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

GRANDFATHER KEROUAN.
" On a cold, gloomy December morning, a poor man left the
village of Glomel, in Brotagne, and, pursuing the pathway
leading to the mountains, lie slowly toiled up tin; rock \
Although the cold wan excessive), and his clothes were covered
with hoar frost, yet the poor man often stopped to wipe his
heated brow. It was poor Kerouau, a brave und worthy sol-
dier, who had lost one of his legs in the service of the first re-
public.
" When the old veteran had reached the mountain top, he
rapped with his crutch at the door of a poor cottage. The
door was immediately opened, and three boys, of whom the
eldest might be about fourteen, threw themselves into the old
man's arms.
"
'Good morning, grandfather !" they exclaimed in one voice.
" 'Good morning, children, good morning.'
"Saying this, Kerouan took the heavy wallet from his
back.
" '
Alas !' said he in a low voice, '
I am getting very lame,
I cannot walk as I used.'
" The old soldier had lived a long time in this cottage with
his son Simon, who was a fisherman, his wife and his three
children. One sad day poor Simon was lost in a storm at sea,
and his wife died of grief.
" The poor children had now no one to provide for
but old Kerouan, and he was without the least resource.
them
The
villagers were, however, very kind, and Kerouan accepted their
alms for a time, not for himself, but for his poor grandchil-
dren.
'
But, as he was very industrious, he was soon able to do
without the assistance of others ; he brought up the boys
honestly, sent them to school, and they soon learned to read
and write very nicely.
" When Kerouan was seated, he took off his large round hat,
shook the frost from his long white hair, put on an old woollen
cap, and dividing into equal portions the bread for breakfast,
he spoke thus to his grandsons:
" '
My dear children, you ore now old enough to gain your
livelihoo J remember that it is ; disgraceful to beg, and God
only allows it when it is absolutely impossible to do otherwise,
for if we beg unnecessarily, we deprive those of bread
who are poorer than ourselves.
" '
Peter, you are now fourteen, you are strong and healthy,
you must work. Charles, you are twelve, you are active, and
your eyes are good, you must use them. As for you, my little
George, you are only eleven, but you have famous strong legs,
you must exercise them."
" 'But what are we do ?' exclaimed the three boys, ' we
'
do not know any one, and we have not been taught any trade.
" '
Listen, my boys; there are many occupations of the poor
which interfere with no one I have hitherto ; supported you,
but I can do so no longer, for I am old and infirm. There are
many things lost in the world, because no one thinks of making
them useful; but with industry we can derive benefit from all,
and I will show you how it is. Thus, I have been enabled to
bring you up, and I think you have no reason to complain of
me.'
"The boys embraced him tenderly.
" 'You shall now see,' added Kerouan, 'what may be accom-
plished by strict economy ; if you can succeed in saving fifteen
centimes daily, at the end of the year you will each have amassed
thirty-four francs, and in ten years that will amount to five
hundred and forty francs.'
" 'We will follow your advice, dear grandfather,' said the
boys.
" As soon as the severity of the season had passed, Grandfather
Kerouan commenced his journey with Peter, Charles
and George. He first directed their attention to all the old
bones, which had been thrown away as useless.
'
Pick them
up," said he, for with the whitest of these bones cutlers and
turners make all kinds of articles for their trade, and they are
often mistaken for ivorv. The discolored bones are sold to
gardeners, who use them to fasten their trees to the walls, bone
pegs being better than wooden ones. The refuse is sold to be
burnt ; and the ashes are used in various art*, and also for
manuring !im