Terre Haute Weekly Gazette, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 18 December 1879 — Page 6

Page PDF (8.63 MB)

Back to issue view

Author

Ger*

was ot. for she niture. straw alt it wa every tin 1 straw lay, How lot live wilhn but there

in suctt food. Coupeai and sol liquor.

LA FAUTE

anythir wished -onie on. webs (.- She km but she value.

She sat at the

pale skt, dreamt storm, She aw night vi. daysar She wa he wou

Could it Then eyer w«i half hou Yes, thebut sh not borro

There

small suwinter emerge plying moned their dv— "Con.

bright Gervaist her feel 1 "Ah! Lorilleux

AI'Tt XII.

POVERTY AND tEGRAUATI©N.

The weather was intensely cold about the middle of Jan.iary. Gervaise hr.d not been ible to pay her rent, due on the first. Sr had had little or no work, and conscqu t)tly no tood to speak ot. The 8ky wa« dark and gloomy, and 1he air heavy wills 'i'.c .ming of a storm. GervaKe" thought barely posible '.hat her husband uiiijt't come in with a little money. AI Let ah, everything is possibl and he had .••aid mar. iie would woik Gervaist in.:r :ntU:, by'dmi of dwelling on a certain! home 3otii a hoi. con she had (4 no one tTOUbli at thai t:moving 1 She no she ws.

Had cnrne to insider it V«-, Coupeau wcu'id biin^

.. tn« uld havi r' nt r. As to herself to get work, foi h~r. This did not .t for she had arrived (he mere exertion ci" totri. intolerable to her. .chedon the bed, f-r nu-r tilt C. •u-0 it a bed. In reality it 1: .it atiftw in the corner, -..id ner bed and all her fur (-.c«:u^ionally swept th. nt ivt'.ii a broom, and at!"' i. tit dustier noi dirtier

the place. On tt.js-.

uh!

Tired 1 and toot, and looked out yard-

Her 1:

and deci week to forthcoin the stiee stand

and teil pack h.V with a fool ol a Poisson on that

Urtfo.

rl 1. Sin vaguely

W iI

a uy

tin folder-

Vfct 11

ail tie turner*. good for cuts, had any niuikt

.fiplation, she got uj ..,iuii to ihe windo* into the dinuv coui

iiarl been there tln.t oin,

*ould

only wait on

Jiiey, ai-t if it wee no' woulJ turn them inn,vc tier wild to see him in ."ins heavy overcoat, ly that he shout. ut'Ci-. She hated him haired, as she did her

IC«W'

can't live win.

... for, Lllfc

out ci tii ished ej of dainti since c. a ec) she coul fastidioi. When a bullou some be a from panada which s»

Wollia..'s fart

tlvJ^i

tsions of

!ti

lOOd. N'.

She ha Ion,

e-.n-:br

those, aru eat

S«

Gerv»«

for tei. she sa* •Wiii leux, n/'° "Hav. mered (. here."

they rar. not rici glasses d^ys.

Gerv

needed

L'ASSOMMOIIi

FROM THE FRENCH OF

E I E O A

"hel he or, uns page D'AMO r," "the abbr's tkmptation or

AUBE MOURET," ETC.

GERVAXSE.

a«

viituiut bv in th.

i. ..«•

rrgai.'l 1.0

its quality.

tli- ui

.nev,

she jugU

i,t a

bit of cheese, or

.11 M)un'\imtB

she begged

She waf qui 0 billing to disjiUt. dog for 1 UwCc, the ti such tl.S ot..d n. -v« disguxteu at that

GervaisKs "I would give them back in the morning." Madame Lorilleux turned and looked her full in the (nee, thinking to herself that if she yielded orice, that the next day it would be twenty sous, and who could tell where it would stop "But, my dear," she cried, '•you know we have no money and no prospect of any otherwise, of course, we would oblige you." '"Certainly," said Lorilleux, "the heart is willing, but the pockets are emoty."

Gervaise bowed her head, but she did no' leave instantl). She looked at the -jold wire on which her sister-in-law was •vo:king, and at that in the hands of lorilleux, and thought that-it would :ik a mere scrap to give her a good din"i. On that day the room was very iii

and filled with charcoal dint, bu' life saw it tesplendent with riches like shop of a money-changer, and she iii once more in a low, soft voice "I will bring bnck the ten sous. I wil!. indeed Tears were in her eyes, but she was dotei mined not to sav that he. id ealen nothing ior twenty-four i.ours "1 can't tell vcu how much I need it,'' s-ln- continued.

I he husband and wife exchanged a I Wooden Legs begging at their •, W ell Weil who would have

1 inn', Gervaise stiil ner eyes wide open, ill hindered, uld people .-at!---? Sh*.- was not hungr, a -irurge weight at the

hl it? Why had they not known a- hlu-. when they rashly called out, "Con in?" Really, they could not aliww -uch people to cross tmir threshold: l.er« was too much that was valuable in iheroom. Thev had several times disMi^ted Gervaise, she looked about so

pit of he* •'.oiii 1 ii. Her haggard eyes qucci lv. «uni now thev would not take wandercu «»•..» i.tt room in starch of

e\,(„ 0

eyrt- off of.her.

rvaise went toward Lorilleux as she i.kr. "lake care he said, roughly. •'You Hill cany off .me ot the particles ci tu oi the soies of )our shoes. It luoks 11 as il yuw had g«- .ne*i rvaise dn- b. ck Sue leaned .,..1 -itt an rtagere fo a moment, and ins that her sifter in-law's eyes were on her hanos she opened them and a gRrnle, weary voice—the voice ..ia -vo:nan who has ceasrd to struggle

fci

ti ... ai'tthe Lorilleux ami »ti s.tei -1 hated every one

sp ti.o

day.

•i

.' pie

jvc

•ui.4, anO inade a sort

ertif-u

ui did u.—for three Vi.— wi iiout a morsel 1 r. int.mbt.-ied I10W, last %veek, uvi -tolt:^ .If loaf

urpn

wini'ow looking at

a 1 1 .. our in a si..

i' ti .d her wav iiom a art, ami saw .1 How long

The 11

OHCh IS it, und the

ool 1

to Il'" I a.O

t, Ufa Viarttii| is

-iid

•""i ii vv.t.i I tS '#4 S3* he up,j. 1 g- „s *u »»..r iiooa ». 11 "j

me -uve. aked

sctm Coupeau

,, "1 'bought he

His si

rr« *i-ft a 'v u4v ^i». Ihe offer it m'ft •. tie waiUe i".

r.e wa- n. Wtt'i .1 lid pOfSlun •vV hen.

pu.i.K

i{ if »llv ki)i. yomthf Lk.ru cm «tf,4' al borrowing i. iidor dunn .. t.. c. what w« th.

»=o

iu •. Vv dreameU oi ilvux. Gervaise tiat*e. aod raoj't-o

a snarp voice. *9 i- e! w.ir-n' ii Ht/ he to i* o, iH. fl'ui 'ef.!-

How $

THE

taken noihing. You can look

to- yOUi6f.it." -Vod she went a was the wannth of t'i plae«_- and thu smell of the toup 1 unbi arable. 1,'Ik- Lorilleux shrugged their shoul0 .rs i' the door closed. T'ley hoped 1 iicy iuui^-.en ihc laM of her face. She nau bronutxt all ner mistoriuneson her wvvn head, and ho nad Uierefore no right to xp Ci any assistance Irom. them liocht joined in t-a-v animadversions, unit all three con.-iotii-d hemselves av^ng'd Jin" in and all the re*L .si .dame Lorilx. Jie ten sous -lave spent it in 1 qu

I «u -i "t

•. tr sli|^ -MloU ho a ioulcei-, bin at ii .Or' c.'llltl .lOt tiU would W IR up rt uo -.lyld kei her \a« n.. lo Kcd in ai -Ka

they gave ha

.t.k.,1 neig bo' siov

uk 'raii. exetiangn

irte h.

in^t

t.ne nexs ".'ss-

r''

i$ui ii« su. t. u» ..«( ov

.. e.u.d

it, a

..HI

OIKM' I 00

ted st "Ht

ou .11 .Oj tonnev-

vli

SIH-

come home.

J-" '.V n. \."

ame Lo4* husba while 'air. '•If 1 «.

11:0

Gervaii-.. The -"If yc

J- .mi?M

von'

iru

tT*T 'lu her fire, ano h*

,M ly over hi» Wot',

Mmleo Aith an expectai.i

~t»u^

mu muieo

'd.

Odld lt-»Ki+ihem to

me," said \ou

it'

iW* 2 v'

k-.: yivfivf

1 hen she answered, faintly "I cannot, for

was h.

-s vi 1 thi

I'lg out »mC-

1 a

a- iii be

.alt, with the

It 'lii.rmured ougn, and •t fioish the i. but those that I was

t«s 1 ^8

t%(

1 ii .? *.t 1 ^iie scissors. I .it a- v?iru rl of a heavy at

•J-r

father noisily

open t-'i

iv in

und t'ie lash. 1 is is ago 0 k. he said. The a of vour dar ng 1.0 10 bed at this .. ur Come up *nh toa ik- snapped th whip over the bed, and cnild (Tiurmuieo, hoftly

Do noi strik irif. ai»a I am sure ,..u*illbe sorry if you do. Do not #tnke me /, "Up with you he cried "up with

am dying

Gervaise had snatched the whip from Bijard, who stood with his under jaw dropped, glaring at his daughter. What could the little fool mean Who ever heard of a child dying like that when she had not even been sick Oh she was lying

"You

will see that

He—the

"Madame

ri the corridor and slouching

doo 1 she hesitated :-n.'

whs

t' ltd. She

a le—thai

\s pas^ei:.

Urn, bu to lie 1 urn- asked .lousl v, it any ... turn out to the Bijards, \eiit in. she said. n, and in ,/er1 morning had y!"ing. In vain it through it dirt am ..•ere .-1" -.'e to evv-i

The door of the factory remained firm ly shut for some lime. Then it opened to allow the egress of one workman—then two—three followed, but these were probably those who,

»aw

—in

asked Ger

vnne danslid,

1.1 notHing, her eyes closed,

and am taking

aces of such s»«e fell on her Si.e knew i.h for a tickling

TEKRE HAUTE WEEKLY GAZETTE.

uShall

was telling you

the truth,*' she replied.

you as long as

did not tell

could help it. Be kind

to me now, papa, and say good-bye as if you loved me." Bijard passed his hand over his eyes. She did look very strangely—her face was that of a grown woman. The presence of death in that cramped room sobered him suddenly. He looked around with the air

a man who had

been suddenly awakened from a dream. He 6aw the two little ones clean and happy, and the room neat and orderly.

He fell into a chair.

"Dear

little

"dear

mother he murmured

little mother

This was all he said but it was very sweet to Lalie, who had never been spoiled by

over praise. She comforted

him. She told him how grieved she was, to go away and leave him before ste had entirely brought up her children. He would watch over them, would he not And in her dying voice she gave him some little details in regard to their clothes.

alcohol having re

gained its power—listened with round eyes of wonder. After a long silence, Lalie 6poke again

We owe four trancs and seven sous to the baker. He must be paid. Mad ame Gaudron has an iron that belongs to vou must not forget

ing

it.

This even

was not able to make the soup, but there are bread and cold potatoes." As long as she breathed, the poor lit tie mite continued to be the mother of the family. She dieJ because her breast was too small

to contain

so great a hear'

and that he lost this precious treasure, was entirely her father's fault. He, wretched creature had kicked her mother to death, and had now just as surely, murdered his daughter.

Gervaise tried to keep back her tears. She held Lalie's hands, and as the bedclothes slipped away, she re-arranged them. In doing so, she caught a glimpse of the poor little figure. The sight might have drawn tears from a stone. Lalie wore only a tinv chemise over her bruised and bleeding flesh—marks of the lash striped ner sides—a livid spot wsis on her right arm—and from head to foot she was one brui-e.

Gervaise was paralyzed at the sight. She wonderad if there were a God above, how He could have allowed the child to stagger under so heavy a cross.

Coupeau," murmured the

child, trying to draw the sheet over her. She was ashamed—ashamed for her father.

Gervaise could not stay there. The child was fast sinking. Her eyes were fixed on her little ones, who sat in the corner still cutting out their pictures. The room was growing dark and Gervai»e fled from it. Ah! what an awful thin^ life was! And how gladly would she throw herself under the wheels of an omnibus, if that might end it!

Almost unconsciously Gervaise took her way to the shop where her husband worked, or rather pretended to work She would wait for him and get the money before he had a chance to spend it.

It was a very cold corner where she stood. The sounds of

th£

carriages and

footsteps were strangely muffled by reason of the fast-falling snow. Gervaise stamped her feet to keep them from freezing. The

peoDle who

passed offered few

distractions, for they hurried by with their coat-collars turned up to their ears. But Gervaise saw several women watching the door of the factory as anxiously as herself—they were wives who, like herself, probably wished to get hold of a portion ot their husbands' wages. She did not know them, but it required no introduction to understand their busiss.

well behaved, took

their wages home to their wives, for they neither retreated nor started when they

tne little crowd. One woman fell on a pale little fellow, and plunging hir aand into his pocket, carried off every sou of

her husband's earnings, while he, left without enough to pay for a pint ot wine, went off down the street almost

Some other*men

Cppekfed, itfd

one

turned back to warn a comrade, who came gayly and fearlessly out having put his silver pieces in his shoes. In vain did his wife look for them in his pockets

vain did she scold and coax—he had no money, he declared.

hen came another noisy group, elbowing each other in their haste to reach a cabaret, where tUey could drink away eir week's wages. These fellows were followed by some shabby men who were swearing under their breath at the trifle they had received—having been tipsy and absent more than half the week.

But. the saddest sight of all was the grief of a meek little woman in black, whose husband, a tall, good-looking fellow, pushed her roughly aside, and walked off down the street with his boon companions, leaving her to go home alone, which she did, weeping her very neart out as she went.

Gervaise still stood watching the en trance. Where was Coupeau? She asked some qf the men, who teased her bv declaring that he had just gone by the ck door,

"he

not

say

,c i_v "lirenarAT

v.oupeau

«as

not

v". As usual he hid

•••k t.i»o hiik

Ii,

ins eyes blazed

.ri 1 flame no.died by aicJhol. -a A hen ne saw La Mr- lying down, he Hed to the corner and took up the whip from wnu-ti ne 6lowly un-

shadow of hope—nothing but

hunger, and darkness, and cold. Mie toiled up

I steal a loaf cf bread?" she

asked in a dull, dreary tone. Mes-Bottes smoothed his chin and said in a conciliatory voice: "No, no! Don't do that, it is against the law. But if a woman manages—"

Coupeau interrupted him with a course laugh. "Yes a woman, if she had any sense, could always get along, and il v-as her own fault if she starved."

And the two men walked on toward the outer Boulevard. Gervaise followed them. Again she said: "I am hungry. You know I have had nothing to eat. You must find me something."

He did not answer, and she repeated her words in a tone of agony. "Good God!" he exclaimed, turning upon her furiously. "What can I do? I have nothing. Be off with you, unless you want to be beaten."'

He lifted His fist—she recoiled and said, with set-teeth: "Very well, then', I will go and find some man who has a sou." $

Coupeau pretended to consider this an excellent joke. Yes, of course, she could make a conquest by gaslight she was ctill passably good-looking. If she succeeded he advised her to dine at the Capucin, where there was very good eating.

She turned away with livid lips he called after her: "Bring some dessert with you, for I love cake. And perhaps, you can induce your friend to give me an old coat, for I swear it is cold to-night."

Gervaise, with this infernal mirth ringing in her ears, hurried down the street. She was determined to take this desperate step. She had only a choice between that aud theft, and she consid ered that she had aright to dispose of herself as 6he pleased. The question of right and wrong did not present itself very clearly to her eves. "When one is starving is hardly the time," she said to herself, "to pnilos®phize." She walked tlowly up and down the Boulevard. This part of Paris was crowded now with buildings, between whose sculptured facades ran narrow lanes leading to haunts of squalid misery, which were cheek-by jowl with splendor and wealth.

It seemed strange to Gervaise, that among this crowd who elbowed her, there was not one good Christian to divine her situation and slip some sous into her hand. Her head was dizzy, and her litnbs would hardly bear her weight. At this hour ladies with hats, and welldressed gentlemen who lived in these fine new houses, were mingled wilh the people—with the men and women whose faces were pale and sickly from the vitiafed air of the workshops in which they papEed their lives. Another day of toil was over, but the days came too often and were too long. One hardly bad time to turn over in one's sleep, when the everlasting grind began again.

Gervaiie went with the crowd. No one looked at her, for the men were all hurrying home to dinner. Suddenly she looked up and beheld the Hotel Boncceur. It was empty, the shutters and doors covered with placards, and the whole facade, weather-stained and decaying. It was there, in that hotel, that the seeds of her present life had been sown. She stood still and looked up at the window ol the room she had occupied, and recalled her youth passed with Lantier, and the manner in which he had left her. But 6he' was young then, and soon recovered from the blow. This was twenty years ago, and now what was she?

The sight of the place made her sick, and she turned toward Montmartre. She passed crowds of workwomen with little parcels in their hands, and children who had been sent to the baker's carrying four pound loaves of bread

vaguely Wondered where all this yw and tliis beauty had fled. Agiin she loosed up she had tea the abat'.oirs, which were now

Lfae

down the fronts wert taken awa, v* ing'ne dark holes within, the ver rof wh:ch reeked with blood. tn wa th hospital w«th its high, unr .1 .. wi two ^ings openi .g out hk a nuge fan. A door in the w.

bodies were cairied. She hurried past this solid tl and went down to the railroad a unde which a train had just (a ing in its rear a floating c.-»u

fresh

Iom

Before

saw by this time that

had lied to her that he had not

been at work that day She also saw that there was no dinner tor her. There

dark

Rue des Poissonniers,

when she suddenly heard Coupeau's voice, and glancing in at the window of a wi ie-8hop, she saw him drinking with Mes-Bottes, who had had the lucjt. to marry the previous summer a woman with some money He was now therefore, well clothed and fed, and altogether a happy mortal, and Coupeau's admiration. Gervaise laid her hand on Ner husband's shoulder and he left the cabaret.

d..g.

must hav. loved ta eaturr Gerva'-e turned ac. a stre lamp- were b^ing h£ f, fintid I'114

liini- 01 ftic

nues The re

tturants *•-.»

and

peopi- *re

e.t'ng

tnc Assomm

»ir m.

waiting «he

turn, and

100m

as a res

-cl*' 1

adesma

said, with a shake of he

P.ik*i An.1

-r

ii-

Gsrvit'"** »h'ied s'ie nad .1 1 »he w* *uld in that ca-e nuvr I hi- plac.-, id .iias'H unnl *n feel urerv and through she itch

»he

have b"

0 0

"I am hungry," she said, softly. "Hungry, are you? Weil, then eat your fist, And keep the other for to-mor-row."

ff«*reii!

She ir'e

from h-

the horn of «n vantage. v|n»

n-.d

dot

paratv -M j- .1

did. Her heart was in her

seemed to her tiiat

of herself seemed

whitened his yellow beard.

"Come!"

throat: it dreaming

s^e

was

a bad dream. She

stood

for some fifteen minutes

none of the men who passed looked

"Sir,"

Thev stood looking at each other

fast failing

he said.

And he walked

idi^e

lenvuke ch

or .-

Sue wished she were on that tra

11,

would take her into the countn,V pirtui ed tn herself open spue- a

1? 'if

air, ai.d expanse of blu

hap» she coul-' live anew lit As she u. nght this, h. began puzsie out iri the the words on a printed hand on one ..t hi-pi firs of tne rear* one advertisem fim tra ior a

tie

her. Finally she moved a little and spoke to one who, with his hands in his pcckets, was whistling as he walked.

she Raid, in a low voice,

"please

listen to me." The man looked at her from head to foot, and went on whistling louder than before.

Gervaise grew bolder. She forgot everything except the pang of hunger. The women under

up and down with the regularity of wild animals in a cage.

"Sir,"

she said again,

went back over the same ground—the dismal ground between the slaughter-house-and the place where

"Sir,

pleas listen!"

was-growinglate.

she shivered and crawled

she

as she struggled on, the wind rapping her thin skirts arouu her

direction. When at List she wa ab

open her eyes, she could

^Sir,"

she said,

tall

lhem*beive6, which looked like Rhin.ng brown dolls. By degrees the crowd dispersed, and Gervaise was almost alone. Every one was at dinner. She thought how delicious it would be, to lie down and never rise again—to feel that all toil was over. And this was the tnd of her life! Ger raise, amid the pangs of hunger, thought of some of the fete days she had known, and remembered ihat she had not klway been miserable. Once she wa» oretty, fair and fresh. She had been a kind and admired mistress in her shop. Gentlemen came to it only

A.h!

what had she none

the

on,

Neither

Poor Madame

see her and she

Gnaj -t

October of

.parttneiit.

He had mis ni^ht

ing with a sick frie He entered,

1 1

..o flfard

a lamp an

Gerv.it*-

who

!tood hu

he hr

I'ht vi •,«,-••. -s that 01 Urfj*

Goujet,

.Oi.eh

wa»

leath.

whs

error

of the whole Quartier—ne Doo. of the Dead it was cat ed—tnrough o., ail

ianged

t. iv or

The bed

1 ntin

'1.

v.i

it. i.i kj

if-

a .0 a

:"'V

\o..

f? y£

U-M'"

Ml r-

,..l

scene

iiave

!rr 1,

wit^

still, with

.n-ci* flvirw

that al*

'i*

all her pam came from •a never touched a d«v

«t

I i?

a 1

the leafl than one

figure.

ed therti. aor.nin"d t.»

u*-

•2*

first knew her, when her skin was so delicate, and she stood at her table,briskly moving the hot irons two and fro. He thought of the time when she had come to the Forge, and of the joy with which he would have welcomed her then to his room. And now she was there!

She finished her bread amid great silent tears, and then rose to her feet. Goujet took her hand.

love you, Madame Gervaise

you still," be cried.

"Do

1'le

the trees walked

"Will

"please

listen."

But the man went on. She walked toward the Hotel de Boncoeur again, past the hospital, which was now brilliantly lighted.

There she turned

'.lie

pleas listen!"

sick lay

dying. With these two places she seemed to feel bound by some mysterious tie.

She saw her shadow on the ground as

»he

stood near a street lamp. It was a grotesqus shadow—grotesque because of her ample proportions. Her limp had become, with time and her additional weight, a very decided deformity and as she moved, the lengthening shadow

be creeping

along the sides of the houses with bows and courtesies of mock reverence. Never be.fore had she realized the change in herself. She was fascinated by this shadow. It was very droll, she thought and she wondered if the men did not think so too.

Man after man,

in a beastly state of intoxication, reeled past her quarrels and disputes

was eating,

but it was too much tiouble to think,

anU

on.

t.he

lifted her face she felt the cu ting wind, accompanied by the snow fine and dry gravel. The storm had come.

People were hurrying past her, but

6a«r one man walking slowly. She went towards him.

"Sir,

please listen!"

The man stopped. He did not seem to notice what she said, but extended his hand and murmured in a low voice—

"Charity,

if you please!"

The two looked at each other. rciful heavens! It was Father iiru oeu.ging, and Madame Coupeau doing

She

wor

in misery. The aged workman had

trying to make up his mind

all

the even

ing.to beg, and the fiat person he

was a woman as poor as himself! This was indeed the irony of Fate Was

not a pity to have toiled for

ti. ,i

for

she

tn.

snow, which blindtd Gervais

.JAitt.

Kgs

so iat sh.

could hardly walk. Suddenly an abcolute whirlwind struck her and bore her breathless and'

helpless

along—she did not even know in

wu«t

"please

1 4IU

n..t

nng

through the blindii.g snow, but sh- heard a step and the outline- of a ina.1'0 figure. She snatched him o» the

to be thu- tor

tured and humiliated? Was God heaven an angiy God always? This

made her walk like an int

woman, which

•he

last dreg of bitterness in ht-i cu,.. She saw her shadow: her

limp,

»xic

had not swallowed a dro p. Goujet looke

ted!

was

indeed hard,

at ner whie the

i«er

she following him

•poke.

hid dis

acjti

the

...on Id have slet tom ths cemete her son. Therou orderly. -,~ "C iine 1

ir.

wa^ n'1 :TUi

at-.'

!i :d si end a clean,

'J- 1

i-iSh WnO is Rta I'.cubic ,a w,1! 'Cue.

.in

os?ed his si

-S.»w

11. 4^

w-«x

•Of I-O

.-f,r

ten.'

ri-

11 n_

Take rr

K-

rneumat'-m and

on in to re in

ner

:r'-

r-l\. rervaie -t

doo

,t*l«.

/^(.nd-a

looke le tier »»i

,d.

•i-s

ft tr. ii.u'tt e-rti- a continued n:«g down her c'

!*t into

1 H-f

love

not say that," she exclaimed

it is impossible."

"for

*,".,1

leaned toward her

you allow me to kiss you?" he

asked, respectfully. She did not know what to say," so great was her emotion.

He kissed her, gravely and solemnly, and then pressed his lips upon her gray hair.

He had

and

never kissed any one

*ince

his mother's death, and Gervaise was all that remained to him of the past. He turned away, and throwing him self on his bed, sobbed aloud. Gervar could not endure this. She exclaimed:

love you. Monsieur Goujet and

understand. Farewell!" And she rushfcd through Madame Goujet's room, and then through the trcet to her hotti The house was all dark, and the arched door into the courtyard looked like huge, gaping jaws. Could this be the house where she once desired

reside? Had she been deaf in

those days, not to have heard that wail of despair which pervaded the place from top to bottom? From the day when she first set her foot within the house 6hc had steadily gone down hill.

mu 11

filled

the

air. Gervaise walked on, half asleep. Sh was conscious of little except that 6he was starving. She wondered where hei daughter was, and what she

da.kness, she laughed aloud She recalled her old dream—to work quietly—

nave

plenty to eat—alittle home to herself, where she could bring up her children

—never

turned out fttu worked no more she liao nothing to eat she

Yes,

it was a frigh

'.ful

way to live—so*

many people herded together, to become the pre* of cholera or vice. She looked at the court-yard, and fancied it a cemetery surrounded by hitfh wails. The

white within il. She stepped

11c

usual stream from the dyer's, the stream was black and

oeu

for itself a path through the

whnv snow. The stream was the color ner thoughts. But she remembered

en both were rosy. v» ehe toiled up theflights

WiSlsaS

sss

in t'he

to be bea ou* in

her bed! It w-t%

irol.

..ow

tilings

had

liVt-d

amid dirt

and disordty. Her daughter

w«,

gone

tothel-aa, and her husband beat her whenever he pleaded.

for dying in

her bed, she, had none. Should she throw herself out

xif ii.e

window and

find one on the pavement below?

hud not been unreasonable in

wi n- ^u-ely.

queer world

stopped

fifty years,

an he to is re ad a been one ot the most flourishing laundresses in Paris, and then to make he. bed in the gutter? They looked a', each other once more and without a word each went their own way through

Tier

StiC

ven ,11

ua..

had not asked of

income of thirty thousand nor a carriage and horses. This

la..^Ued again,

And then she

as she remembered that

she had once said, that alter*she had worked for twenty years,

lit 11110

»-he

lould re

the country.

Yes, she

would go into

thr

should

intry, green

soc*.

have her little

corner in Pere La Chaise. Her poor brain was distured, had oidden an eternal farewell to

under the undertaker's door. She

nrev*

it open, with

ni^.

blouse.

listen

The man turned. It was Goojet.'

\-v

She

Gouother

They would never see each

All was ovei between them—

Love and Friendship too.

and saw Lal'e lying dead, happy and

pri.ee.

she passed the Bijards, she looked

It was well with the child.

"Sue i» lucky," muttered Gervaise.

•\t 'his

moment she saw a gleam of

a wild desire that he

.aid 'ake her a%

well as Lalie.

Ba-

nad come in that night more tipjy

.ia. 1

usual, and bad thrown his hat and in the corner, while he lay in tha

.11

of the floor. started up and called out: ..v...'.

nm,

that Jdoor! And don't stand is too cold. What do' you

I!«. 11

Gervaise, with arms outstretched owmg or caring what she said, be-

1, 1 1

entreat him

with

nenc

"(3

passionate

ke me," she cried

can bear it

n.-plore

1-.lie

ben

.1 1*-*'

-nn,*

Near the window

frame, appai

ou!"

kiiit before him

Iuiid

azing in her haggard eyes.

Bazange, with garment* stainhe dust of the cemetery, seemed a.glorious

the sun. But the

1, yet air

asleep, rubb

his

could not understand her. at are you talking about?" htmui

repeated Gervaise, more

if han buiore.

"Do

nio

11 I

was stupid then, and

4 —they

^e,

*iLn

trie aif ot a rinding uertt-.f a,

"itse

staggere

.oh

,*v«d

'U'l

ir.tl

.fflh '.'1

f.i

«ork.

-j ,, I

you remem-

night when

I rapped on

Afterwards I said I did

take rror, have

xfraid.

not afraid now.

are not cold

uid put me to

sli 1

me wish now."

optr

feeling that it was

r. «i

a ladv, said

are right.

three havu

have bu ied

to-day, who would each ne a jolly little sum out of gratith- could

"have

1.eir.

ituig

-*htU

•t* »n

put their hands

pockets. But}Ou see, my dear

it is not such an easy thing you

of me." me cried Geryaise.

want to go away

,t'thr re

"Take

is a certain little operation kwow—" And be pretended to id rolled up his

to He

ed her ano oul.

n-«vc

her.

nothing

ine

crawled into her

threw h. rself on her straw.

.•» -.orry th':

haU eaten anything

the work of starvation.

A PI I I I

THE HOSPITAL.

next dav Gervaise received ten,

"from

her btienne, who had

He occ tionally sent her a

noney, knov/i that th»»re

vaise

was

i»

da-ys

vas

much of that commodity in

his

ther's pocket. oked her dinner and ate it alone did not appear, nor did she of his whereabouts for near-

Fiually a printed paper was whicn frightened her at first, was soon relieved to find that it conveyed to her the information husband was at Saints-Anne's

in no way disturbed*.

au knew the way back well .m he would return in due season.

Coat naed!on Third Page.