The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-12-25
Observation-Disclosures
POUF! AH-LA-LA-LA
BY MARIE eEAUMARscHEFF.
(Copyright-)

(Copyright)
Madame had locked her son In
room. Such a son! Such a mother!
Emil Jean Marie Lefebre wept and
was chastised at the age of twenty
one. Madame la mere-buxom, irate,
huge-was competent to manage any
one-even gendarme if need be.
The cause? A miserable -pouf!-
the scum of a milliner's daughter
down the street, she of the hair re-
sembling carrots, and the atrocious
freckles. Mon dieu! AMI It would seem
the more freckles, the more love.
Bien! Madame would attend to all
first to Emil Jean Marie; afterward
to the bold mink; all-all in good time.
Parbleu! What would you? To
have girl come to the house every
week-every week, attend you!-to
collect bill for a bonnet not yet
worn! True, madame had possessed
it year; but what then? What with
it's hues-yellow and pale pink-it was
not possible to wear it so soon after
the death of monsieur. For madame's
husband had died during the year, and
SO she had continued wearing her old
black hat.
Who would expect anything differ
emit? A beloved husband in his coffin,
the very thought of yellow and pale
pink was odious-odious for many
days to come. Meanwhile madame had
been constantly reminded of the price
of her unworn bonnet.
Can one never trust the ungrateful
children? All, the tortures of mother
hood! First the agony of the birth;
then the rearing of the infant, the fear
that it will not live, the continued and
eternal yigilance-for what? To have
an migrate of son answer a summons
to the front door every week, like a
rabbit run out of it's burrow, and fall
in love with the daughter of an ex-
orbitant milliner-a daughter present
ing a bill-as if she were wound up
regular to appear once week like
mechanical toy!
To think that he should be so un-
like his brother Paul Baptiste-Paul
Baptiste, who knew not one woman
from another except when served by
one at his dinner! A fine son; so ST.
lent-so honest-so dutiful, who had
eclipsed all by wedding one of the
soeurs Felice. The eldest one it was,
Antoinette-she who had always had
epileptic fits-so sad!-and only four
teeth-but a portion of five hundred
francs. All, bon dieu! there was filial
devotion for you-an example for all
mothers to admire!
And Emil Jean Mar e! Have you
not heard, then? He is no longer a
son, but an migrate, an outcast, pa
riah! His mothers heart it is broken
as we'll; even the thought of Paul Bap-
tiste and his wife will not console.
1t is like this: MAZDA me locks Emil
Jean Marie In her room. Never" de-
clares she, shall you come out until
you promise to forget this pauper of
milliner GIRL who has not a sou to
her name. neutrality-suspicious.
eff all were like you in making pay
ment for what they purchase, 1t is
small wonder that she is pauper."
This atrocity from ones own son!
Then all is quiet.
Presently madame goes downstairs.
She strolls in the garden at the side
of the house; she becomes calm-then
pensive. She plucks flowers and
shifts in deep breaths of sunshine and
air. She reflects that it is as well
to punish sons once In while, as
lie bon dieu knows how men are all
born to be lords, and forever order
ing women about as soon as they are
married.
1T is only during their youth that
they are submissive. Men are like
kings of beasts" soliloquized madame
complacently reviewing her life with
the departed monsieur. "Ah! he was
like unto a noble lion when roaring
his desires: Blanche, fetch my shoes
Blanche, carry the hamper" Mad
anne wept.
A footstep sounded. 1t stopped in
front of the house. Doubtless some
stupid OK of a huckster. Madame paid
no heed; she continued her gentle rev.
cries. 1t was a romantic moment, full
of sentiments of the PAST. Presently,
however, madame bethought her Of
her uncooked dinner, and she saun.
tered around toward the front. Some
one was passing by-some one-mad.
anne screamed.
1t was the milliner's daughter-on
her head the yellow and pale pink
bonnet! Madame grasped the stone
post for support. The girl bowed.
Behold me, madame. / wear the
hat, 1t is true. am here, but return
this time with 1t on my head, and you
may also reassure yourself on one
point: your son-such Q baboon! Do
you think l would look at him?
La-la-la! l would as soon wed a blue
mandril. To him 1 have made all the
Establishments only to endeavor to se-
cure the money owed. To him prom
Use all my soul, If he will but throw
me down the hat from madame's
room. Now, go and release your
grand bebe. Who would have him,
save the other soeur Felice?-poob!
"As for the promise to meet him at
the Moulin Rouge-so!-my compli-
ments. l am married since last week;
yes, am married, and to no baboon-
And no more will Emil Jean Marie see
of me- La-la-la-la-la-la!" And she
walked away, swishing her skirts.
What are sons?. Ingrates. fngrates
that is, some sons. And never will
madame forgive the insult put upon
her by her Emil Jean Marie. And as
for him, he has learned well the les