Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

16 ; rivr. j>/ /; have none left.''
-was the answer.
\Vell then, give us two cups of chocolate."
"
\\V never make any."
'
(Jive us then a bowl of punch."
' As to punch, we have only the English journal of that
name."
"
Bring it then," said one of the officers, beginning to com-
prehend the hostile intentions of the host.
"Some one is reading it," he answered.
" Have you any ices."
"
Very fine ones, you can see yourselves in them from head
to foot."*
"Have you any
beer ? "
" We finished it this morning."
" Well 1 then! bring us a glass of water; you surely have
that! '
" Not at all, the French have broken the aqueduct which
supplied it."
"Enough!" And the officers, with difficulty restraining
their auger, took their departure.
The frequenters of the Cafe' Neuf , laughed heartily, and con-
gratulated the master of the establishment on his courage,
when bye-and-bye a confused noise of footsteps, bayonets, etc.,
was heard on the stairs. At the same moment a company of
grenadiers appeared, and ranged themselves in order of battle.
One of the officers who commanded the troop, approached the
frightened hotel keeper, and said to him in a determined tone
" There is no coffee to be had in your shop ; you have no
send to his old mother. This conduct of Bois was not only
worthy of praise, but it merited a recompense, which was
awunled him some days after as we shall see, in the hotel
".Minerva.
It was determined to invite this good son and brave soldier
to dinner, aud it fell to me to perform the commission, which
I did, without betraying the quality or the number of persons
s to meet. I have already mentioned that the hotel
Minerva received at its table the e"lite of the French array, so
you can imagine my dear reader, what was the surprise and
niasnient of this poor soldier, on finding himself seated
at :i splendidly served table, by the side of colonels and officers
iu lull uniform. He would have dravm back, but for the kind
muds of his superiors.
"I wish much to retire," he said, whispering in my ear, and
!g in his fingers the napkin to which he was unaccus-
main, my friend," said I, " you will dine like a prince."
" I should like the mess with my comrades much better. "
* Glace*, the French both for ice ai.d glass.
"You will not say so by the time we have come to the des-
sert."
" Dessert !
what is that ? "
"You will see, comrade; meantime, taste this wine."
Bois ate and drank with extreme discretion, scarcely daring
to raise his eyes more than three inches from his plate; however,
encouraged by the kind looks, and unanimous welcome
of the officers, hn at last became more at his ease. He was
beginning to confess that the cookery of the hotel Minerva,
was better than that of the canteen, when a servant brought
me n box, directed "to M. Hois, ctiasgeur au 25 tiger 5 e , du
second. "
I handed it to its'bwner, who begged me to open it.
It contained a pair of redj'woollen epaulettes, a little card box
carefully sealed, and a letter addressed to Bois. He gave it to
me to read and inform him of its contents. It was as follows,
" A good action ought to be ! recompensed you have been a
good son and good soldier; this is for the soldier." We put
on him the epaulettes of a carabinier.
" You have been a good
son, this is for yjur mother." The little card box contained a
sum of one hundred francs, quite a fortune for him, who dur-
ing two years, and by the most generous sacrifices had only
been able to realize, sou by sou, the sum of seventy francs.
The joy of the young soldier can be better imagined than
expressed. The name of God and his mother trembled on his
lips, and his heart overflowed'with grateful emotion. "How
"
said "
he, Thou hast had pity on
good art Thou, my God !
my poor mother ! Placed above want, this dear parent, will
now have w ood in the winter to warm her limbs, frozen by old
age, and bread at all times, bread not too hard or too black ;
thanks, thanks, O my "God." And then turning his eyes to
chocolate, no ieos, no beer; yoa refuse even water to your
customers; your house then is not fit for a coffee-house, it will
do better service when we have transformed it into a barrack."
The Cafe Neuf was immediately evacuated and shut us, he said, "Oh! how good you are also, my dear benefactors,
for I see that the Lord God "lias chosen you to enrich my
"
mother !
up;
Accept my warmest !
gratitude
but at the en 1 of a month (he master made an humble At this
apology
moment,
to t lie French authorities, who allowed him permission to open
liis establishment on his agreeing to change the name as above
mentioned, Let us now return to Bois.
the brave Colonel Devaux raising his glass
full of champagne, cried "
out, Messieurs, I propose a ;
let us drink to the health of the woman who gave birth to this
"
true model of filial ! piety To the mother of Bois, Messieurs !
" Bravo ! colonel," answered the voices iu chorus, and cups
in.
On the same day, as he had promised, the colonel made
inquiries about the soldier Bois. The result was most satisy;
ever since he had been in the regiment, he had not
hud a single punishment, arid he was remarked during the
: or his courage and coolness in danger. As good a son
was a brave soldier, he deprived himself even of his were filled and emptied to the health of the mot ,er and her son.
pipe,
[isolation of a trooper, in order to make up more quickly
u< lent piece of five francs, which he was accustomed to
Notwithstanding all these flattering speeches, of which he
was the object, and the entreaties of his companions, Bois
drank as he had eaten with extreme moderation, scarcely
touching with his lips the sparkling draught.
"What ! my friend, do you despise that liquid there? " said
the surgeon of the army, the excellent and wise Lacauchie,
since dead, a victim to his love of science.
"Like you all, monsieur, it possesses my esteem, my
respect."
"Well! prove it then."
" I would do so, but I have something here," answered Bois
pointing to his heart,
' '
I have something here, which chokes
me."
"A good reason why you should drink then. Now, one,
two, three, let us drink again to the health of your mother.
Drink; bravo !
one more cup."
"Enough: this is the best stuff I ever drank in my life, but
it intoxicates, and I am too happy to-day, to run the risk of
making acquaintance with the police. "
"
Happiness cheers," answered the "
colonel, but will not
intoxicate. Therefore, before separating, messieurs, let us
drink to the health of our
"
common mother, to France !
"
" To France !
An instant after, Bois experiencing in himself the truth of
the axiom enounced by Lacauchie, regained his quarters, to
enjoy his bliss alone, aud to think of his mother.
The other personages in this cene, adjourned to the Cafe
Frauoais, to end a day, of \rhich they could with truth say
with Titus, '
Vv'e have gained one more."