Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-11-10
A MoTHER-soUL SUPPRESSED.
A story of Guy de Maupassant. Which
is Recalled by kipIinq's They.

springfield RepuDlican.-At Argen-
teull she was called la RENT Hor-
stence. No one knew why. Per
maps because she talked like one who
had the right to command? Perhaps
because she was tall. bony and i'm
perlous? Perhaps because she govern
ed a whole. colony of domestic crea-
tures-chickens, dogs, cats, canary
birds and parrots, all so dear to old
maids? But she never spoiled these
dumD animals either by caress or ia
mlliarlty, or endearing terms. nor
win those childest tendresses which
run from woman's lips as she
strokes the velvet coat of a purring
cat. She governed her animals with
authority; she reigned She was one
OF those old maids with a harsh voice
and sharp movements, whose very
soul seemed hard. She allowed
neither contradiction, nor reply, nor
hesitation, nor carelessness, nor idle
ness, 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 like priests; neither
did she believe in God. calling all
things religious 'the weepers' mer-
chandise.' For the 80 years that she
lived in her little house with its little
garden on the street front, she had
never modified her ways or changed
that Unconditional virtue which she
had assumed at the age of 81. She
replaced her dogs, her cats and her
birds, when they died of old age or
by accident, without tear or regret
she buried them in the garden beds
with little shovel, stamping down
the earth indifferentlv.
She had in the city some acuuain-
tances among families whose menfolk
went in to Paris every day. From
time to time she was invited to take
cup of tea with them of an evening
She always fell asleep in the corner.
and had to be awakened when it was
time to go home. She never allowed
any one to escort her home, having no
fear, night or day. She never seem
ed to love children. She passed her
time in a thousand masculine occupa-
tons, -carpentering, gardening. cut
ting wood with saw and Ratchet. re
pairing her old house, even when it
was necessary plastering the walls.
Her relations visited her twice a
year, the Cunine and Colombel fam
lilies; her two sisters having married,
one herbalist, the other the owner
Of small estate. Colombel couple
had three-Henri, Pauline and Joseph
Henri was 20 years old, Pauline was
IL and Joseph only three years old.
having come as an afterthought to Mr..
and Mrss. Colombel. No tenderness
united the old maid to her relations.
In the spring of 1882 Queen Hor-
tense fell i'll all at once. Her neigh
bors sent for doctor, whom she dis
missed with little ceremony The
priest then came; she was enraged
and almost jumped out of bed to
drive him out of the house. Her lit
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 en-
tered with authority her house, and
took the responsibility of calling the
two families. They arrived by the
same train, about 10 o'clock in the
morning. the Colombels having
brough little Joseph with them.
When they arrived at the entrance
of the garden they saw the little maid
crying on a 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 va
dows, their eyes closed, their paws
and tails sleepily extended. A fat
chicken clucked over her band of
chicks, clothed in yellow down, as
they crossed the little garden; large
cage hung against the wall, covered
with cloth, containing a family of
birds chirping in the warm morning
light. Two inseparables were very
still in their little chalet-like cage,
side by side on their perch.
Mr.. Cunine, very stout person, en-
tered first, as usual. putting, pushing
past the others, men or women, and
said well, Celeste! Things are
not going well?"
The little maid sobbed through her
tears "She no longer knows me.
The doctor says it is the end
Everybody looked at one another.
Mrs. Cnine and Mrs. Colombel in
stantly fell in one another's arms,
without saying a word. They resem-
bled each other strikingly, always
brushing their hair smooth over their
foreheads and wearing the same red
shawls of French cashmere, bright as
live Goals.
Cunine turned to his brother-in-law
"a pale, yellow, thin man. worn by a
malady of the stomach, limping fear
fully. and said in a serious tone, 1T
was time" :.
No one dared to penetrate into the
sick-room on the ground foor. Even
gunine fell backward. 1t was Colon