The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-13
81 FELIX GRAS

Iu,;n, world have failed had not tllat
battalion arrived as it did. Inc men
OF the Marseiiles had sworn to cast
down the tyrant"-that poor, weak
king, who was no tyrant-Only an eX-
pert iOcksInith. who would have been
content to continue ''fling his locks
and his KEYS while the nation went
to smash. To the Reds of the Midi
the revolution was not what IL was to
the Reds of Paris. 1t was a rising OF
the starving peasants. IHey thought
when they left Marseil1es that Paris
was just across the mountains. But
once having arrived in the French
capital they knew their power. The
story of Felix Grae Is one Of those
historic novels which tell more or
history than history itself, because 1t
Introduces us to the thought and feel
ing not only of Paris, but OF France,
at the time when the House Of Bcur-
bon fell and the a Of the king was
flung, as IL gage OF defiance. into the
face OF the nations OF Europe.
Stately and grand was the Chateau
de la Garde, seat of the Marquis
d'Ambrun. and miserable were the
huts and hard was the lot of his peas
ants. Pascalet was IL years old be
fore he saw either a kneading trough
bread hutch. oil jar or wine keg. things
possessed nowadays by the poorest
peasant in Province-that delightful
southland OF France. In the single
room OF his fathers hui were two
boxes filled with straw. which served
as beds, the cooking pot IN the middle
Of the room. hanging from a roof
beam. and a big choppfrg block. hat
was ALI the furniture Of the place he
called home. Pascalet. his father and
his mother lived In this hut. which
stood close TO thu great chateau. be-
cause they belonged. along with the
o5Lap for oV,ivoola tn tho estate OF
La Garde.
Paschat gathered the accrrs on the
estate, and for his pay was allowed to
keep half OK them. Also he had the
right to till two small pieces Of lanu.
from which he got enough beans.
vetches and herbs to keep his family
from actually starving to death-his
wife. called La Patin. his o and all
their ffeas. Once q year the family
baked bread. making 1t out OF a coarse
sort of -four. composed OF rye. beans
and acorns ground together. hus1s and
all, the collections and savings OF the
year. Each morning the father, with
his Ak. would cut upon the choppine
block the daily allowance OF bread for
the family, and by the end OF the year
the bread was SO hard 1t dulled the
edge OF the ak
The family Of the Marquis dam
brun consisted OF his wife, the mar
quise. their son. Robert Count Rob
ert- who. though only a boy. was a
Cavalier du Rob, and a daughter, Ad-
line, a fair and gentle creature, who
was Of the same age as PaScalet. The
first piece OF white bread Pascalet ever
saw was given him by Adeline as h
passed one day before the great cha
teau.
n m~arQuise, who saw the act,
called out to her daughter: "Ade1fne,
Adeiine, what do you mean by giving
y0lJr broad fN that LITTLE wretch? Won
must not teach him what white bread
Is, or the day may come when he will
snatch 1t out OF your mouth" AND
then to Pascalet: Get out of here.
you little beast. Get o,1t!-hnrry-or
/ will set the dog on YOU The piece
of white bread was the most delicious
thing Pascaiet had ever eaten in al!
MS life: vet the cruel words Of the
great lady made it bitter az gall.
Nevertheless, from that hour all his
life long. ne thought OF Adeiine as an
angel. Once the boy was coming home
from a hunt for magnies' nests. and
as he had eaten nothing all day, hun
ger was twisting his insides. AS ne
passed behind the chateau. skirting the
stables, he saw in the gutter q fine
CABBAGE stalk. which made his mouth
water, and he ran to pick it uD.
Put the marquis sow, with her vt
ter. also saw 1T. and ran to dispute thu
prize with him. The sWineherd, {
nritai FELLOW, gave PaScdlet sucn Z
blow with his stick as knocked hin
GREATNESS. while the marquis, Wht
was looking out Of a window. called
'Wcli done! we'll done: What is tina
little rascal doing there. trying to stea
the food ont OF the mouths OF m
pies? vermin! These peasants. !
they could but get at us. would eat Il
alive"
wher Monsieur ie MARQUIS. Madam
la Maruuise and Monsieur Robert on
day cnanced to pass by the INIT of oil
Pascal the man and hts wife wen
down on their knees and 80 remain
until the great people had gone or
At the SIGHT pascalet was devoured h
shame. He did not knee' at all. and
hurt him to keep hack his rage. "YO
wretched hnv!" said his father: eth
next time I'll take good care that 20