Volume II Part 19 (1/2)
An epidee soon after, and at the end of two days her foster-parents were carried away, and Louison was onceconvent took the child, taught it what they knew themselves, and a few years passed peacefully for Louison
A thirst to see the world took hold of her; the convent walls stifled her, and she iain Naturally her request was refused, and so Louison tried to help herself
One dark, storarden wall, and when the nuns ca for early mass, they found her bed e, the child wandered through Noruest, and one old woer had left behind
The proverb ”all roads lead to Rome” would be more true in many cases if it said they lead to Paris; and thus it ith Louison After a long and difficult journey she reached the capital, the El Dorado of street singers frouine teer doubted that she would support herself honestly
In a reat city, in the midst of people as poor as herself, Louison found a habitation The wondrous beauty of the girl soon attracted attention, and when she sang songs on some street-corner she never failed to reap a harvest At the end of four weeks she had her special public, and could now carry out a project she had long thought of She went to the inspector of the quarter and begged him to name her some poor, sickly old woman whom she could provide for
”I do not wish to be alone,” she said, as the inspector looked at her in amazement, ”and it seems to me that my life would have an aim if I could care for some one”
Petitions of this kind are quickly disposed of, and on the next day Louison received an order to go to another house in the same quarter and visit an old ured by fire
Louison did not hesitate a moment to take the woman, whose appearance was so repulsive, to her hoazed at her, ”Mother, do you wish to go with me?” the deserted woman nodded, and from that day on she was sheltered
Who could tell but that Louison's voice recalled to that clouded memory the recollection of happier days? Anyhow the hter could not have nursed and cared for the poor old woman better than Louison did
The sobriquet of the ”Marquise” had been given to Louison by the people of the quarter She was so different froh her clothes were of the cheapest material, and no one would have dared to say an unkind or bold word to the young girl
As the old woirl, Louison cheerfully said:
”Mother, Imy absence”
”Good,” repeated the maniac
”Then you can put on your new cap to-morrow”
”The one with the ribbons?”
”Yes”
”Oh, then I will be good”
The poor thing clapped her hands, but suddenly she uttered a cry of pain
”Ah!--!”
Louison, with heavenly patience, caressed her gray hair and calmed her