Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1940-07-18, Page 6PAGE SIX 04r141, i 140,I'I''K Searrat and Flavelle, the guards at that plain. D'Argenson made inquiry my door, set too high a price on their of Doltaire when Montcaln's honest favours, and they talked seldom, and criticisms were sent to France in then with brutal jests and ribaldry of cipher, and Doltaire returned the matters in the town which were not reply that Bigot was the only man vital to me, Yet once or twice, from who could serve Canada efficiently in things they said, I came to know that this crisis; that he hacl abounding all was not well between Bigot and fertility of resource, a clear head, a Doltaire on one hand, and Doltaire strong will, and great administrative and the Governor on the other. Dol- faculty. This was all he would say, taire had set the Governor and the save that when the war was over Intendant scheming against him be- other matters might be conned. cause of his adherence to the cause Meanwhile France must pay liberally of neither, and his power to render for the Intendant's services! the plans of either of no avail when Through a friend in France, Bigot he chose, as in my case. Vatidreuil's came to know that his affairs were vanity was injured, and, besides, he moving to a crisis, and saw that It counted Doltaire too strong a friend would be wise to retire; but he loved of Bigot. Bigot, I doubted not, found the very air of crisis, and Madame in Madame Cournal's liking for Dol- Cournal, anxious to keep him in Can- taire all sorts of things of which he ada, encouraged him in his natural never would have dreamed; for there feeling to stand or fall with the col - is no such potent devilry in this ony. He never showed aught but a world as the jealousy of such a sort bold and confident face to the public, of man over a woman whose vanity and was in all regards the most con - and cupidity are the springs of her spicuous figure In New France. affections. Doltaire's imprisonment When, two years before, Moutcalm in a room of the Intendance was not took Oswego from the English, Bigot so mysterious as suggestive. I fore- threw open his palace to the popu- saw a strife. a complication of in- lace for two days' feasting, and trigues, and internal enmities which every night during the war he enter - would be (as they were) the ruin of tamed lavishly, though the people New Frazee. I saw, in imagination, went hungry, and their own corn, the English army at the gates of bought for the king• was sold hack to Quebec, and those who sat in the them at famine prices. seats of the mighty, sworn to per- As the Governor and the Intendant conal enmities—Vaudreuil through grew together in friendship. Vaudreu- vanity. Bigot through cupidity. poi- it sinking past disapproval in present hire by the instate malice of his hat- selfish necessity, they quietly tom- urs--..acriticiag the country; the hived against Doltaire as against scarlet body of British power moving Montcalm. Yet at this very time Dctl- ,1(,wn upon 0 dishonoured city. never faire was living in the Intendance, take its foot from that sword of and. as int. hail told Alixe, not with- Frai,er ;which fell there on the soil of out some personal danger. He had Now World. before been offered chambers at the Lau there was another tatter in the Chateau St. Louis; but these he :enetiett en tallith I have not before v:onirl not rake. for he could not hears' e�u•Wit O:•r ar w-ar earlier, when war to la, within touch of the Governor's was Linn rerried int, Prussia by vanity and timidity, He would of pre - Austria and France. and against fereuce have stayed in the Intendance England. the ally of Prussia. the had he known that pitfalls and traps rret:r•h Mini -ter of War. HArgenson, had. by the grace of La I'oinputleur. >e,nt General the Marquis de Mete - veins to Canada. to protect the col- ony with a small army. Front the first. Montcalm, fiery, impetuous, and honourable, was at variance with Vaudreuil• who, though honest him- self, had never dared to make open stand against Bigot. When Mont - calm came, practically taking the military command out of the hands of the Governor, Vaudreuil developed a singular jealous spirit against the General. It began to express itself about the time I was thrown into the citadel dungeon, and I knew from what Alixe had told me. and from the gossip of the soldiers that there was a more open show of disagree- ment now. The Governor. seeing how ill it was to be at variance with both Mont calm and Bigot. presently began to covet a reconciliation with the latter, To this Bigot was by no means averse, for his own position had danger. Isis followers and confeder- ates, Cournal. Marin, Cadet, and 111 - gaud. were robbing the king with a daring and effrontery which must ul- timately bring disaster. This he knew, but it was his plan to hold on for a time longer, and then to retire before the axe fell with an immense fortune. Therefore, about the time set for my execution, he began to close with the overtures of the Gov- ernor, and presently the two formed a confederacy against the Marquis de Montcalm. Into it they tried to draw Doltaire, and were surprised to find that he stood them off as to any- thing more than outward show of friendliness. Truth was, Doltaire, who had no sordid feeling in him, loathed alike the cupidity of Bigot and the in- competency of the Governor, and re- spected Montcalm for his honour and reproached him for his rashness. From first to last he was, without show of It, the best friend Montcalm had in the province; and though he held aloof from bringing punishment to Bigot, he despised him and his friends, and was not slow to make were at every footstep. Danger gave a piquancy to his existence, Perhaps he did not greatly value Maclaine Cournal's admiration of himself; but when it drove Bigot to retaliation, his imagination got an impulse, and he entered upon a conflict which ran parallel with the war, and with that delicate antagonism which Alixe waged against him, long undiscover- ed by himself. At my wits' ends for news, at last I begged my jailer to convey a mes- sage for me to the Governor, asking that the barber be let come to me. The next day an answer arrived in the person of Voban himself, accom- panied by the jailer. For a time there was little speech between us, but as he tended me we talked. We could do so with safety, for Voban knew English; and though he spoke it brokenly, he had freedom in it, and the jailer knew no word of it. At first the fellow blustered, but I waved hint nff. He was a man of better educa- tion than Gaborcl, but of inferior judgment and shrewdness. He grade no trial thereafter to interrupt our talk. but sat and drummed upon a stool with his keys. or loitered at the window, or now and again thrust his hand into my pockets, as if to see if weapons were concealed in them. "Voban." said I, "what has happen- ed since I saw you at the Intend- ance? Tell me first of mademoiselle. You have nothing from her for me?" "Nothing," he answered, "There is no time. A soldier come an hour ago with an order from the Governor, and I must go all at once. So I come as you see. But as for the ma'm'selle, she is well. Voila, there is no one like her in New France. I do not know all, as you can guess, but they say she can do what she will at the Chateau. It is a wonder to see her drive. A month ago a droll thing come to pass. She is driving on the ice 'with Ma'm'selle Lotbiniere and her bro- ther Charles. M'sieu' Charles, he has the reins. Soon, ver' quick, the horses start with all their might. M'sieu' saw and pull, but they go the faster. Like that for a mile or so; then ma'm'seile remember there is a great crack in the lee a mile farther THE SEAFORTH NEWS THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1940 on, and beyond, the ice is weak and a man does not like death," rotten, for there the Curren' is ver' ( He paused, "You are right, Voban strongest. She sees that M'sieu' said I. "Go on." Charles, he can do nothing, so she 110 was silent again for a time, a reach and take the reins. The horses then he moved his hand In a helple go on; it make no diff'rence at first. sort of way across his forehead. But she begin to talk to them so sof', had become deeply lined and wrin and to pall ver` steady, and at last 1 ed all in a couple of years, His to she get them shaping to the shore.] plea were sunken, his cheeks Kollo She have the reins wound on hers and his face was full of those sh hands, and people on the shore, they ows which lend a Bort of tragedy watch, Little on little the horses pull even the humblest and least distin up, and stop at last a hunder' feet uished countenance, His eyes had from the great crack and the rotten restlessness, anon an intense tea ice. Then she tetra them round and ' nes almost uncanny, and his tilt drive them home. ( long lingers had a stealthiness of in "You should hear the people cheer tion, a soft swiftness, which stru as she drive up Mountain Street. I me strangely. I never saw a man The bishop stand at the window of chauged. He was like a vessel wre his palace and smile at her as she 1 ed from its moorings; like so pass, and m'sieu' "—he looked at the II craft, filled with explosives, s Jailer and paused—"m'sieu. the gen-: loose along a shore lined with fishi demon we do- not love, he stand int smacks, which might come foul - the street with his cap off for two ' one, and blow the company of m minutes as she come, and after she and boats into the air, As he sto go by, and say a grand compliment there, his face half turned to me f to her so that her face go pale. He get a moment, this came to my mind, a froze ears for his pains—that was a I said to him, "Voban, you look 1i cold day, Well, at night there was a some wicked gun which would blo grand dinner at the Intendance, and us all to pieces." afterwards a ball in the splendid He wheeled, and came to me room which that man (he meant Big- swiftly that I shrank back in m o1: 1 shall use names when quoting chair with alarm, his action was hint further, that he may be better sudden, and, peering into my fac understood) "built for the poor peo- he said, glancing, as I thought, anx ple of the land tor to dance down ously at the jailer, "Blow—blow—ho their sorrows, So you can guess I blow us all to pieces, m'sieu'?" H would be there—happy. Ah yes, so eyed me with suspicion, and I cou happy! I go and stand in the great see that he felt like some hurt a gallery above the hall of dance, with mal among its captors, ready to figh crowd df people, and look down at yet not knowing from what poi the grand folk. "One man come to me and say, 'Ah, Voban, is it you here? Who would think it!'—like that. Another, he come and say, 'Voban, he can not keep away from the Intendance. Who does he come to look for? But no, she is not here no,' And again, an- other, 'Why should not Voban, be here? One man has not enough bread to eat, and Bigot steals his corn. An - outer hungers for a,wife to sit by his fire, and Bigot takes the maid, and Voban stuffs his mouth with humble pie like the rest. Chut! shall not Big- ot have his fill?' And yet another, and, voila, she was a woman, she say, 'Look at the Intendant down there with madame. And M'sieu' Cournal, he also is there. What does M'sieu' Cournal care? No, not at all, The rich man, what he care, if he has gold? Virtue! ha, ha! what is that in your wife if you have gold for it? Nothing. See his hand at the In- tendant's arm. See how M'sieu' taire look at them, and then up here at us. What is it in his mind. you think? Eh? You think he say to him- self. A wits all to himself the poor' Hunt's one luxury? I•at1 Alt. M'sieli Voltaire. you are right, you eine right. You catch up my child front its bas- ket in the market -place one day, and you shake it ver' soft, an' you say, 'Madame, I will stake the last year of my life that I tau put my linger on the father of this child.' And when I laugh in his face, he say again, 'And if he thought he wasn't its father, he would rut out the liver of the other —eh?' And I laugh, and say, 'My Jac- ques would follow hint to hell to do it.' Then he say, Voban, he say to ate, 'That is the difference between you and us, We only kill men who meddle with our mistresses!' Ah, that. M'sieu' Doltaire, he put a louis in the hand of my babe, and he not even kiss me on the cheek. Pshaw! Jacques would sell him fifty kisses for fifty lts. But sell me, or a child of nae? Well, Voban, you can guess! Pah, barber, if you do not care what he did to the poor Mathilde, there are other maids in St. Rosh." Voban paused a moment, then add- ed quietly, "How do you think I bear it all? With a smile? No, I hear with my ears open and my heart close tight. Do they think they can teach me? Do they guess I sit down and hear all without a cry from my throat or a will 111 nay body? Ab, m'sien' le Capitaine, it is you who know. You saw what I would have go to with M'sieu' Doltaire before the day of the Great Birth. You saw if I am a coward—if I not take the sword when it was at my throat with- out a whine. No, m'sieu', I can wait. There le a time for everything. At first I am all in a muddle, I not know what to do; but by -and -bye it all come to me, and you shall see one day what I wait for. Yes, you shall see, I look down on that people (lanc- ing there, quiet and stili, and I hear some laugh at. me, and now and then some one say a good word to me that make me shut my hands tight, so the tears not come to my eyes. But I felt alone—so much along. The world does not want a sad man. In my shop I try to laugh as of old, and I am not sour' or heavy, but I can see men do not say droll things to me as once back time. No, I am not as I was. What writ I to do? There is but oneway. What is great to- one man is not to another. What kills the one does not ]till the other. Take away from some people one thing, and they will not care; front others that same, and there is nothing to dive for, except just to live, and because nd ss It lel- m- ad- to a 11, o- ck so st- ore et ng of en od or at ci ke w so y BO e, w e ld n t, nt danger would come. Something pre matt in what I said had struck hum yet I could not guess then what was, though afterwards it came me with great force and vividness. "1 meant nothing, Voban," swered I, "save that you look dange oust' I half put out my hand to touc his arm ina friendly way, but I sa that the jailer was watching, and did not. Voban felt what I was abo to do, and his face instantly softened and his blood -shot eyes gave me look of gratitude, Then he said: "I will tell you what happen hex 1 know the palace very well, an when I see the Intendant and M'sieu Doltaire and other leave the balh'oo1 1 knew that they go to the channbe which they call 'la Chambre de 1 Joie,' to play at cards, So I sten away out of the crowd into passug which, as it seem, go nowhere, an come quick, all at once, to a bar wall. But. I know the way. In out corner of the passage I press e spring, and a little panel open. crawl through and close it behin' Then I feel my way along the dark corner till I come to another panel This I open. and I $ee light. You asp how van do this? Well.I tell you There is the valet of Bigot, he is ui} friend. You not guess who it is? No? it is a ,van whose ei'inre in Frau -o 1 know, He was afraid when he saw one here, hitt 1 say to hint, 'No, I will not speak—never'; and he is all my friend just when I most need. Ian, voila, 1 see light, as I said, and I push aside heavy curtains ver' little, and there is the Chamber of Joy below, There they all are, the Intendant and the rest, sitting dawn to the tables. There was Capitaine Laney, M'sieu' Cadet, M'siu' Cournal, M'sieu' le Che- valier de Levis, and M'sieu' Je Gener- ale, le Marquis de Montcalm, I am as- tonish to see him there, the great general, in his grand coat of blue and gold and red, and laces ties beau at his throat, with a fine jewel. Ali, he is not ver' high on his feet, - but he has an eye all fire, and a laugh come quick to his lips, and he speak ver' galant, but he never let them, Messieurs Cadet, Marin, Laney, and the rest, be thick friends with him. They do not clap their hands on his shoulder comme le bon camarade— ;tOn! "Well, they sit down to play, and soon there is much noise and laugh- ing, and then sometimes a silence, and then again the noise, and you can see one snuff a candle with the points of two rapiers, or hear a sword jangle at a cloak', or listen to some one sing ver' soft a song as he held a good hand of cards, or the' ring of louis on the table, or the sound of glass as it break on the floor. And once a young gentleman— alas! he is so young—he got up from his chair, and cry out, 'All is lost! I go to diel' Be raise a pistol to his head; but M'sieu' Doltaire catch his hand, and say quite soft and gentle, 'No, no, mon enfant, enough of making fun of ut. Here is the hander' louts I borrow of you yesterday. Take your revenge.' The lad sit down slow, looking ver' strange at M'sieu' Doltaire. And it is time; he take bis - revenge out of M'sieu' Cadet, for he win -1 saw it—three hinnies' louis, Then M'sieu' Doltaire lean over to him and say, 'M'sieu', you will carry for me a message to the citadel for Weieu' Ramesay, the commandant.' M Ah, it was a sight to see 'sieu' Cadet's face, going this way and that. But it was no use: the yourng gentleman pocket his louts, and go away with a letter from M'sieu' Dol- taire. But M'sieu' Doltaire, be laugh t fi- e, it to uu- r- v I ut a t, d n r a 1 e d e, • June warmer and dryer weather has improved spring grain prospsets. • Some fields of early oats will lie in the face of M'siou' Cadet, and say ver' pleasant, 'That is a servant of the king, nt'sieu', who live by his sword alone. Why should civilians be so greedy? Come, play, m'sieu' Cad- et, If M'sieu' the General will play with me, we two will see What We can de with you and his Excellency the Intendant.' "They sit just beneath me, and 1 hear all what is said, I see all the looks of them, every card that is played. M'sieu' the General have not platy yet, but watch M'sieu' Doltaire and the Intendant at the cards, With a smile he now sit clown, Then M'sien Doltaire, he say, 'M'sieu' Cadet, let us have no mistake—let us be com- mercial. He take out his watch, 'I have two hours to spare; are you dis- pose to play for that time only? To the moment we will rise, and there shall be no question of satisfaction, no discontent anywhere—eh, shall it be so, if m'sieu' the General can spate the time also?' It is agree that the General play for one hour and go, and that M'sieu' Doltaire and the In- tendant play for the rest of the time. "They begin, and I had there and watch. The time go ver' fast, and my breath catch in my throat to see how', great the stakes they play for, I hear, M'sieu' Doltaire say at last, with a smile, taking out his watch, M'sieu' the General, your time is np, and you take with you twenty thouaan' francs,' Crop Conditions In Ontario Very frequent rains during June, combined with fairly low temperat- ures, resulted in excellent develop- ment of over winter crops. The fig- ures for pasture and hay and clovers represents the best condition in years for these crops at July 1st. Fall wheat promises a good yield, but with the heavy growth quite a few fields have lodged. Cutting of wheat will be under way in the earlier coun- ties the week of July 15th. (luring of hay was practically impossible dur- ing June, and considerable spoilage occurred in the early cut ileitis. Gen- erally, however, the cutting of hay crops was delayed until July when the weather cleared up, says the monthly crop report of the Ontario department of agriculture. The cool wet weather delayed the completion of seeding of spring grains to the extent that a consider- able acreage intended to be planted to these crops had to be heeded to buckwheat and other late crops or 11111111101' fallowed. Early seeded fields of spring grains show very heavy growth, howcvr'r. Sauce the end of • ready for harvesting in southwestern Ontario during third week of Jul). The very frequent rains generally delat'vit the platting of late crops and made (11111ult the cultivation et pnttUnes, euro and sugarlu•, a, M, 11unt 'vvi•ds 1111vt' obtained a good start. The dry Lean crop, which i celtsidefahly inured ed in ucreate this season has made slow growth. and some fields have been injured by ton ninth rainfall. The m rn inutiola of cora has been extremely good, inn the orae went in latter than usual and the wet weather and lot tennperat• ores checked growth giving much of it a yellow tinge, These crops require a period of warm weather for good development. In Northern Ontario the crop out• look is unfavorable and prospects On' Yields of practically all crops are now indicated to range from below average to poo'. Seeding was greatly retarded by frequent rains. Frosts during June caused eonsiderahle da - ;Lege to potatoes and other crops In Iieno'a and Cochrane, Fruit and Vegetables Western Ontario: Prevailing cool and wet weather during and following initial fruit set has caused irregular sizing and some rot, particularly to sweet cherries, strawberries, and plums in the main tender fruit areas, and has also been eorlrlw'ive to fun• gas of apples. Some ]"'a!lzerl hail damage has been reported from York, Peel, Essex, Kent, Lambent, Elgin. Oxford and Hi'ant 0011111 s, and Burlington and Norfolk districts. Prospects are for a generally below average crop of all varieties of apples with the exception of Hpys and Snows which show average, and Wealthy and early varietiev which range from poor to below avret'ags.' All varieties of pears appear below average., The initial tient of peaehee was good, but the sizing at irregular, Plums have a very uneven eel, with some rot showing. A below average crop is indicated in all v rb:Get:, r_ps. pecialdy Japanese. 1fas;pbe rrle;ae alley/ good foliage with croft prorprest very promising. The set of eherrlea 111 very ir- regular and a poor to below average crop ie DOW indicated. ilarvetnting to date has been comparatively light dui to weather eonldtlrrni. Scone decay has developed in all va.rlr flea, also splitting as otherwis,, normal sound fruit reaches a near ;dale of realm, ivy idarly Juno,- Governor Wmit7 and Black Knights are now being harvest: ed and will he closely followed by Black I-Iartarian and Ittcitmonde, Cold weather has retarded the the velopment of vegetable mops, aan made cultival inn difficult. Plantings of many commodities were del;tyed owing to the wet condition of the soil, partie:ular']Y potatoes and late celery, and late tomatoes In some areas, Hailstorms on July Lit caused PROFESSIONAL CARDS MEDICAL SEAFORTH CLINIC Dr. $(7. A. McMaster, M.B., Graduate of University of Toronto. J. D. Colquhoun, M.D., 0,M„ Grad- uate of Dalhousie University, Halifax,. The Clinic is fully equipped with complete and modern x-ray and other up-to-date diagnostic and thereuptic equipment. Dr, Margaret K. Campbell, M.D., L,A.B.P., Specialist in Diseases in Infants and Children, will be at the Clinic last Thursday in every month from 8 to 6 p.m. Dr. F. J. R. Forster, Specialist in Diseases of the Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat, will be at the Clinic the first Tuesday in every month from 4 to 6 p.m. Free well -baby clinic will be held on the second and last Thursday in every month from 1 to 2 p.m. JOHN A, GORWILL, B.A.,M.D. Physician and Surgeon In Dr. 11. 11. Roos' office. Phone 5 J DR. F. J. R. FORSTER Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto. Late Assistant New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Bye, and Golden Square throat hospitals, London, Eng. At Commercial Hotel, Seaforth, -third Wednesday in each month from 2 to 4 p.m. Also at Seaforth Clinic first Tuesday la each mouth. -53 Waterloo St., Stratford. Telephone 267. MARGARET K. CAMPBELL, M.P. London, Ontario Graduate Toronto University Licentiate of American Board of Pedi- atrics, Diseases of Children At Seaforth Clinic, last Thursday et- ternoon, each month, AUCTIONEER GEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron, Arrangements can be made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Chargee • moderate and satistaction guaranteed ]", W, AHRENS, Licensed Auction• oer for Perth and Iluron Counties. Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stock, chattels and real estate property, R. R. No. 4, Mitchell. Phone 314 r ti. Apply at this o111,re. HAROLD JACKSON Lictsnsed 10 Huron and I'ert11 Coun- tit's. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information. write or ideate. Ilarold Jaeltson, 651r12, Sete forth central; Brteetield 11.11.1. Watson & Reid REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Successors to James Watson) MAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies. The McKillop Mutual Fire Insurance Co. HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont. OFFICERS President, Wm. Knox, Londesboro; Vice President, W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Secretary Treasurer, M. A. Reid, Seaforth. AGENTS F. McKercher, R.R.1, Dublin; John IJ Pepper, R.R.1, Brucefleld; E. R. G. Jarmouth, Brodhagen; James Watt, Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine; Wm. Yeo, Holmesville. DIRECTORS Alex Broadfoot, Seaforth; William Knox, Londesboro; Chris Leonhardt, Dublin; James Connolly, Goderich; Thomas Moylan, Seaforth; W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Alex McEwing, Blyth; Frank McGregor, Clinton; Hugh Alexander, Walton. Parties desirous to effect Insurance or transact other business, will be promptly attended to by applications to any of the above named officers addressed to their respective post - Weise. some damage In localized areas. Veg- etable (;rope will benefit from the more favorable weather which pre- vailed during the past week. "Dad, I have managed to raise two dollars," "Good—a youth should try as early as possible to matte himself inde- pendent of his father. What did you do to gat it?" "Borrowed it from mother." Want and For Sale Ads., 1 creek 250 •