The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-27
THE BRAVE LITTLE BAKER.

A great many grown folks have
won medals and other honors in the
war, and now comes a story of a
little French girl who is to be spe-
cially honored. A statue is to be
erected in the market place of her
home village, near Poitiers, to tell
every one who passes by why Made
leine Danian is heroine. The statue
will show peasant child, of four
teen years, kneading loaf of bread.
"A heroine just for making bread?"
some one says, rather scornfully.
YES, just for making bread" This
is the way it happened. Madeleine's
papa was baker; he owned the only
bake-shop in the village, and one day
he put up the shutters, and marched
away to the front Madeleine and her
brother Charles had the little house
and shop all to themselves, for their
mother was dead Madeleine had
kept the house, and little Charlie
helped his father to build the fire I'M
der the ovens and to take out the
ashes. After their father went away
the children cried for While-until
the boy remembered it was time to
start the fire. But who would make
the bread? A great many people
depended on baker Danian to supply
bread, and now there was no one to
mix it.
I'VE must have bread" said
Madeleine. She took off her best frock
that she had worn to see papa off
with the colors; she put on cotton
frock and apron, and pulled her faith
ers white cap down over her curls.
Then she mixed batch as best she
could, and Charlie baked it. The
loaves were as heavy as lead. Made
leine's back and arms ached, but she
bravely tried again. Now she used
| too much yeast; again too little; once
| the dough was too stiff, again it stuck
to her fingers. She cried just once;
| then went at the bread again, remem,
bering carefully everything she had
| seen her father do. Then she waited
till Charlie drew out the pans; and
| there was bread worth eating
| brown and crusty outside, white and
sweet within. Papa would not be
ashamed of his little girls bread. Now
that she knew how, the little baker
worked merrily; and Charlie, too
| They turned out one hundred and
| fifty loaVes day, and delivered them
at the door of regular customers
That is, Charlie delivered them, and
his sister tended the shop between
patches. The customers began to tall
about the brave child who spent hel
days between the dough board ant
| the flour barrels and the shop anC
the mothering of Charlie and mend
| ing and cleaning.
she works too hard" they said
but the white cap bobbed up as usua
every morning in the shop.
THE President ought to hear abou
our Madeleine" said another Villager
and at once somebody got pen, inl
and paper and wrote to the Presi
dent. In due time the letter reached
Paris, And what do you think hap
pened? The President of Francs
wrote to the little village baker a let
ter of thanks-thanks mind you! fOl
setting such "salutary example O
splendid spirit and courage"
And with the letter came the Cross
of Lorraine, a decoration that is givel
only for very patriotic deeds b!
French women.
Such is the story of Madeleine
who is to have a statue in marble
with her own little figure on it, ant
in the hands a loaf of bread being
kneaded into shape. There ought t.
be mention of Charlie, too; but thel
of course boys are expected to b.
brave and strong; and after all /
was Madeleine who wore her father
cap and filled his place.
s-Sacrsd Heart ReDieD.