Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-17

gether blind to some of his failngs still she under
stood him. and knew, at least, that she herself had
nothing fear from the primitively savage nature
whose attachment to her that of wild beast to its
mate. She had been his feminine counterpart with
this difference: that her ideals were poetzed. Her
patriotism no less intense than his, but
of the lyrical order. Often she said she wished she
had been born that she might have been
soldier 1t is likely enough that she would not have
been deferred by the hardshps of a soldiers life for
hard work from early morning till late at night
what Jeanne revelcd in. Her little fiat model of
ordcrness her furniture and floors highly polished
as a soldiers buttons. She small blue
eyed woman with ravcnblack hair reaching, when she
let it down, almost to her feet and bright and active
bird. 1t is not uncommon to ind French women
in whom there is a strain of pure herosm-heroism of
the most romantic order and Jeanne of these.
Daughters of the Revolution Granddaughters of Joan
Of Arc great granddaughter of Eve, whatever may
be their rank in life they charming as girls. faith
fu wives, and Incompatible as mothers. 1t is IN
poverty sickness and danger indeed in all the complex
difficulties of life, that their best qualities come out.
'McsseNs les mdhcurs, tires les brcmierS they seem
TO say-like the French Guard at Fontenoy In the
presence Of almost any catastrophe their cmpers re-
main high and brave when they succumb then indeed
is the end of all things And dfbronilardeS-In
and resourceful-they are too.
"Debroularde' Jeanne needed to be, for the ex-
pcnscs of the Scrgeants funeral swept away most OF
his little savings-just seven hundred francs. 1t
quite cercnionious aair. A detachment of infantry
commanded by lieutenant (ths due to his rank
as a Knight of the Legion OF HONOR, followed in the
procession together with delegation OF the Veterans
Society to which Duvernoy belonged with banner.
band and buster. The banner bore the words
broidered in gold, Honour, Patre. In spite Of her
condition. the widow followed chief mourner, and
General Uhe Scrgcants former captain, whose life
he saved), in civilian clothes. supported her respect
fully his the coffin was lowered into the
grave
Then came the dreary fortnight at the Maternit,
Hospital with the misery OF its prson-like walls
gratuitous nursing, through which Jeanne Duverno!
retained if not cheerfulness, at least accomplishing
resignation. AS she could get about she
trppcd round the shops in the neigborhood where
she had been accustomed to deal, and told the shop
keepers wives that she wanted work femme dc
ufHdgc.
The femme de menoge is an institution in many
respects peculiar to France To translate the into
English as "charwoman" would be an insult to a good
femme de ,nfndge, and dsparag ing enough to
bad a frst-cass housekeeper, excellent cook,
to whom the purchase of the provisions may be
trusted in all security, admirable needlewoman such
is the best type of femme de mtndge and she will do
the work of staff of for charge of only
forty ccntmcs Cor eight ccnts) per hour.
she had always paid what she owed. Soon all her
morning was disposed of. Before going to her work
she took little Emile to the Municipal crtche, paying
five confines for him to be fed and cared for till she
fetched him in the afternoon. She could easily have
found enough manages occupy all her time but she
preferred do embroidery at home, that the
presence Of little Emile might brighten at least a
portion of her day.
Jeannes special talent was the cmbrodcrng Of I'M
ale fueli nd Shr maid -tiyec
times for each letter. poor remuneration, considering
how fine and elaborate was her Workmanship To
two francs at this eyestrainng task she had to toll
far into the night; but she sang gay lullaby to little
Emile over her needle, and to tend and love him
an unfailing source of courage and happiness. Her
husbands pension after fifteen years loyal service and
the award Of the MfdaiHe Miltaire LOO francs
per annun or $22o His of the Legion of Honor
brought him in $50 year, which ceased however, at
his death OF the original pension the widow received
lust one third, or $40 odd. Thanks to the influence
of General X she had been accorded barrow-hawk
ers medal To understand the meaning of this the
reader must know that in Paris the costcrmongers
(uaychards de qndre snsonS), male and female are
privileged corporation, to put it accurately
they may not exercise their calling without special
license from the Project of Police. Those to whom
the license has been graned-and for this they pay FIVE
francs year-are obliged to brass medal bear
ing the name and address of the holder which is worn
suspended round the neck by a chain Jeanne farmed
out her medal for fifteen francs a month-in breach,
it must be added of the city regulations, but the police
were good enough to wink at it, for her deputy was
an old lady Of unmpcachablc virtue who never OBJ
structcd the traffic, and always moved when she
was told to- Thus monthly income OF hum
bred and twenty francs, or six dollars week Jeanne,
by prodigies Of hard work and economy, managed to
make two ends meet, and to maintain the digni-
fed appearance in her late husbands lifetime and
this in Paris, where the cost Of living is-even at
Montmartre-at least one-thrd higher than in London
Her constant if her greatest, preoccupation was
the rent. For two rooms and very dimnutive kit
chen the sixth floor in the Rue Baudeique she pad
hundred and twenty francs year.
In Paris rents under five hundred francs are pay
able quarterly on the eighth day of the month before