The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-10

vincial school, has written many books
on education, she went on, and my
father, too, has written
All, your father?
It was some time ago. He does
not write any more now.
She changed the subject quickly
and naturally I did not insist
Presently she seemed more at ease
and talked readily of her plans for
the future. She was not ignorant OF
the difficulties Of literary life; rather,
she exaggerated them.
She pleased me. She was capable
cf the greatest enthusiasm, but was
without the slightest trace of envy or
bitterness.
We parted warm friends. She took
her manuscript with her, cor she
| wished to make & few changes. The
Very next day / set about finding an
editor for her work.
III was easier than I had hoped. The
| first review to which | wrote needed
a shorter novel to bring in between
two long ones. The editor, happy over
his coming promotion in the Legion OF
Honor, Interrupted me at once:
I accept anything on your recon-
mendation, old man. Bring on your
| George Sand
| Il fastened to send the good news
to Jean Seguin, begging her to send
| me the novel at once, as the review
was waiting for it To my keen sur
prise, the young girl did not come to
my Office, nor did she send me any re-
ply. The days passed. I wrote again.
/ Then | received the following tele-
| gram:
Pardon me, monsieur, but pray for
get about my book My father is very
sick just now and / cannot leave him
!! for moment
More than moment passed. The
editor Of the review found another
novel. and must confess had almost
/ forgotten Jean Seguin, when one morn
ing Constant brought me her card.
The young girl entered, shook
| hands and sat down. There before me
was still the same face, kind and in
telligent, but worn, almost lined, with
WEAKNESS and sorrow. She smiled
+ sadly.
My father has heart trouble she
explained, and these attacks are al
ways terrible. But, for the present,
he is out Of danger
And The Mortal Test?'' Have
| you brought me nothing?'
She looked me straight into my
| eyes, bit her lips with amusing hest
tation and then, as l repeated my
question, she suddenly burst into a
flood Of tears. She sobbed, gasping
1 out the words:
It is fnished-I-I-I can-never
publish it,,
At last, when she grew calmer, she
wiped her eyes and said:
Il" Forgive me, monsieur have
been foolish to give way so-but you
have been SO kind-I owe you an ex-
PLANTATION. / should not like you to
think me fool Only ask silence on
| your part My real name is Georgette
f=I-
She told me a name that you would
all recognize, the name Of a man IA
7 jealous, he had quarreled with the
= other members of his sect and since
then he had lived, solitary and lonely,
with his daughter or rather she had
supported him.
The thin, yellow face, the rasping
voice of this wretched man rose be-
fore me as l listened 10 the voice Of
4 T
had not received The Mortal Test and
why her novel would never be pub
1ished
Her father, spiteful in his home, as
among his ccnfreres, had always
Knocked the idea Of his daughter ever
writing But, overcome with joy at
the good news sent her, Georgette
had rashly told the story Of her success
to her father.
{" I thought he would suffocate On
the spot she said, simply. He fell
back il his chair. tearing the collar
of his shirt. For several moments he
could not speak.
" When at length he found his voice
he buried me beneath the horror of his
wrath, accusing NE OF brlbing the edi-
tor and yourself, monsieur! Then came
fresh suffocation and for a week his
life was in the greatest danger.
:" Then I arranged with the doctor,
who is one of his old friends and
knows him well, story Of how my
hopes had been dashed and the editor
Of the Review no longer wanted my
manuscript. Papa saw that 1 was
heartbroIzen; it did him good. He grew
slowly better.
i" Now he is all right. only he sus-
poets me. He has locked up my manu-
scripts of The Mortal Test" and he
watches me closely whenever he sees
a pen in my hand
i" But what will you do?' I asked
her.
!" What is there left for me? l shall
remain a schoolmistress
"And two big tears rolled slowly
down her cheeks. At her very start
she had met the bi-terest enemy OF
woman writer's in all Paris-heT
father! From the French, in n. Y.
SUI.