serious on the
third day that the wine merchant next
door consulted with the doctor and on
tered with authority her house. and
took the responsibility Of calling the
two families. They arrived by the
same train, abort 10 o'clock In the
morning, tho Colombels having
brough little Joseph with them.
When they arrived at the entrance
Of the garden they saw The llttle maid
crying on u chair to the wall. the dog
lying on the threshold In a blaze Of
sunlight two cats were stretched out
on the window stills of the two win.
dows, their eyes closed, their paws
and tails sloeply extended, A fat
chicken clucked over her band Of
chicks, clothed In yellow down, as
they crossed the littlo garden, Il large
cage hung against the wall, covered
with cloth, containing 4 family Of
birds chipping in the warm morning
light Two insepnrables were very
still in their lutte chaletlilc cage
side by side on their perch
MIR Cunine, very stout person, On
tered first, as usual putting, pushing
past the others, men or women, and
said. Wen Celeste Things arc
not going well?"
The little maid sobbed through hol
tears, she no longer knows me
The doctor says 1t Is the end"
Everybody looked at one another
Mrs, Cumino and Mrs, Colomhel In
stantly fell in one another's arms
without saying word. They resem
hled each other striklngly. always
brushing their hair smooth over their
careheads and wearing the same red
shawls Of French cashmere, bright rs
live Goals.
Cunine turned to his hrothcrinlaw
"a palc. yellow, thin man, Worn by q
malady of the stomach, limptng fear
fully. and said III a serious tone, III
was time"
No one dared to penetrate into the