Paula the Waldensian - Eva Lecomte

We soon recognized with joy that it was Dr. Lebon. On seeing him the
boys ran away with the exception of Joseph, who was a little too late. The
Doctor, who knew him, suspected he was the guilty one, and succeeded in
getting him by the ear. Then the doctor said to me, "What has happened,
Lisita?" And I told him the whole story.
"Well, he won't do it again; that's one thing certain," said the doctor.
"Oh, let him go!" said Paula generously.
"Paula," said the doctor with a severity we had never seen in him before,
"Go back to the house with Lisita!"
We had nothing to do but obey. On the way back we could tell by
Joseph's cries that he was having a bad time of it!
Teresa was frightened when she saw the condition of Paula's leg, as the
result of the terrible kick she had received. The doctor soon arrived at the
house, and Paula could scarcely help crying as the doctor examined her; but
he said as he left us, "If I am not mistaken, Joseph will never trouble you any
more."
This was true. Joseph avoided us for a long time; but he took revenge on
us through the other boys, who would cry after Paula as she walked up the
street, "Cat mother! Cat mother!" This incident won us a friend. Shortly
afterwards, returning from school, an elderly woman that lived in one of the
most miserable huts among the "Red Cottages", stopped us and asked if one
of us was called Paula.
"This is she," said I, pointing to my cousin.
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