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14
I n o n e o f t h e s e p e r amb u l a t i o n s , w e we r e l e d to t h e h umb l e h a b i t a t i o n o f a n h o n e s t
we a v e r , a p o o r b u t indus t r i ous ma n , o n e o f t h o s e w h o m the y emp l o y e d by the we e k ,
a n d wi t h w h om my c o n d u c t o r h a d s ome b u s i n e s s to t r a n s a c t : f o r , p r e v i o u s to the
annihi l a t i on o f the c omme r c e o f tha t c i t y , it w a s a s t o n i s h i n g h o w ma n y wo r t h y ind
i g e n t f ami l i e s we r e thus ma i n t a i n e d > the g r e a t e s t p a r t o f t h e ma n u f a c t u r e r s b e i n g
u n d e r the n e c e s s i t y o f emp l o y i n g l o oms f r om h ome , in a ddi t i on to t h o s e c ont inu a l l y
k e p t a t wo r k in the i r own h o u s e s .
Wh e n a r r i v ed a t thi s g o o d ma n ' s dwe l l i n g , w e a s c e n d e d a fifth s tory ( the h o u s e s
at L y o n s b e i n g to t h e ful l a s h i g h a s a t Pa r i s ) , a n d e n t e r e d a t o l e r a b l e s i z e d r o om,
wh i c h s e r v e d a s wo r k s h o p , l o d g i n g , a n d , in f a c t , for e v e r y p u r p o s e to a f ami l y c ons i s t ing
o f a f a the r , mo t h e r , a n d f o u r chi l d r e n , w h o h a d n o t h i n g b u t thei r da i l y l a b o u r to
d e p e n d o n . ^\'lii]e my c omp a n i o n c o n v e r s e d wi th the f a the r , a v e n e r a b l e o ld ma n , I
a c c o s t e d the s o n , a y o u t h o f e i g h t e e n , w h o w a s we a v i n g g a u z e a t o n e e n d o f t h e
a p a r tme n t . A f t e r s ome t r i f l ing int r oduc t i on, I a p p e a r e d d e s i r o u s o f b e i n g ma d e
a c q u a i n t e d wi t h the me c h a n i c a l p a r t o f hi s b u s i n e s s ; a t the s ame t ime r e q u e s t i n g
h im to inform me wh a t h e mi g h t b e c a p a b l e o f e a r n i n g p e r w e e k . T o t h e s e inter rog
a t o r i e s h e a n swe r e d wi t h g r e a t i n g e n u o u s n e s s a n d c i v i l i t y ; b u t on my a p p e a r i n g
a s t o n i s h e d a t s e e i n g thr e e l o oms u n emp l o y e d , he , wi t h a mo s t s i gni f i c ant s h r u g o f the
sho u l de r , a c c omp a n i e d b y s u c h a n int e l l i g ent b u t me l a n c h o l y l o o k , tha t I c o u l d h a v e
wi s h e d to h a v e r e t r a c t e d e v e r y s y l l a bl e I h a d u t t e r e d, s a id, " E s t - c e - q u e mo n s i e u r
n e s a i t p a s q u e le c omme r c e n e v a p l u s en F r a n c e ? C a r , t ant q u e l e s c o t i l l ons s e r ont
à l a t ê t e d u g o u v e r n eme n t , il n'y a u r a p a s g r a n d ' c h o s e à e s p é r e r p o u r n o u s , e x c e p t é
l 'hôpi t a l , o u le mé t i e r d e s o l d a t , à c inq sol s p a r j o u r j e t c e t t e de rni è r e r e s s o u r c e ,
mo n s i e u r , ne p e u t g u è r e s f a i r e boui l l i r l a ma rmi t e p o u r s i x p e r s o n n e s ,—Ma i s enf in,
n ' imp o r t e ; il f a u t ma i n t e n a n t p r e n d r e p a t i e n c e , c a r c e l a n e p e u t p a s du r e r * " . "
T h i s d i s c o u r s e 1 a f t e rwa r d s f o und h e l d no t only pa r t i a l l y b y the a r t i f i c e r s a n d me -
c h a n i c s a t L y o n s , b u t uni v e r s a l ly r e v e r b e r a t e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e na t i on ; a p r e l u d e wh i c h
a s s u r e dl y a n n o u n c e d b u t t o o s t r ong l y the f a t a l c r i s i s wh i c h w a s a p p r o a c h i n g , a n d wh i c h
w a s c e r t a inl y a c c e l e r a t e d b y the ruin o f t h e ma n u f a c t u r i n g c ommu n i t y .
15
D u r i n g thi s shor t c o n v e r s a t i o n , p e r c e i v i n g a d e l i c a t e a n d int e r e s t ing figure, wi th a
love ly b u t d e j e c t e d c o u n t e n a n c e , emb r o i d e r i n g at a t amb o u r , I c o u l d no t ref ra in f r om
a s k i n g s ome q u e s t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g he r j a d d i n g , tha t the y we r e sur e ly to b l ame in a l l owing
he r t o wo r k in so r e d u c e d a n d w e a k a s t a t e a s she a p p e a r e d to b e . T o thi s h e answe
r e d , in a h a l f wh i s p e r , tha t she mi g h t no t he a r h im, " Hé l a s ! mo n s i e u r , c ' e s t m a
b o n n e soeu r . N o u s c r a i g n o n s q u e rien n e p u i s s e l a s o u l a g e r , et q u ' e l l e ne p o u r r a survivr e
au cha g r i n q u i la c o n s ume ; c a r d e p u i s la mo r t d e son ami e , e l l e v a t ouj our s d e p i r e
en p i r e . N o u s î a p l a i g n o n s b e a u c o u p , c a r c ' e s t l a me i l l e u r e e n f a n t d u mo n d e * . "
M y c omp a n i o n , s u s p e c t i n g t h e s u b j e c t o f our c o n v e r s a t i o n , f r om p e r c e i v i n g J U S T I N E ,
wh i c h w a s the y o u n g woma n ' s n ame , ins t ant ly q u i t h e r s e a t (on f inding tha t she h a d
a t t r a c t e d my a t t ent i on) a n d j o i n h e r mo t h e r a t t h e fur the r e n d o f the r o om, imme -
d i a t e l y c ame u p to u s , r e q u e s r i n g m e in a l ow v o i c e to de s i s t , for the p r e s e n t , f r om a n y
mo r e inqui r i e s , b u t l e a v e h im to r e l a t e a t a l e tha t wo u l d swe l l my h e a r t wi th s o r r ow.
A s for the p o o r gi r i , t h e r e c o l l e c t i o n o f s c e n e s wh i c h filled he r mi n d wi t h hor ror , h a d
d o u b t l e s s p i e r c e d he r v e r y s oul , for she w a s u n a b l e to r e s t r a in he r t e a r s . S c a r c e l y h a d
w e t a k e n o u r l e a v e , a n d r e a c h e d the b o t t om o f t h e s t a i r s , t h a n I e a rne s t l y e n t r e a t e d him
t o fulfil hi s p r omi s e . T o thi s h e r e adi l y a g r e e d , a n d b e g a n a na r r a t i v e to wh i c h my
p e n i s u n a b l e to d o j u s t i c e ; y e t wi l l I e n d e a v o u r to r e l a t e it l i tera l ly a s I h a d it f rom
hi s own mo u t h .
" J U S T I N E , " p r o c e e d e d h e , " wh o s e e x t r eme d e l i c a c y , a n d d e j e c t e d me l a n c h o l y
a p p e a r a n c e , h a s a t t r a c t e d y o u r a t t ent i on a n d a f f e c t e d y o u r s ens ibi l i ty, wa s b o rn o f p o o r
b u t i n d u s t r i o u s p a r ent s , enr i che d onl y wi t h v i r t u o u s s impl i c i t y . I t a p p e a r e d h owe v e r
tha t f o r t u n e in s ome d e g r e e h a d smi l e d o n he r bi r th, s i n c e , in c o n s e q u e n c e o f he r
mo t h e r b e i n g t a k e n to s u c k l e a n e i g h b o u r ' s chi l d, wh o s e p a r e n t s we r e in a f f luent
c i r c ums t a n c e s , she b e c ame fos t e r - s i s t e r to the y o u n g ROS INA.
" T l i e s e inf ant s b e i n g , a s it we r e , b r o u g h t u p t o g e t h e r i r om the c r a d l e , f o rme d a t
the e a r i i e s t p e r i o d o f thei r l i v e s a p e rma n e n t a f f e c t i on for e a c h o t h e r ; a n d to s u c h
l e n g t h s did R o s i n a c a r ry he r pa r t i a l i t y , tha t , wh e n the t ime o f s e p a r a t i o n a r r i v e d, he r
g e n e r o u s a n d n o b l e mi n d s e eme d ins ens i bl e to e v e r y k i n d o f amu s eme n t .
il
• Arejou not acquainted, Sir, thai trade no longer flourishes in France; and tliaI, whilst we are under petticoat
government (alluding to Madame Du Barry), there is little to bu expected for us, except the refuge of an
hospital, or the profession of a soldier, al five sols per day ? Which last resource is l)ul a scanty pittance towards
making the pot boil for halfa dozen individuals.—Yet, no matter, we must have patiencc; this cannot last.
* Alas ! Sir, she is my
dear sister. We fear that i\olhing can relieve her, and even tliink tiiat she will bo
unable to survive the sorrow which
has become wo
wdrUl.
Ihe loss of a dear and alTectlonate i lier ; for, e friend, she
miicK for her, for she i ,c of the best young women i