Part 10 (1/2)

When Pierre returned home he had much to tell his mother and Marie, you may be sure, of his visit to Pont-de-Saint-Michel, and of the new friend he hadthe cocoons was over the days were not so crowded, and although there was still plenty to keep the Bretton family busy, Pierre and Marie resu daily lessons with Monsieur le Cure, and aiding their ular round of household tasks There was a thorough cleaning of the silk-house that itseason; then there was thefrancs which the faether, to be invested Part of the expenses; and part were spent in co line

As she now had e church to ith the other woes; and when at hoers were never idle but flew to and fro at her knitting Marie, too, had learned to knit and although she complained that her needles refused to _click_ as did her mother's, she nevertheless was already able to make a sock and fashi+on its toe and heel without help As for Pierre, he split the wood, cared for the cow and the goats, toiled in the field, brought hay from the hillsides, and assumed much of the heavy hich his father and uncle had been accusto his ard him with puzzled surprise, and not a little satisfaction

”You are a great comfort to me, Pierre,” she would exclaim a score of times a day

Once the lad had flushed with pleasure at overhearing her say to Monsieur le Cure:

”What should I do without ood son, my brave Pierre, to lean upon?”

Thus nearly two months sped past, and the moths within the cocoons that had been laid aside for breeding began to hatch out and force theh the small apertures they rent in their silken houses

Marie viewed the first arrivals in consternation

”They will fly all about the house and we shall lose them!” she cried

”What can we do with thehed

”Have no fear, little sister,” he answered reassuringly ”Josef says they will but flutter far enough to find their s are laid they will die”

”Alas,” sighed the girl, ”what a wee tis! Is it not sad, Mother?”

Madaravely for a mohter's troubled eyes

”It is not so sad as it seeently ”The silkworm has coer It is so with all of us Each is put into the world with a task to finish, and there can be no greater happiness than to know that that work--whatever it was--has been faithfully accomplished To me the lesson of these tiny creatures' lives is an inspiration”

Marie smiled faintly, but was still unconvinced

”But to have it all end just when they have got their wings, Mother!”

”But it does not end, cherie,” was the quiet reply ”The s, which hatch into another faoes on, don't you see; it does not stop”

The girl's face brightened

”It is so with children,” continued her one, and carry forward the faood principles their fathers andYou and Pierre will, I hope, take out into the world all the good things your father and I have attempted to teach you Try to live always so that the name you bear shall be honored We have been poor French peasants but we have never done anything that could cause you shae you will have it ever to remember that your father was a soldier of France, and when trouble caladly offered his life to serve her”

A light of exaltation glowed in the woman's eyes

Pierre, who had stolen unnoticed into the rooht he had never seen hisin her face that brought to his e square

Softly he bent and kissed her cheek

With the gesture Madarave mood instantly shi+fted into playfulness

”Dear, dear!” she cried ”How serious we all are getting! It was yourthis way Our ith them is not yet done, either, for we must spread out the sheets of paper on which they are to lay their eggs Then we can move the pairs of moths onto them”