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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reprodult en un seul cliche, il est filmi d partir de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, sn pranant le nombre d'Images ndcessaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. e best 32 X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 im m I : )M 1 '■r- ^.'^i. uv, h^hi 1- .'' ^■jt' ' - • - ■ • i ^Hl?^i |f •} HHU *'r ~ ^B T . ~ . V ■'% Hlf ' \i ' : 'f ^prri 1; .;. Wl ' ' 9i:'' -H mi ■m •."-fi M mm fpfin) J-Jt'tftflJ* *•--.— !•<» jltl^tjlLU-t ii'.f iJT. i, iH«tJHa««U i McODI Unlvartllv Llbrtrlai n 8461 RC48 JtrMnM in Fr«tch Cwadi / 3 000 672 387 4 If: fil MSGILL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY I I' M*^f in Frenob Cannila. By ZjohIii f IM ^|p*||||l|l||Mi[?f^l»«^ CHRISTMAS IN FRKXriI CANADA m I rp|fl?*'.«fji 'mWMK •i*f#ffim#ifftwm-:--n-'»m!. ■^^r?? \. '-1 'II '' \'/,i I'hoii i-iiit ! \"l(f /./"/' '■'■"' r.mlispiet'i' ' mmmv :>m •S' mem if uN By Louis Trechicttg r^EDERlC^SiWPSOM COBUKJ #> 11 MEW Y©[^[IC I8< / 62298^ ^VTHORl;^ED EDlriON. \.\f •Co Mt ITbrec Eycellent ^rienfta an^ JBrotber poets George Murray William McLennan and William Henry Drummonb this first english book of mine is cokhiali.y AND THANKFl'LLY nEPICATEll I,. V. HI ifl f|i|fl«lf*W«»#->'sJ*»*s»*'?*^'M,». PREFACE A MERE glance at most of the stories -^ which compose this collection will con- vince anyone that the author is not an Eng- lish writer. It may be added, moreover, that he entertains no ambition of ever becoming one. In his opinion, it is a sufficiently difficult task to learn how to master one's own mother tongue. Then, why publish this book which is unavoidably defective, at least as regards phraseology and style? In writing it, I had two objects in view. The first was to find a new mode of recreation, and the other, to do something to popularize, among exclusive English readers, this portion of the American soil called French Canada, with the characteristic features that she bor- rows from her sui generis climate, and especially from her people, whose language, vii ! Christmas in French Canada manners, customs, traditions, and popular beliefs bear an exceptional stamp, and must thereby be invested with a peculiar interest in the eyes of the surrounding populations. To attain this last object, I have tried, in a few pen sketches, to convey some idea of the wild rigor of our winters, by putting, in turn, face to face with them, our valiant pio- neers of the forest, our bold adventurers of the North-VVest, and our sturdy tamers of the floes, whose exploits of the past are gradually being forgotten in the presence of invading progress. I have endeavored to evoke some of the old legends, to bring back to life some picturesque types of yore, whose idiom, habits, costumes, and superstitious practices have long ago disappeared, or are disappear- ing rapidly. In the meanwhile, I took pleasure in leading the reader to some of our country abodes, into the settler's isolated cottage, into the well-to-do farmer's residence, beyond the threshold of our villagers, inherit- ors of their forefathers' cordial joviality. I have also invited the stranger into some of our city homes, initiating him into our family viii Preface life, into our intimate joys fnd sorrows, and introducing him occasionally to some old and pious guardian of our dear national traditions. This I have done with n. .ther concern than to strike the right key, to place the groups in their natural light, and to draw each portrait faithfully. Are these pictures in any way interesting? I can claim for them at least one merit: that of being true. But why should I have penned these sketches in more or less awkward English, when it was so simple to write them in French, and so easy to secure a good trans- lation from some experienced critic, familiar with the beauties and literary resources of the English language? The reason is no mystery: a translation would not have been my own work, and I would have missed my first aim, that of securing a few weeks of pleasant recreation. I always read with renewed interest the French stanzas addressed by Longfellow to his friend, Professor Agassiz. The effort is apparent, no doubt ; but there is a charm in (' J : I I' ife'' Christmas in French Canada the effort itself. Surely, the recipient of this humoristic poem would have understood equally well some English effusion from the pen of the great poet; but nobody will believe that the satisfaction would have been the same on either side. As for Longfellow, he perhaps felt more enjoyment in accom- plishing that tour de force, than in writing some of his world-renowned masterpieces. After this honest acknowledgment, it only remains
3 I illi f -.i&.4i«.-— -^-r,^ -^^^'T^'' *'^m'?m^m 'n rTF^'-^^'-"'«rrffa MM S i I Christmas in Frencli Canada towards the West. To reach the fort that night was an impossibility ; there was no help for it. ^ Changing our direction, we struggled on for a kw hours longer, not so much in the hope of making the fort, as of finding the wood necessary for our camp, I was literally broken with fatigue, and I followed the dogs, stagger- ing with nerveless limbs, and with my heart numb with disappointment. Suddenly the I.idian, who was ahead, cried " A tree ! " A tree! That a tree ! Standing by itself in the open prairie? Impossible! The Indian must be dreaming. Nevertheless, I slipped my axe from the toboggan and joined him. Sure enough, right ni front of us, was a tall bare trunk without a single branch, standing upright in the open desert. I stood for a moment in astonishment. But suddenly my heart leaped within me, and I gave a cry~a cry choked by a sob. That bare, barkless trunk, that lifeless tree emerging from the soil like a lonely mast in *J''il ^•^^^ On the Threshold mid ocean, had been planted by man's hand. It was a telegraph pole ! We had passed Athabaska Landing and were on the trail to Edmonton. Can you understand ? A telegraph pole ! The advance sentinel of civilization. Was it not like a friendly hand stretched out towards me from the threshold of my own country? Was it not a greeting from a re-discovered world, the welcome to a living, cultivated land, peopled by intelligent beings, by comrades and by friends? Was it not . . was it not home ? I was re-entering social life after twenty-two long years of exile in the savage solitude. More than that, it was almost a re-entrance into family life, for that wire which I could hear humming above my head was a link between n^e and the past; it connected me with my village, with the paternal roof now dearer to me than ever, with my poor old mother, to whom I almost imagined I could send a cry of joy and comfort despite the weary 3,000 miles that still lay between us. Can you understand ? '/I 1 j 1 ■ 1 I' 1 ii» Vi ^v: II Christmas in French Canada Ah! but to realize what I n^ean, you n.ust have felt ,t all as I did. Lost, as I wa, under an arct,c sky, in the midst of a frozen desert w.th all the memories of the holy Christmas' Eve u. my despairing heart, my brain reeled before the unexpected symbol of intercourse, of fellowship, of civilization ! Before the staring eyes of my companion in m-cry, who, terrified by the weird song of the -re which vibrated in the sweeping .ind, tammered '. Manitou ! Manitou!" I sprang forward with outstretched arms, clasped the -sensible wood, fell on my knees, and burst mto tears. That is my story, gentlemen. We camped 'ha. n,gl„ fireiess and ,,.pperle,,s, crouchL, round the pole; and through my dreams, I,: vo,ce of the wire boomed and rang, bearing to me, now the sacred hymns of the midnight service, now the carillon of the distant bells ot La Riviere-Ouelle. Take my word for it, I never attended such a poetic midnight mass in the whoh of my life as that my fancy supplied in those hours of waiting and of hope. i6 Mommmnii ■1*8- »<fgim ""^w'wiw^w^pppilBUPIH fmmi '"^-^ ada i you must was, under :en desert, Christmas ain reeled itercourse. ' 1 ' 5 ( ■ 1 1 r i 3anion in ig of the "g wind, sprang- ped the id burst camped ■ouching ims the iring to lidnight It bells d such my life )urs of H C/ds /)('(/ till' iiisi'i/s/h/e inxxl . . . ,iii(f hurst into tenn ';iK>' 1(1 h ^ mfiM^u-trsumW ttmtmmmimm i I SI f 1 mean, you must i-ost, as 1 WHS, under i c!t\sci-t. . the: fny knees, and hurt I uk V ia(ia . you must ■. UJidor desert, I ;' 'ft I ■ ' \i md bur- 1, I ti m If '-<■ ) III* 'li I fill 1 die of of thi aw mc I $mmmm iw» ".r» i n i nn. » -^jMvl i»m**^" On the Threshold No, no, gentlemen, the spirit of Poetry never dies ; it lives alwajs in the innermost recesses of our souls, and the mere touch of those waves of realism, which, in the eyes of some people, threaten to drcnvn it, is often sufficient to awaken its divinest thrills and to evoke its most h art-stirring melodies. '7 ll \ I'l'l 111 m "ill ii''\fni?i]i&SSiSmmlii m SANTA CLAUS ^~ -ti?£i*^w&''"' ■■'■^' VIOLIN. UFFER me to intro- duce you to a quiet household. Although they were not exactly what may be called elderly, the father and the mother were no longer in their first youth, when, after one year of marriage, blessed by the Angel of happy loves, little Louis was born. He was a charming baby, pink and white, with large black eyes, full of dreams. His mother rocked him almost incessantly in her i8 xl wm Santa Claus' Violin arms, with tremors of wild joy, and his father watched his sleep at night, for hours together, awalcened by hauntings of happiness and paternal pride. The child grew up and developed under this double effusion of tenderness, just as some delicate plant unfolds beneath the warm in- fluence of the sun, and the caress of the vernal breeze. He grew up full of grace and gayety, always fondled and always adored ; no crease of a rose leaf had ever disturbed his sleep, nor had the lightest cloud overshadowed the soft brightness of his life's morning. He was decidedly charming ; his smile seemed to radiate ; the tone of his voice was like the warbling of a bird. At the age of two, he made remarks of profound ingenuity. When he saw for the first time the silvery half-circle of the increasing moon, he called out as if in pain : — "Quick, father! A hammer and nails; the moon is broken." He was at the same time brave as a paladin. 19 II' 1 < .-S*-^' %r •mm ^mm Christmas in French Canada "You must never go to the corner of the street," said his nurse to him one d;n'. "Why not?" " Because there are savages tlierc." "Savages?" he exclaimed, with his fist on his hip, and a frown on his brow; "don't be afraid; I'll get my sword." On the other hand he would sometimes lose himself for whole hours in strange reveries. One evening, there was great alarm in thi' house: the child had disappeared. Full of anxiety, they looked for him vainly right and left, in all the rooms, outside the house, everywhere. There was no trace of the little one. It was late at night, and all were beginning to lose their heads, when some one discovered the child, alone on the balcony, with his chin in his two hands and his gaze lost in the open sky. " What on earth are you doing there ? " they asked." " I am looking." "At what?" " Beautiful star." 20 If •-^*^JI(|f*^?**- ' urmmmtm*' ymmm Santa Clans' Violin But that which characterized him above all was his passion for music : the sound of a flute called forth his enthusiasm ; a. flourish of trumpets made him start like an electric shock, and threw him into an ecstasy. Let us add, by the wa\', that this sort of frenzy followed him even to the school-benches, where, at the age of eight or nine, the blast of a bugle or the roll of a drum made him irresistibly throw aside books and pencils and fling himself into the street without the slightest thought of asking leave, to follow the first detachment of soldiers that was passing. Ikit as it is with the baby alone that we at-e concerned, let us return to the baby. If ever a child was passionately loved by his parents, it was Louis. But — the poor parents ! — Heaven had a terrible ordeal in store for them. The child was now fully three and a-half years old, and his mother discovered that a small tumor which for two years had been forming in his throat, in the region of the larynx, was developing in an alarming manner. 21 mn tmmtiim: Clnistnuis in Freiicl. Caiia.la To u.e a .ecl.nic.l expression, „„, p,,,,,,,,^ •""; " "■■■■» ""»' - -"<-i in ..,„„•„, phra.seology_„ sebaceous cyst. •As is well l-.,own, those serous bodies "■■--• not generally atlende.l will, any real 'J-g-; but, in this case, the conditions „.erc peculiarly critical, o,ving to the pr„.i,ni,y ,, c r.a,„ del.cate vessels. The operation- wl..ch sooner or later would be necessary- -J^ , .f inconsiderately postponed, becle cl.iiigcrous. The paternal devotion, after having deferred « Z, r"""" ■" ""'« ^» P--We, could no he„ta.e any further, and a few days before Ch. st,nas the surgeons were sun,moned. W,th terrible anguish-„eed we sav it = -the parents witnessed the dreadful prepara' ..ons f.r what seeded to the. the rac' ^ 'he httle betng .hey cherished so dearly. The mother, shut up in her room, wept every tear that could flow; wh,lc the fat, e, " '"P '''»'--. -'d ,vi.h bleeding heart Id - secure the poor K,t,e one on .he sv t Of an anaesthetic. 22 p.««»*a(iU»|j ,..:,^»,»-«^„-^^,gj|,-«.r-.-.^^ ^^^ il t Santa Chius' Violin And ill this way— yes, in full health .uul frolicsome gaycty, with his e>-es beamin-r and riiij^rin^r laut,dUer on liis lips— the dear baby's wrists were seized ; and in spite of his strujrgles, he was made to inhale the loath- some drug, until he fell back, as senseless and pale as a corpse, on the table where the surgeon's knife was awaiting him. Unfortunately, the operation was ncjt so successful as could have been desired. At the most critical moment, the child was seized by a convulsive cough, and this acci- dent, impossible to hinder, was followed by grave results. Tiie cyst, instead of being completely removed, could only be partly extracted, and the wound harl to be kept open for the secretion whc. remained, by means of suppuration. But we must abridge those painful details. The parents, who had sought refuge in an adjoining room, waited for the result in a state of mind more easily imagined than described. "Well?" they both exclaimed at the same time, with the sweat of agony on their brows, 23 ItJ I H' if Christmas in French Canada as they rushed towards the family physician who had superintended the operation. "Well?" " It is all over," he replied gravely. " Ah ! and then . . . ? " "All is going well," he added, with an air and tone which rather belied his words. "Ah! doctor, doctor, if there is any danger . . . ! " " No, there is no danger ... for the present at least. Only let the mother arm herself with courage, for unremitting atten- tion will be necessary, and, perhaps, for a long time-provided no complications arise • . ■ . " he added with a shake of the head betraying his uneasiness. "At all events fever has to be warded off by all possible' means. The sick nurse has my written prescription. I will come back this evening" In the evening the doctor came back. He found the poor parents in utmost despondency : a high fever had declared itself. During three long days and three long n.ffhts, the little martyr lay between life and death. "If he could but sleep! ..." said the 24 P. ■5,'C*lgl||J"*4.'' Santa Claus' Violin doctor, who no Ion-- ' The h'ttle one shut his eyes, bowed his head, and his shoulder buried itself softly in the down of the pillow. Almost at the same moment, another head fell back on the side of the little bed. It was the poor mother, worn out by her viijils, who sank to sleep with a smile on her lips — a sniile of infinite thankfulness to God. The father, all perplexed with hope and »S'!;, wmmtmimtmimmmmgmifm "m**?p^' Santa Clans' Violin fe^r rose as nofselessly as a ph.-,„,o„ and met the doctor at the half-opened door hJ*,!-' "r"" ''' ""'™"'-=''' 0""= beside himself; "he is saved, is he noti- ••They are both saved!" replied the TJZ: """^ ' ^-« '"- *e Sic. And in a rapture of gratitude the once despamng „an burst in tears while he clasped the t.o hands of .he great artist, Jehm-Prume, who had just replaced his violin in Its case. 3 (iJ '11 ,| m n'. h^n J.1 ^11; : ;fi I., i Ifc l»»llt,, '!v&^S^/-> T is a modest hotel in Montreal. With his back '' half turned to the window of his room, palette in one hand, and ■JSi wm ,;- ',: -^^:v-..^; ^ --i^,- ■',-; - - ' ''•'?!'% in ck :he im, nd A Godsend brush in the other, a youn, painter is fevenshly at work in front of a small camp On his left, pinned to the frame of a mirrored wardrobe, hangs an old canvas, about twenty mches by thirty, all dark and tattered •n the centre of which, through the be- smoked tones of the clair-obscures. appear . the graceful form and roseate complexion of an Infant Jesus resting on a cushion, the brow haloed by vague lights softly reflected from the glossy twining of fair and abundant right hand drop, and gazes at the picture with an intensity suggestive of profound admiration ; and again he resumes his task his brush passing between the mosaic of the' palette and the canvas with an accuracy of movement which reveals the skilful and experienced artist. He is evidently painting a copy of the beautiful Christ Child. But why does he so often consult the modest silver watch, the old fashioned chain 35 I ■i ,f , m n m ii ■ i'- ik ' I ii^l "* it"-.-*-"- Christmas in French Canada of which hangs from his waistcoat pocket? This we shall soon know. Meanwhile, let us notice that hi.s glance, with an expression of triumph, falls also, now and thL-n, on some papers scattered on the small table beside him, and let us claim the privilege of the story-teller to ascertain what of interest those papers contain. Here is, to begin with, a stained envelope, with broken seal, so rumpled, that it must have been opened many times. It must also have travelled a considerable distance, for it bears a Canadian stamp, and its address reads as follows : Monsieur Maurice Flavigny, * Artiste-peintre, Paste Restante, Paris, France. Let us open the letter and read : CONTRECOEUR, November loth, 1872. My Dear Son, — A few words in haste to tell you how happy your last letter has made me by announcing' to me your approaching return. Make haste, my dear child. Alas 1 I shall not be able to see you, but I 36 '--^ 1 *-••.»,.,.. IW^W A Godsoiid shall hear you, and I shall press you to my hoar I, as I did a long- time ago. I am still the g-uest of Mile. d'Aubray, my little Suzanne whom I love as a daughter, anil who is good enough to act as my secretary, since God has d.privod me of my poor sight. Come soon, will you not? Try . ' K; with us by Christmas. Your old mother, who longs i . , i,.,biace -• ni, SOPi'i:; FLAV GNY, There is also a telegram: New York, December aand, iSja. To Maurice Flavigny, Great Wcslcm Hotel, Montreal, Canada. If Murillo authentic and well preserved, will give ten thousand dollars. See agent Victor Muller, 4 Little Craig St. CORNHILL & GRANGER. Besides tiie telegram, bearing the same signature, but dated a day later, is a letter ordering a credit in favor of Maurice Fla- vigny, on the Bank of Montreal, for ten thousand dollars, payable to the order of Victor Muller, Agent of the firm of Cornhill & Granger, of New York. 37 ll |l \A « *^*"-%< •> >; . ]!,'( Christmas in French Canada This last letter the young artist has left open on the table, within reach of his eye, as if to convince himself at every turn that he is not the victim of a delusion. Ten thousand dollars! A small fortune! He sees the paternal homestead redeemed ; the good old mother saved from poverty; and, for himself, the necessaries of life, even an honorable and happy comfort, until repu- tation comes with its consequences in train. He hardly can believe his own eyes. Does he dream ? H And while blending his colors and hastily brushing the canvai, Maurice Flavigny reviews all the circumstances which have lately favored him in such an exceptional way, together with the events which preceded them. He pictures himself, five years before this time, at the age of eigh een, bidding farewell to his family, and starting at random for the country of modern Art, in search of that science which develops talent, and without 38 I' — JP%,%|:^r:- A Godsend which genius itself remains impotent and bhnd. He remembers his long- days of feverish ambition, his weary nights devoted to ungrateful tasks, the buffeting he encoun- tered, his disappointments, his moments of discouragement. He recalls the selfishness of his masters, the jealousies of his comrades, the humiliations he underwent, and all the pangs of his wounded pride. He lives over again his anguish, his doubt, his weariness, his home longing, oh! yes, his home longing, in the heart of that monstrous city where, by a cruel irony, all the pleasures seem to con- spire together to invest one with the sense «-f utter solitude. The first two years had been comparatively serene. Maurice Flavigny had been hard at work, striving conscientiously, living modestly on a small pension which came from his father— a country notary, proprietor of two small farms which yielded but a limited revenue— and spending his leisure hours in the museums, studying the great masters, and endeavoring to learn from their immortal masterpieces the secret of their inspiration. 39 h \tr' \u /•' M i.i ( \ ,! 1 } 1" Ml ' ft 1 i , i{ It ; n ' 'H .-cars he strove and lived miserably, without even succeeding, at the price of the most enslaving toil, in saving the sum necessary for his return home. Then came the Franco-Prussian war, the seige of Paris and the horrors of the Commune. The young Canadian, full of devotion and patriotism, had no;, hesitated; he had vaUc-^tly paid his debt of blood to the great Mother, and had been wounded at the storming of Buzenval, side by side with his master and friend, Henri Regneault, fallen a'.o beneath the hail of German bullets. 4' m m # r '( ..V a Christmas in French Canada Then the lon^ months of hospital; and afterwards the harness resumed, the neck once more bent to the yoke to recommence the desperate task. As he recalls these long years of d.stress, of hardship and sorrc.v. the young pamter bows his head. ... a heart-rending expression of wee pervades his features But suddenly his whole face radiate, with a beam of joy. One of his paintings received and admi.ed at the Exposition bale; a nch amateur; a brilliant sale; his d'.bts paid, and his return to America, with a future before hir.^ at home, by the side of his old mother! Unable to control his emotion, the younc^ man paces up and down the floor of the room, and then stops in front of the table, ^azes for a long time upon the bank draft -real, palpable, before him. After which he returns to his work, murmuring in a tone of supreme gratitude to God : "And now, I am rich! . . Yes, rich' And this after my last resource had disap- peared, with that unfortunate pocket-book 43 '} 'mm A Godsend And the brush still hastens, fusing shadows Ight, t,II under the influence of feverish 3-on a ™arve,„„s intensity of iife flX from tne canvas, as the work advance, and .He^p.cture emerges radiant,, from the r^r m > 1.4 h'4 n\^ III But let us leave the arti«t „ u- and relate the storv of th' "°*' e story of ih.s lo,,t pocket boolc Upon reaching the Bonaventure station by the dnec. .rain from Ne,v York, Maurice Flavgny had ordered ,,i» ,„g„,„; ""'"' ;a^en to a neighboring hotel, r.^d'" ad pa J never fa,l ,o carry ,n their pockets for the exigences of the /»„*,/«. But, after reaching his room, the poor fc"-v, with a feeling of despair o„e 'can 43 ' it t; >U \ i: ii m Christmas in French Canada which contained all the money he had i-i the world, was no longer in his possession. All search was useless. Maurice was the victim of a pickpocket, and war; left with- out even enough money to reach the v-llage where he \vas impatiently expected by his mcrther, as poor as himself Maurice Flavigny yielded to the inevi- table, wept si OMtly, then fell on his knees and j.rayed. i The next morning some one knocked at his door. "M. Flavigny?" " That's my name." " A parcel for you." Much puzzled, the young man took the package and opened it. An exclamation of joy burst from his lips. There was his pocket-book together with a parcel the size of his arm, and a letter. With his hand trembling with surprise, Maurice broke the seal, and read the follow- ing extraordinary epistle : Sir, — The person who writes this is a stranger. Last nig-ht, he saw a p(H-ket-booi< fall from your 44 y^^^- A Godsend pocket, and picked it up. If he returns it untouched, nothing is left for him but to starve. In consequence, he takes the liberty, in sending it back to you, to retain fifty dollars out of the hundred and ten which it contains. But, as he is not a thief, and has just learned, from the register of your hotel, that you are a painter, he leaves you in exchange an object which is useless to him in this country, but which, you can judge for yourself, is certainly worth the sum he has retained, and even more. He came from Quebec six weeks ago on foot ; and finding himself endowed with very little disposition for that mode of tiavellmg, will purchase a railroad ticket for Chicago with your money. God preserve you from the necessity of bor- rowing by such a process. No signature, Maurice Flavigny, at once relieved and perplexed, untied the parcel, and discovered the picture which we have just seen him copying. He examined it rather indifferently at first, believing it to be like so many other pretended "masters," a perfectly worthless copy. But the more attention he gave it, the more he felt his interest awakened. It was something after all. No mistake, it was something! A genuine piece of old 45 If f( ( t MHIMUaHUMi Christmas in French Canada art ; a master's work ; a masterpiece per- haps. " What can it be ? " he said with intense interest. He spread open the canvas, took it near the window, surveyed it at a distance, then again more closely. Suddenly a flash of light passed through his mind : "Can it be possible!" he cried ... "An Infant-Jesus by Murillo ! . . . Yes! this smoothness of tone, those aerial and waving shadows, those warm reflections of light, the moistness of the eyes and lips, the grace of the modelling, the morbidezza of the flesh, the harmony of the whole, both ideal and realistic, all the characteristics of the old Spanish master! Every dash of the brush marks the signature. But here? By what miracle? . . . And, I am the owner of this treasure. Oh ! my dear mother . . ." And Maurice wiped his eyes full of tears. Passing through New York, he had made the acquaintance of wealthy dealers in paint- ings, who had said to him : " There must be some works of the old masters In Canada, 46 ', i^r A Godsend among the ancient French families. If you ever come across some of them the owner be wilh'ng to dispose of, please think of us," "Holy Virgin!" cried he, "in three days from now, it will be Christmas ; if I sell this picture I vow to paint a copy of it for the creche of my village ! " IV To paint the copy in two days was a hard task indeed, but it was accomplished. The original was delivered to the agent of Cornhill & Granger. The price agreed upon was paid, and with the copy he had made, neatly framed, Flavigny, the afternoon before Christmas Day, crossed the river at Longueuil, and there hired a conveyance to drive him down to Contrecoeur. In the evening we find him knocking at the door of the presbyter}^ his votive offering in hand. The Cicr^, a good soul with some artistic tastes, delighted with the godsend, welcomed with extreme courtesy his parish- ioner, whom he knew by name only, 47 ( >,: i • \ ^. -••^iii i iiit m, ei^^Jr' ' II Chri' tuias in French Canada as he hiiu been in the place but a short time. He greatly admired the little chefd\vuvre in which he found a 1 li oi familiar appearance," he said ; and an hour later the new painting, adorned with flowers and ever- greens, and suspended on the background of tlie sacred shrine of the | arish church, .ibove the traditional manger, awaited the midnight bell to radiate in the glow of lamps and wax-tapers. Maurice Flavigny left the presbytere of Contrecoeur with an order for a large paint- ing of the Holy Trinity, the patron of the parish. One can imagine what a hymn of gratitude rang in the heart of this youth of twenty-three, who, on this Christmas night, so joyful, so solemn, so impressive to all, was carrying both happiness and wealth to her he loved best 'v! th,> world, his old mother, poor and blind, whom he had not seen for five long years. Maurice found her at the school-house, attended by only a young maid: he school- mistress, who was at th.' same time the 48 f| A God solid organist of the parish, having had to spend the day in the vicinity of the church for the rehearsal of the Christmas music, at a cousin's of hers, a young physi'ian recently settled in the village. V We shall not describe th meeting of the mother and son. Such happy scenes of over- llowing tenderness cannot be depicted. The human heart is so constituted, that intensity of joy, like sorrow, naturally resolves itself in tears. Long did the reunited ones weep in °ach other's arms. And then — oh! the mysterious impulse of the soul which, in haf.piness as in distress, leads us to the feet of Him who is the source of all felicity as He is all consolation ! — the poor invalid took her son by the hand : "Come, Maurice," said she, feeling her way as best she could towards a part of the bare wall, whore her unsec ing eyes seemed to contemplate some invisible object, " come, kneel down with me before the Infant- Jesus I " 49 .<:' ( f I ^ ... .. i l.i * i Cbiistnias in Imi'ikIi Canada "What Iiifant-Jcsus?" asked the young artist, not nolicin itl li !^l (Mfl#/^^«l^*J( I (i I I. Ill Christmas in French Canada thought this would please you, and I hope it will suit your taste. Poor Monsieur le notairel it is the remainder of a small keg he made me a present of on my wedding day." Maurice Flavigny, moved to the heart by this simple friendliness, passed around from on^ group to the other, silently pressing the hands of each person, too much affected to otherwise express his gratitude. " That's all right, then ! " said Philippe Gendreau in his resounding vo.ce. "That's all right!" repeated Marcel Ben- oit, his faithful echo. "La Louise will come," continued Gen- dreau, "to help the little creature to set the table. As for us, let us go. The last bell will ring soon. To church first, and the rt'veillon afterwards. Monsieur Maurice, there is a place for you in my cariole at the side of my wife. But, be careful, mind you, for she is somewhat ticklish." Maurice, who was not a stranger to those jovial and familiar manners, heartily accepted the invitation, and after having put on his S6 ■*f tl>'*.l,«. A Godsend heavy winter wraps, impressed a long and warm kiss on his mother's brow. "A bientdt, my son!" she said; "go and thank the good Infant-Jesus for all the happiness he is bestowing upon us this evening. You will see Suzanne; tell her that she is expected here without fail after mass with her cousin, the new doctor, and his wife, if she is not afraid to venture out in the cold." "Ho! ho! . . Get in, get \n\ Let us lose no time, 7ios gens!" It was the thundering voice of Philippe Gendreau giving the signal for the start. "All aboard! all aboard, les creatures!" It was Marcel Benoit, who, according to his custom, seconded his comrade's motion. VII And gling! . . glang! . . diriding! Here are the ' vo joyful sleigh loads mov- ing off at full speed over the creaking snow, under the stars glitterini'^ on their blue back- ground like burning points of steel. 57 f I ! I ;l i|(!' ( r'(t J 1 ' \ h i 4 wmmmm i 'li. Christmas in French Canada Gling, glang, glong ! . . diriding, ding! There they go, the fiery little Canadian horses, snorting in the mist, tossing their rimy manes, and exhibiting their well-known mettle,— Maurice Flavigny and the farmers' wives, warmly wrapped up in the depths of the carioles, while, standing in the front, well belted up in their wild-cat overcoats, with their fur caps pulled down to their eyes, icicles on their moustaches, and the reins passed around their necks, Philippe Gendreau and Marcel Benoit vigorously beat their bodies to warm their fingers, for the cold is fierce and bitter. And gling! . . gling, diriding! . . Still they go, the brave little Canadian ponies, excited by more solemn and distant sounds which the wind brings to them in intermittent peals : Dang ! dong ! . , It is the great bells this time. The big parish bells which sing their joyous carillon in the night from the lantern-shaped steeple of the old church of Contrecoeur, the tall win- dows of which appear in the distance, their 58 ■"^M, A Godsend rosy gleam contrasting with the pale hghts of the outside. As Maurice Flavigny entered the church and walked towards Philippe Gendreau's pew, placed in the front of the Virgin's Chapel! face to face with the manger-shrine, a voice, sweet but powerful, a woman's voice full of emotion, accompanied by the strains of a harmonium artistically played, intoned the old carol often sung by our ancestors, that old hymn so touching in its ancient form and simplicity : f^, herf^ersy assemblons-nous ! ^ ^ ± -0 *- ^^ Ca.^ oe/t.-^ci^i a.^ ^\ ^^'^'^^^ '%^ ^ '■4' #? ^ ^/ %^ J5.er:i*.i. 3,x:. :...A.. Christmas in French Canada "In fact, you were an oculist, at Paris?" commented Maurice. " Exactly." " Ah ! my dear friend, if you could ever )i " I understand ; you may depend upon me. I will do my best." "Thanks, but how is it . . .?" "That an oculist .should be at Contre- coeur instead of Montreal? Family interests, dear friend. The health of my wife demands country air — for I am married, my jrood fellow, married for the last six months. But I shall tell you all this on our way; I have just ordered my horse for the purpose of driving Suzanne home, and there is a j)lace for you in the sleigh — with your per- mission, cousin ? " "Good! let us drive on, then!" inter- rupted Philippe Gendreau, who had just appeared on the threshold of the door, whip in hand, his faithful Achates at his heels. " Let us drive on ! " repeated Marcel Benoit, " the women are ready." "You know we take the n^veillon together, 64 A Godsend doctor," added Philippe Gendreau ; "it's understood." " It's understood, doctor," re-echoed Marcel Benoit. "Ah! well," said the doctor, "there is a irvcillon, eh? That's another thin- Vou must wait a second, then. I shall have to do my share in it." A moment later, the wh.^le ,,arty drove away at full speed. '( ij ; h i! IX On entering the school-house, the voun- mistress hastened to ki.ss Maurice's mother It was a daily habit ; but whether from the effect of one day's absence, or something else the blind woman could not help noticing that "her little Suzanne" kissed her with unusual fondness that evening. "Oh! such a beautiful midnight, mass as u-e have had, Mame Flavigny ! " exclaimed the farmers and their wives. Philippe Gendreau, Marcel Benoit, Lisette and Julie surrounding the table burdened by a weight 63 t^Sfr; Christmas in French Canada of substantial and succulent country dishes, interspersed with lofty pyramids of croquig- noles in their dress of powdered sugar — the traditional Christmas cake of French Canada. And after a grace reverently pronounced by the blind lady for the blessing of that table around which sat all that were dear to her in this world, the feast began amidst laughter and joyful exclamations. " Yes, a splendid midnight mass ! " said the doctor. " Did you notice in what par- ticularij' good spirits the Cure seemed to be?" " And what perfect singing I " timidly added Maurice. Suzanne raised her eyes to his. The painter was seated by hi; ther ; and the young girl had modestl> ..^en a place at the side of her cousin at the other end of the table. "Yes, yes, yes, that's all very well!" cried out Philippe Gendreau, "but in the meanwhile it's long time between drinks. Ladies and gentlemen, sauf vof respect, Mame Flavigny, don't you think we ought 66 A Godsend to drink a little toast between ourselves were it only to have a short speech from Monsieur Maurice?" "A capital idea!" emphasized Marcel Benoit, never too late when called upon to favor the views of his friend and can- didate. "Well, then," interposed the doctor, has- tenmg to open a parcel he had left behind on entering the house, "if that be so, here IS the moment for my surprise." And he exhibited two sealed bottles which-no matter what may be the opinion of the reader-did not seem too much out of place on the table of the humble school- house of Contrecoeur. "Champagne, upon my word!" exclaimed Maurice. "Yes, champagne, and not bad champagne either," cried the doctor, with the nod of a connoisseur. "A real banquet, then." "Yes, the remainder of one tendered to me on the eve of my marriage, by my col- leagues of the Faculty, my good fellow. It 67 li II iF^l I.. um m. ! ; I ' Christmas in French Canada IS a jo3T)us circumstance added to your happy home cominfr." And the Doctor, after having popped the corks, filled the glasses and raised his own, saying : "My friends, to the health of Madame Flavigny first, and then to that of my brave comrade, Maurice, who, by a happy coinci- dence, joins us on this Christmas night." "Merry Christmas!" cried out all the guests, rising and touching their glasses across the table. Meanwhile. Suzanne had disappeared. The recipient of this cordial toast rose to his feet while the other guests resumed their seats. After having emptied his glass, Maurice opened his lips to utter a few words of thanks; " My friends," he began— But he stopped. A melodious voice, the same which had so much impressed the young artist on his entrance into the church, one of those voices which come from and go to thr heart, a voice which conveyed by its freshness a peculiar serenity 68 - "--■"•^"^'■a>.te*»A£ife-,mfeiri #^jfa.,,,.rtta^ ^ ,^^ A Godsend of expression, sounded from the adjoining room, accompanied by the sweet and trem- bhng notes of a mclodeon. The voice sang : Ncuvelle afcrdable ! ^^M I salvo of applause. "Merry Christmas!" cried the in company again and again ^°"' Maurice kissed his weeping mother. Suzanne had resumed her seat at the table, and bowed blushingly under the ga^e full of caressmg emotion with which the son of Mme. Flavigny enveloped her. A current of ^Tiysterious affinities floated in the air In . s.ngle moment two hearts held entrancing. communion : most sacred compact which the Angel of Love signs In the face of God with a smile on his lips. LI' (I i; m 69 ■ f 1 'I'S ' tH '''l:l (11 J^^^H ' ij^^^^ysfet ^fc' I li Christmas in French CanacUi Maurice tried to resume his speech : "My friends," said he, "you have been drinkin^r t'le healths of my mother and my- self . . " He was interrupted once more: "Wait a minute, here am I!" cried the joyous voice of a new comer. A general outburst of surprise followed : ^'Monsieur le curt'!" And every one rose with respect to greet the beloved and venerated pastor of the parish. "Yes," said the priest, who held under his arm a somewhat voluminous object ; "yes, Madame Flavigny; yes, Mademoiselle' Suz- anne, it is I, who asks your leave to share in your joy." "Bravo! bravo. Monsieur le curd! Come and have a seat with us at the table." "Certainly, my children; but first allow me to furnish my own share towards the general rejoicing." 70 ^m. A Godsend Whereupon the good priest exhibited, to the admiration of all, the object he had under his arm, and which was nothing else but the copy of the Murillo so fondly painted by Maurice. "My Infant-Jesus!" exclaimed Suzanne, bewildered. "My Infant-Jesus! . . Yes, it is He ; it was not a dream. . . And quite new. . . Revived, radiant. . . How can it be?" " Mademoiselle," said the good priest, " I have just heard that there were for you some dear family remembrances and a touching tale of devotion attached to the original of this picture. You deserve that at least the copy should be yours, and I made it a duty to present it myself this Christmas night. The parish owes you more than th.'s for all the services you render to our chu..T. from one year's end to the other." "Merry Christmas!" cried again all the voices, while Suzanne, with folded hands, and still overcome with her surprise, said : "Monsieur k curd, explain. It is not a dream. . . It is a miracle, is it not.?" 7' : 'V \>.. If ■1 -'I 1,1 immmmmm !'f Christmas in French Canada "Yes, my child," answered the curd, "a miracle of artistic skill. Ask my new parishioner, Monsieur Maurice, who now must do his part towards concealing the theft I have committed to the prejudice of my cloth, and without the knowledge of my more virtuous church-wardens." The young lady slowly turned towards Maurice and repaid to the young man the gaze with which he had caressed her a moment ago. After having divined, they understood each other. The sweetest emotion filled their two souls. "Well, now, a tabic I d tabled cried Philippe Gendreau; "we are only beginning." Another voice echoed : "^ tabic!" Needless to ask if it was that of Marcel Benoit. -\ '\A XI " Monsieur Maurice, I congratulate you on your happy return," said the good priest, emptying the glass tendered to him by the' 72 /If -*%1 ^"^'t mmw A Godsend doctor; "God bless you in your wa>s, and keep you ever worthy of the pious mother he has favored you with." "Thank- you, Monsieur le am\ for your good wishes," said Maurice, speaking in a particuk-irly serious tone; "I shall try to prove to you, this very moment, that I deserve them." And leaving his seat, he passed around the table, and laid a large white envelope before the younjj school-mistress, saying: " Mademoiselle, this envelope contains a bank draft for ten thousand dollars; it is a sum which I restore to its owner." " Eh ? " "What?" " How is that ? " " Ten thousand dollars ! " "What does this mean?" " It mr-ns, my friends," answered Maurice, "that th^ original of the painting you have' just admired, belonged to Mademoiselle; that it was the work of a great master; that it fell into my hands by chance, or rather by an interposition of Providence; that I sold it 73 /?! f } ni % , \ h' Christmas in French Canada for ten thousand dollars; and that I simply renr.it the price to whom it is due." " Hut, sir," said Suzanne, whom so many emotions had rendered pale and trembling, "you do not owe me an)'thing. The picture no longer belonged to me ; I had sold it." "Oh! no. Mademoiselle, you had not sold it. Like the good angel that >ou arc, you had sacrificed that family relic which was so dear to you, in order to help my poor, sick and forsaken mother." "No matter. Monsieur. Even supposing such a charitable action on my part, I cannot be considered as the owner of an object to which I have no claim whatever.'' " Mademoiselle . . ." '' Non, Monsieur, I cannot take the money," said Suzanne, returning the envel- ope to the young man ; " it is not mine." " Then here, mother," said Maurice, placing the paper in the hands of the invalid; "give it to her yourself, since she will not accept anything from me?"' " Maurice, you are worthy of your father," said the good old woman. 74 >*a A Godsend And adflressin^r Suzanne : "My child," said she, " take this money, 't is yours; it comes as the accomph-shmcnt of >our frrandmother's prediction; you remember, she said the old painting would brin^r you good luck. You have taken care of me, you have rescued me in my distress, you sat at my bed-side, you have saved my life; God rewards you for it by the hand of my son, and through the unconscious object which was the instrument of your charity. Take this money." "No, Madame, it is useless to insist," said Suzanne, resolutely. "The money is not mine." " But it is dae to you." " Madame Flavigny," said tho girl, proudly, "even though I had some title to your grati- tude it would be no reason for me to accept the price of a service rendered, would it ? " " And as for me, Mademoiselle," inter- vened Maurice, "I cannot keep the money which belongs to you. To enrich myself through your .sacrifice when I am already so greatly indebted to your kindness would 75 t ! i M ii i ■«-:<; *v#&*«.»^k ;j 'f Christmas in French Canada be an act of meanness which ivould make me despicable in my own eyes. Do accept, I beseech you . . . Suzanne!" He stopped, extremely confused at having dared to utter those two syllables which had so far ascended his heart only to expire on his lips. "Do accept," he insisted, "for your happiness and ours ! " " Impossible, Monsieur Maurice," answered the young lady hiding her face in her hands. "^ The money is yours ; I shall never accept it . . . never ! . . ." Maurice let his arms fall helplessly by his side, and threw a glance around, as if to seek for advice. What was to be' done? "Monsieur le cure, speak!" besought the poor blind mother. The two young people were standing facing each other, with downcast eyes, and in painful embarrassment, both perplexed and grieved in the contemplation of the unex- pected wealth, fallen from heaven, but which neither of them could touch without a capitulation both of pride and conscience 76 d I . ? " said one A Godsend "Well, mo7isieur le awe . of the by-standers. "My good friends," said the priest, "the case is really a difficult one . . . Neverthe- less, since God has sent this treasure, there ought to be some means of . . . The fact is that there is one means ... but . . ." ''Monsieur cun<, I understand you," interrupted the doctor, joyously. "You have discovered the true and only means of making matters right. There is no other . . . And if, by chance, Mme Flavigny had the least thought of asking from me the hand of my cousin for her son, after what I have seen at my house, on the road and here, I give her my word of honor that I would order the publication cf the banns in less than two weeks." "And it would not cost you much," cried the Cur^, laughing. "I'll take your word for it, Monsieur /' abb^; as for me, I have only one condition to insist upon : it is, that, in order to avoid all new conflict of interest, the future wife and husband be married 77 ( l.'^ r I (i; \\ % Christmas in French Ccanada under the old regime: community of pro- perty." " Bravo ! Merry Christmas ! merry Christ- mas!" ejaculated the delighted company. Maurice and Suzanne were so confused that they did not dare to raise their eyes on each other. The blind woman stretched her trembling arms towards Suzanne, who threw herself into them with a sob. Lisette, Julie, /a Louise and the little maid wiped their eyes with their aprons Maunce bent one knee on the floor, took Suzanne's hand in his and impressed upon It a long and fervid kiss. "Bless them. Monsieur le cur/!" prayed the good old mother, also wiping her poor blind eyes. '< Bless them, you. who can see them." And while the old priest extended his long white hands over the two reclining brows, the doctor, who had stealthily and more than once observed the eyes of the invalid, drew near her, and whispered in her ear: 78 A A Godsend "You shall also see them in a few weeks Madame Flavigny. take my word for it." ' The little picture was bound to bring luck to everybody. And if any one, at that moment, had passed along the road in front of the old school-house at Contrecoeur, he would no doubt have heard, mixed up with joyous laughter, voices young and old, clear and ringing, crying: ''Noel! nocl! . . Merry Christmas'" "We shall elect him a member of the council," cried out Philippe Gendreau. "We'll elect him mayor!" exclaimed Mar- cel Benoit, who. for the first time, took upon himself to differ with his friend. .m !' 79 m h\ Eaa§8tassR«a«asMaBfaM«a i\V. i, I ^'■,i t; i! M f '1 In a Snowstorm: HE first time I stood godfather was under very extra- ordinary circum- stances indeed, said the Judge. It was well in the month of December, fully forty years ago, when for some reason 80 1 i 1 \ t: stood was ixtra- :um- leed, ge- mber, sason In a Snow Storm or other, an election for the legislature was to tal:e place in the county of Charlevoix, in January following. Things happened in those days pretty much as they do now: all the young lawyers and other members of the profes- sions who had aspirations for public life, were enlisted to assist, with their oratory, one or other of the candidates. Living in Quebec at this time, and being one of the phalanx on our side, I was among the first called to the front. You all know what a task it is to carry on an election campaign in rural districts during the winter time ; but, as you know, youth recoils from nothing when called upon to rally under the flag. I had never visited that part of the country, which was said to be very pictur- esque ; and, although the season was anything but favorable for a tourist, I made up my mind to undertake the journey, consoling myself with the thought that whatever the landscape might lose in peaceful beauty at this season of the year, would be more 8i i: i s 1 ! ("l u ij Christmas in French Canada than compensated for by its uild and impressive character. My traveUing companion was to be one of my class-mates of the Seminary, a prom- ising young doctor, who, alas! was lost to science before he could give the world the full measure of his talents. We both remembered that another class- mate of ours had just been nominated cur^ of St. Tite des Capes, and we got it into our heads that it would be a pleasant thing to surprise him by our presence at midnight mass in his nev/ parish, where opportunities for worldly recreation were not frequent enough to afford him many occasions br indulgence. A joyful evening en f''"i*i I I 'it t S I Christmas in French Canada all beautiful parishes; but from there to St. Tite, it is an interminable ascent across the most broken and desolate country one can possibly imagine; a dreadful road, plunging at times into dense forest, then winding up to bare summits, reached by rugged roadways creeping through fantastic gorges or sidling along dizzy precipices. Such are the Capes. This infernal tract is known as the road of La Miche. And the road of La Miche, that is the place above all the others where " the north wind doth blow," and where the storms of winter find full scope to unbridle their fury. Now the weather, which had been reason- ably fine during the early afternoon, had begun to change for the worse after our passage through the village of Ste. Anne. The snow— thick and dry—drifted from time to time by sudden gusts of wind, began to fill up the road, sadly impeding our pro- gress. Consequently wc were somewhat late in arriving at St. Joachim, where we halted at the house of an old fellow by the name of Filion, the keeper of a neat 84 /■ -fVW ' ^^" fk.. I !i ( '• [IV Mvvv stuiH'ifhiit hife ill iirriiimi at St. ■ llHU'h'uil '■■l 1 i \ ^ r '1 rl, ILMnJiMjin*' vs the ; 'n as. ..e CSpe... 1 iii:. thr rr,:,t) ,ir T . • w (Jul' tj ' - ;.. rth vvind duth biovv." anrJ where the storms of u:.)f,.r ^'"^ unbridle their fu. N- the we:,: ; li had been re i son- ^'^ earlv aft ^ be pa The s. to time fill up !' gre latt .:, hah n •] the 'iiewhat .111, .vhcre ut old fellow b> «k^ .\\V\ *ivuVvs^n\> > luV'jviov. "i^a^sas^aife laiiliiF' Vy>««v II j) 11 '' jii j i i| 1 '!H II : ll umi In a Snow Storm country inn, to light our pipes and shake off the chill. ''Messicursr said the innkeeper, "perhaps you will think it is none of my business but if I were in your place I would go no further to-night." "What do you mean?" "I mean that Cape Tourmente does not bear his name for nothing; see if he has not the appearance of hiding himself for some mischief Take my word, in half an hour from this, it will take no ordinary horses to cross the Cftpes." "Mine are not St. Joachim horses, you know," said the driver, somewhat piqued. "I have seen your CApes before; I know what they are." "Not so well as I do," returned the inn- keeper; "and I wager you my house with all that's in it, that you won't go throu-h the capes this evening." "Well, well, we shall see," replied Pierre, lighting his pipe and tipping us a kind of malicious wink which we understood full well. i.«?=r ^j- 1 >--ir>wi-«J«T^if ^'^^PI'SWWWfflBfi^ft?^] ! : I R'l, Christmas in French Canada Filion-evidently an honest man-under- stood it also, for turning towards us he remarked : " If these gentlemen suspect me of giving interested advice, I have nothing left but to wish them good luck; my duty is done." We felt he was si- :cre ; but to miss our Christmas Eve, our surprise for our friend the cure, was too much of a disappointment. And then Pierre Vadeboncoeur seemed so sure of his venture. . . In short, we re-entered the cariole, and while we warmly wrapped ourselves in the robes, the driver vigorously lashed his horses, who sprang forward, snorting, through the' drifts. The innkeeper had spoken truly; in less than an hour, we were travelling blindly over . impracticable roads, in complete darkness, enveloped in a torrent of snow and sleet, of 'vhich no one. who has not seen the same, can form an idea. After having mounted perpendicular escarpments, at the summit of which our horses could hardly stand against the wind, wc had to descend into yawning 86 ¥ \\ r;!i«f ,»!)!■«, Ill a Snow Storm gulfs, bordered by giant firs, where the poor animals almost disappeared in the whirling snow. Of course, we could not advance at more than a walk ; and with nothing but instinct to guide them, our beasts, exhausted and blinded by clinging rime, trudged painfully along with hanging heads and heaving flanks. "Suppose we turn back," said I to the driver. " It is evident we cannot go much further." " Turn back ! " e.xclaimed the poor man, who seemed bitterly to regret his recent boasting; "it is too late, monsieur; I am as blind as my horses; in turning back, we would risk missing the track, and with the track missed, I would not give five cents for our three skins." The doctor said nothing. Our situation was becoming hopeless ; since wc could not retrace our steps, it was just as impossible to remain where we were, for the cold was increasing in a terrible manner, and in .'-pite of our thick furs, we were chilled through and through. We had 8? !| 1 ] f I I 11 }• I vH.lM Pi hi. lil: t' t I] .: I, J Christmas in French Canada no alternative but to advance-to advance at all hazards. I was once in my life in distress at sea with but little hopes of escape; but no' agony of shipwreck can be compared to that which my companion and myself went through that evening, lost in the dark solitude and tempest, half paralyzed with the wolfish cold, and depending on two wretched horses, which threatened at every moment to drop uncfer the suffocating whirlwind. This last calamity was at hand. Suddenly our shaft horse snorted wildly, and stopped dead, shivering with terror; the other one had missed his footing on the edge of a declivity, rolling on his flank, and struggling in h.s agony, half swallowed up in a flurry of moving snow. That cursed Filion has bewitched us ! " cried our unhappy driver, throwing himself at the head of the second horse to prevent him from being dragged down by the frantic efforts of his companion; "if we have lost the road, there is nothing left for us to do, messieurs, but say our prayers." 88 ' r) "''^r*}m \ In ca Snow Storm While uttering these desponding words, the poor devil had nevertheless succeeded in unharnessing the fallen horse. But what next? Leave the poor animal to perish in the snow? It was first to be seen if the other was able to continue the journey by himself We got out of the sleigh, and rather plunged than walked to give help to the unfortunate driver, who, in spite of all, retained sufficient courage to endeavor to' save his horses. What a night, ;;/^« n/a^ / I would not wish my mortal enemy to experience the shadow of the same. Suddenly our coachman uttered a loud cry of joy : "A gate! We are .saved." And so it was ; on the other side of the road opposite to the slope on which the horse had sunk, our man had come upon a fence ; and groping for a pole to help him in his work, he had put his hand upon a gate. A gate meant a house, and a house meant safety. "Wait a bit!" cried the brave Pierre: 89 i J 1 1 \\- ': I'M ; # 1 ' V f 1. ' ■ i (i ,'! ''I . vf.i fh Christmas in French Canada "in ten minutes there will be some one to help us." And, in fact, to our great relief, he appeared a few inoinents afterwards with a man bearing a lantern and a rope. And, hurrah I There was our poor horse on his feet again. "Good-bye now!" said the new comer with an extraordinary business-like air; "if the good God does not take care of you people this night, I pity you from my heart." " What do you mean ? " cried I ; "do you think we are going further on such a road? Your house is near by; you would not leave travellers outside a night like this?" "Mes bons messieurs;' said the man with the lantern, "you are going to say it is not very Christian-like, but on my conscience and honor, there is no possibility of sleeping at my house this night." "No possibility? 15ut we are not exact- ing, iiion drai'c ; a little corner under your roof, two chairs, a bench, the bare floor— any- thing at all ; but in the name of heaven, don't leave us lost in the snow, freezing 90 f (■■ vjfcw.-^ I In a Snow Storm alive in the depths of night, on this miser- able road ! " " Alas ! wes chcrs messieurs, it sounds hard indeed, but believe me, it is not my fault; it is impossible ! " For a moment he took our driver aside, but suddenly he uttered a cry : "A doctor! There is a doctor here!" And rushing back to us he exclaimed: "The doctor! Where is the doctor?" " Here ! " answered my friend. "Ah! sir," said the poor man, almost throwing himself upon the neck of my companion: "you are a doctor? It is the good God who has sent you. This way this way, quick ! " * By the light of the lantern Pierre and I followed with the horses. "The stable is at the right," called out the man to us, dragging the doctor after him towards the house, the door of which he shut in our faces. "I've an idea that there Is no business for us inside there for the moment," said I'lerre Vadeboncoeur, somewhat mysteriously ■ "but as my fin.,ers are badly frozen, satif 91 '! ill •J At l'l»l ^\ ■::'f'^f«:4tahAi>U > I Christmas in French Canada vof respect, I think you had better let the others manage their own business and help me to unharness the horses." "Ma for: reph-cd I, "one must adapt himself to the times ; to help one another is a law of nature. Come on ! " And while the poor fellow, chilled through, and moaning with pain, busily chafed his fingers with snow, I drew our cariole under an open shed, and drove our exhausted horses into the stable. Then, after putting a bundle of hay in each of the mangers, I turned my steps towards the house, accom- panied by Pierre, who was still suffering from the numbness of his fingers. He pushed open the door, and I entered, shaking the snow and frost which covered me from head to foot, and removing the icicles which hung on my hair and moustache. Hardly had I entered, and in my haste to get near the huge stove which hummed away joyously in the middle of the room, let fall in a corner the heavy furs in which I was wrapped, when my compagnon de voyage appeared with a beaming face, carrying in 92 A, jjiaBWiL J^ I'i-ir? :"■ In a Snow Storm both hands a small bundle, with all the pre- caution and reverence he would have displayed in bearing the Holy Sacrament itself. "Mon mnir said he, bowing, "I have the honor of presenting to you a newly fledged citizen of the world, to whom I have just given, in the name of the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University, a passport for the stormy journey on the Road of Existence, without counting that of the Capes." "Is it possible— a new-born child?" " Old, monsieur, pour vous servtr," said our rescuer, much disturbed but all smiles, "a little angel of the good God; our first!" " On Christmas Eve, too ! you might take him for the Infant Jesus Himself." "It is indeed true; our little one is born on Christmas Eve!" cried the happy father, turning towards the open bedroom door. " You see, then," said the doctor, " it is him, not me, that God has sent you, my friend." " Him and you both, sir ! all of you ! you are all messengers of Heaven here," cried the brave man, drying his eyes with the back of his sleeve. 93 !.i i'l; Christmas in French Canada What then? The baby was very weak and considering the condition of the roads, it was absolutely out of the question to carry the little one to church for at least three days. Therefore, to calm the anxiety of the poor mother, so terribly unnerved by her trial on this night of storm, the doctor advised that a private baptism be proceeded with. "You will not refuse to be godfather, will you?" said the father, addressing me. " Godfather ? most willingly, my good fellow; I certainly will be godfather." "And you will name the boy?" "Noel, why not? We will call him Noel; it is the very name for a Christmas child." "Noel, that's it; it will go perfectly with my family name, which is Toussaint." * We arranged matters as fittingly as possible. The doctor officiated, of course; and I took my role of godfather most seriously, assisted by an agreeable god- mother, the mother of the sick woman. I see you smile; well, perhaps, I looked * All S,-i;rits' Day. 94 M In u Snow Storm rather grotesque in my ne^v character, but 'f you had been there, you could not have smiled When the water of re.^eneration nck-led on the forehead of the h'ttle beinfr, so frail, so helpless, whose life by a most wonderful interposition of Providence we had probably saved, at its very entrance 'nto this world, you could not help turnin Christmas in French Cnnada running down my cheek, whicli I did not even attempt to conceal. But the ceremony did not end there. Pierre's journey to the stable h.id not had the interest of his horses for its only end. His Norman sagacity had smelt out the contents of the hamper he had sfcn us tuck away beneath the seat of the cafiole ; and making the judicious r-'ection that what was good for the aav could not be bad for his parishioners, he concluded with sound logic that the midnight watch at the presbytery of St. Tite having been unavoidably missed, it would be absurd not to utilize the good things elsewhere. Upon this, as his frozen fingers had recovered their normal circulation, he had simply brought the hamper to the house, and when we noticed the fact, the table was already prepared for the feast. One can imagine the explosion of gayety which followed. All Pierre's couplets and refrains were gone through, accompanied by the clinking of the glasses, and sustained by the majestic 96 ',i>- ■«l(l ll ll.lll Jlil,,,' Min 1 1 ll! II i I Ml i'i (')')'('■•< cniiphf.^ a ml I'ct'i'aiih-i ircrc (jotH' y\ n iM mr^'"^ ^^ 'ij < I < ') v\ \\\lV>U V ,> ■ \ I »\\l!>V \.,\ ;/' I T IJ l\ iteff.ta*ii^.fi*gj^^ In a Snow Storm voice of the storm, roaring and thundering in the distance. I have enjoyed the Christmas fete in France, in England and in this country at my house and at the houses of others ; well the remembrance of the finest feast I ever sat down to cannot obliterate the memory of that joyful repast, and the merry toast we drank that night to the health of this humble son of peasants, dozing beside his happy mother under the roof of a miserable cottage, isolated in the mountains and shaken in the raging grasp of a northern hurricane i r i i !: 97 i 1 1: ;i:i -5:;:X >'- t»%»*mit»m»m»»m m ^M. LITTLE PAULINE ilTTLE PAULINE, little Paul- ine, why, so young and already an unbeliever ! You do not believe any more in Santa Claus. . . Neither in the bogie man, of course— the one being the com- plement of the other. Already indifferent to infantine legends' VVliat will it be, when you are twenty, when you begin to discover what amount of decep- tion life keeps in store f. - the hearts fond of fanciful illusions? Had she learned the fact through her elder brother, or had the little maid found It out herself at the previous Christmas? Half awake in her little white couch, had 98 ,)l ' tf|i4cl i^f^T*' •"* •''*** •* Little Pauline •she treacherously spfed, by the dim reflection of the night lamp, her mamma stealing silently towards the fire-place, where the small shoes awaited the passage of Santa Claus ? At all events, little Pauline had lost her childish faith. Little Pauline, little I'auline, beware; once on the path of scepticism, where shall you stop ? Farewell to the radiant visions which make you smile in your sleep! Farewell to the beautiful floating angels who lull you in their arms, and refresh your brow with the fanning of their long silken feathers! Farewell to the first illusions! Little Pauline, little Pauline, God spare you the others! Little I>auline was a charming lass of five years, blonde and pretty, with soft and dreaming eyes, very tall for her a-c who could "-ead well enough already, sing \' song at the piano, and dance a minuet with ex- quisite gracefulness. When she balanced h.rself, her waist 99 I', ni ^s l!ll Jl r-^s^is Christmas in French Canada elegantly cambered, the point of her foot projected forward, and her skirt open like a fan in the gentle pressure of her delicate fingers, the father had a happy smile, the mother was ravished uith admiration, and "Aunt Lucy," crazy with pride, would seize the child like a prey, enveloping her in a jealous and rapturous caress. Who was Aunt Lucy? Aunt Lucy, who, by the way, had of an aunt only the name. . , and tenderness, was the widow of a man whom she adored, and who worshipped her, but had left her childless. She possessed en- ough to insure her independence; but, almost without relatives, she had found herself con- demned to comparative loneliness, when a young married couple, hearty friends of the departed one, invited her to spend some time in their comfortable and happy home. When she talked of leaving, they would not let her go. ,00 V» u S iEn»3«»"tst*" Little Pauline Her good r.aturc, her delicate disposition of mind, her advice always dictated by the soundest judgment, together with any amount of petty services of all ki„d. had made her the benevolent genius of the house. She had grown indispensable ; she became one of the family. In the meantime, little J'auline was born Usele.ss to tell who was the godmother. Aunt Lucy eagerly took possession of the baby, which henceforth had two mothers. The role of the nurse became a sinecure. The true mother herself had one only privilege, that of offering her breast. This stranger, who had never known the felicity and ecstasies of maternity began to cherish that child with all the virginal love treasured up in her heart. Her worship for the husband, all the affection, all the devotion, all the idolatry she would have had for children of her own if God had given her any, all was conveyed upon that sweet little blonde head, who smiled to her old days with an ineffable expression of gratitude. lOI ii Mi '■■n-«i ir i (|»|>j i wyp i *feftteMWHwSIP''MPi ■ ■■■ I j ( Christmas in Frencli Canada For children, as is the case with certain beings deprived of judgment, if they have not the intuition of life ^o a degree which permits them to reason about their feeh'ngs, have at least the instinct of them, and h'ttle Pauh-ne probably without reah-^ing the immensity of such an affection, gave love for love to the old friend who had eyes only for her. Little Pauline grew up, we may say, in the shadow of Aunt L cy. And both, the rosy baby and she who could have been her grandmother, became inseparable. At night, the two bedsteads, the large and the small one, were side by side. At table, Aunt Lucy gave the beakfull to h'ttle Pauline, who turned around from time to time to caress her old friends cheek with her small rosy nailed hand, or interrupted her meal to pass her arms around the good lady's shoulder like a graceful necklace. The child followed Aunt Lucv everywhere sat by her side to lull the big doll, held her hand while passing from one room to the other, entertained her with inexhaustible I02 IWalSltfaJi^nnrtjjifxnwsfintM Little Pauline chattering, or, while the embroidery or the net-work was going on, amused herself by humming fragments of melodies like a night- ingale in a bush. If little Pauline ever per- ceived she was alone, "Aunt Lucy!" she cried with anxiety. There is always some one to tease children; if any body ventured to say: "You know, little Pauline, Aunty Lucy is going away! " h'ttle Pauline would raise her eyes with alarm, her face would take an expression of supreme distress, and the sweet smile of her dear little lips would contract, into a convulsive expression prelu- sive to a sob. /'au/,;u'. One had to hasten with: "No. no, darling! nodarhng.it'sallforfun!- or else the poor httle one would burst into tears. Her brow resumed at once its calmness. 103 i '.' i r H i i ^ ri 'I (' ' "I. i Cliiistmas in French Canada but her little breast still throbbed a while, like that of a wounded bird. But Cliristmas was coming. Christmas bo.xes, New Year's gifts, presents of all kinds were freely talked of Little Pauline's eyes sparkled, questioning those of Aunt Lucy, whose crow's foJt wrinkled in a mysterious and good smile full of alluring promises and joyful fore- bodings. , " If little Pauline behaves like a good girl," said Aunt Lucy, " if she says her prayers well and retires early, after having hung up her stockings at the foot of her bed, and left her pretty new shoes in the chimney corner, sure enough, Santa Claus, who is the good Jesus' messenger, will come' down this night and fill them up with candies, dolls and toys." " With his long white beard ? " "Yes, love." " With his big pointed hat ? " "Yes, my beauty." "And his nice fur mantle?" "Yes, my treasure." 104 I Little Pauline "And his large basket?" "Yes, darling, full of beautiful presents for the good babies who g,^ to bed early and say their prayers well." " Ah ! Ah I Ah ! . . " And the pearly laugh of little Pauline burst out fresh and ringing, like a gurgling of a silver stream, while, her forehead sur- rounded by a wreath of curl-papers, and her feet entangled in the folds of her white-laced night robe, she knelt before Aunt Lucy with a cunning wink full of provoking incredulity. "And you, Aunty," said she, "are you also going to hang your stockings at the foot of your bed, and put your new boots on the hearth-stone?" " Nonsense ! " "Why not?" "My stockings and my boots are too big; Santa Claus will see very well that they are' not baby things." " Put them there anyhow ! " "What for?" "To please little Pauline." 105 it 7 1 if V % -^9l«* Cliristnias in French Canada Ah ! well, since It pleases little Pauline, Aunt Lucy will obey ; it is written ! And here are Aunt Lucy's stockings hang- inff at the bars of her brass bedstead, and her slippers ranged near the andirons, side by side with the new shoes of little Pauline, who hides her blonde head in her p,|l,.ws,' quivering and laughing like a tickled baby,' with the same sly and perfidious expression of face. Little Pauline, little Pauline, you conceal some mischief; what kind of plot are you meditating? There you are, closing your eyes, and pretending to sleep; what waggish trick are you scheming, little Pauline? Every evening, after prayer and night toilet, Aunt Lucy used to sit down by the cot, hold little Pauline's hand in her own, and talk the child to sleep by relating to her Cinderella, the Sleeping Beauty, and Aladdin's Lamp, or some other fairy tales which told of beautiful princesses all spark- h'ng with jewels, drawn by quadrigas of gold horned gazelles, in mother-of-pearl carriages io6 Little Pauline roUinii on wheels glittering with ch-amonds and rubies. Some other time she would sing, endeav- oring tr, imitate, as much as p.wsible the accent of Gascony, the facetious son-r of Nadaud : I.anlitilii. , , The little one laughed heartily, and more than once fell asleep murmuring: Za Galoiiiie. . . I.aiiliilu. . . But that evening little Pauline asked for neither the daily fairy tale, nor Nadauds song. It appears she had something else in mind. She was thinking, the little rogue! she was thinking, opening now and then just the corner of an eye, to see if Aunt Lucy was soon, herself, going to sleep. She was thinking under her curtains, trembling like a poor anxious turtle-dove, eyes and ears on the look-out, watching—' the little spy !_a kind of vague rummage 107 (I ]'!■ n ■■ 3 !■ m Cliiistma.s in Frondi Cauiuh and smothered noise which came from mamma's bed-room, next to Aunt Lucy's. At last Aunt Lucy is asleep, as indicates herlongcr and more accentuated respiration. Aunt Lucy sleeps ; and little Pauline, who •s au-are of it. outlines a cunning smile, and doubtless to be in a better position to hear and see. and resist at the same time the •sleepn^ess which threatens to take possession of her also, she raises her fair head and gracefully leans it .upon her plump little hand, and with her elbow sinking in her pillow, A-aits in expectancy. What is she waiting for? Suddenly some footsteps are heard or rather guessed ; and little Pauline, whose heart beats rapidly, thrusts herself back "nder her blankets, restless, in the soft and s.lky feathers, with her eyes well closed "P, and her mouth half opened for a smile just like a child who had been sound asleep for an hour. Ah! little Paulin, little Pauline, what a hypocrite you are. . . i All dressed in white and glad-looking, like .08 ^ 't Little Pauline those charming phantoms who sometimes pass throuK'h our youthful dreams, the mother has •stealthily entered the room; she throws a long glance to her child, f^azes with gratitude at the sweet and kind friend who has made herself the guardian angel of the dear little one, and then wiping a tear of happiness which has glided over her cheek, she stoops one moment before the pretty stockings hanging at the foot of little Pauline's bed. • • • . She has left now; gone towards the draw- ing room where stands the chimney through which Santa Claus is to come ; and soon she returns, pissing, all white and smiling, ;n front of the room where little Pauline peeps out, white and smiling also, in the vague and soft glimmer of the night lamp. And what then? Ah! h'ttle Pauline, you are a terrible rogue; but what a delicious picture you make thus, m that dim light while slipping out of your bed, frightened and shivering, alone with your eyes open in the darkness of this big silent house! 109 1 1 i h !i r I Christmas in French Canada What is she doing? No doubt she is going to taste the candies her mamma has dropped into the httle stockings. She is too impatient to wait till morning to admire the toys and especially the sparkish doll under which her new shoes must be buried; it is quite natural. But no, far from it. She hardly looks at the candies. They rapidly pass through her hands ; to go where? Not far ; right into the stockings of Aunt Lucy, who is sound asleep. The shares are quickly made. Little Pauhne does not take the trouble of counting; and when Aunt Lucy gets up in the morning, she will have no reason to complain of her lot. But this is not all. Where are you going now, little Pauline ? Are you not afraid of the black dog. crossing that dark and lonely parlor? Yes. she is; she trembles, trembles, the poor thing; but she walks right through all the same, and then hastens back, after having > no ; Little Pauline knelt down a moment in front of the biV fire-place. ^ To-morrow, Aunt Lucy, as well as little Pauline, will find lots of nice presents crammed m her boots. And little Pauline, with gleeful heart returns quietly, quietly to her bed, and falls asleep with her face turned towards her who will weep to-morrow in discovering the touching fraud, the sacred treachery of the httle heroine she loves more than life And now, little Pauline, you do not hear the sonorous peals of the church bells chim- ing m the night. You do not hear the sacred hymns floatmg in the illuminated sanctuaries, nor the harmonies of the great organs roaring and thundering under the arches of the iofty vaults. You do not see, from your downy little bed, the pious crowd kneeling around the manger in which the Infant-Jesus outstretches h.s httle arms towards the pious and kneeling crowd. ^ No, but surely the good angels who if: n } J ■ lU 4 f I li '-'^-■■amtmsm'- mmami: i'-: Christmas in French Canada looked at you this evening from tl,e alti- tudes where they sang: "Glory to God in Heaven and peace on Earth to men of good-w 1, have descended towards you, my iKtle Pauhne. and now l«nd their heads over the white couch where you sleep, to k.ss your brow, and bless your little great ( :»', I 11 h\ t. tta M "tj I ^^''"'' f>>-'>^'- 0,,d h/..s ,,o.r /, f/e ar. '1 :t l}.,vll 1 '' 1 1 i It / tll.i. , ill ii; I >' 4) .V\'i\ iwiM^* v.y'A(\ \\«\V 'WlVVvN Hu \i \\ivu\ 'uu\\i v.-'A'X 'A ( ^m ^yn ^ii •■-i*-=«»=«a**rtim ' ' '"^-f ''^'!W*'^wKB■"'■■!:^^ .*'ii Christmns in French Canada "And all fell on their knees, while the old game-keeper, with bare head, advanced towards the lar-e fire-place, whose lijxht shone like a glory around his long white hair, outlining- as on a golden background, the majest- and imposing figure of the old man. " • Ju the name of the Father, ami of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost!' said he in a low and solemn tone, while his knotty and trembling hand dropped a ruby-like string of wine on the heavy fragment of oak bitten by the winding blaze. . "The bystanders had not time to answer amen, before a wild gust of \\i,ul swept aside the flames of the hearth, and in the opened door stood the evil and deformed figure of Count Robert de Kerfoel. "Everyone stood up, dumb and horrified. After a moment of deadly silence, the new- comer threw a ferocious glance about, and with a drawn sword, advanced through the terrified peasants towards the chimney. "'Par la mort Dien !' cried he with a haughty and thundering voice, 'since when has my dwelling become the scene of such 124 I.; .11: L —-'■mifilT''- ""•■ — tsm--: I! ("' (l)risf('iiiii(j tli(' Christ iiiKs ]j)(j l';iK'" w4 ■ ( V Vi old tOUc silur hair niaj' Soy, i')\V tren win by amt the doc Coi { I Aff COI wit tci- 11 a ha >: 4 rniizsjiiiu I ?n?3 ¥iis. rt3-£i.CilT-lT^ .-.» * I' i 1 1 1i| 111 ,J-J mi The Christmas Loy- o ridiculous mummeries? . . Jo,;],' added he, as he turned towards his old groom and pointed to the blazing fire, 'throw away this emblem of a cursed superstition!" " An exclamation of terror followed : The Christmas log ? ' "'Yes, the Christmas log, out of this with it! Do you hear me, Joei ? •"My Lord Count,' replied Joel, kneeling down in fear, 'the Christmas log is sacred: I'd rather die than touch it.' " The count Robert was crazy with rage. '"By all the devils!' yelled he, addressing the steward, whom he had just detected in the crowd, 'who commands here, Yvon Ker- ouak ? ' '"My Lord Count,' replied the steward, ' the Christmas log is hallowed ; to touch it would be a crime!' "'It would be a crime!' repeated all like an echo. "At this the exasperation of the miscreant knew no bounds. "'Stupid idiots!' cried he. "And then, laying hold of two jugs of "5 ■i *f*,vfri=. Christmas in Froncli Canada cider, he emptied tlicm over the burning log. and pulled the same with his own hands ovt of iU. fire-place, and lifted it to his shclder without rej^ard to the fire- brands which singed his hair and shrivelled his skin. '"My I.,rd Count/ besought the old game-keeper, .shivering from head to foot 'the Christmas log has been baptized.' beware of Gods h.nd, my Lord C'ount ' ' "'Sacrilecre!' exclaimed several voices as hmi Mig .n a dreadful fashion his back bent under the weight of the smoking b.llet, the Count stepped across the thres- hold, and, with horrible blasphemies, dis- appeared in the outside darkness. "'Let us kneel down!' cried old Le Goffic "But it .-as too late; a terrible cry of distress, wh.Vh had in it nothing human, sounded in the nigh, raising up the hair of all the witnesses of the terrible scene "And never again was the Count Robert de Kerfool. the 'ast Lord of the Devil's lower, seen aiuongst the living. "Eve, K. that night, my children, one 126 The Christmas Locr can see on the shfnin ^33 f(! Christmas in French Canada And Jeannette put her finger in her mouth with a deh'ciously provoking expression of face. " Tell me why," insisted the father ; " Santa Claus brought you handsome toys last year" " Yes." " With a beautiful big doll." " Yes." " Then why don't you love him ? " " Because . . . he is not good to everybody." " He is not good to everybody ? " " No ; he does not love the little children who are poor ; he does not give them any- thing." "Are you sure that Santa Claus gives nothing to the poor children?" "I am ; Rosina told me so." "Who is Rosina?" "The washerwoman's little girl. I asked her if she was going to put her shoes in the chimney to-morrow night. She said she had put them last year, but that she had found nothing in them, although she had been ever so good. Her mother says that Santa Claus only goes to rich people. But since it is the Infant-Jesus who comes this year, I »34 ^j Jeannette will tell Rosina to try again. Little Jesus must love poor people as much as the others, since he was poor himself." " But are you sure that he will go ? " Jeannette remained a few moments non- plussed ; but after a moment's reflection : "Yes," she said. "He will go. I shall pray him hard, hard, and surel/ he won't refuse me." An hour after ; softly enveloped in her fresh white night dress, her chin propped upon her primly folded hands, and her knees sunk in the long silky hairs of a llama skin rug, Jeannette prayed like a little angel that she was ; then while the mother gave her the good night kiss, and tucked in warmly the covering of the little bed, tne name of Rosina passed like a sigh on the lips of the sleeping child. When the morning sun stained with pink the window of the room where she slept, Jeannette rose absorbed in thought. Her father's last words " Are you sure that he will go? " returned to her memory, and the child began not to be so sure of the efficacy of her prayer, '35 li I*- I n IB if! ■ -"**»«:'i>»?-n«'» II j Cliiistnias in French Canada "After all, perhaps he will not go" she •said to herself. And this supposition saddened her almost to tears. "What is the matter with you this mornincr my Jeannette," said the father; "you are not so gay as usual. Don't you know that to- n.Rht is Christmas Eve, and tiiat, since you have been very good, to-morrow morning your I'ttle shoes, and even your little stockings perhaps, will be crammed with prettv things?" Jeannette smiled, but remained pensive. "I'apa," 3he said as though she had suddenly come to a decision, "if I knew how to write .... but I can only sign my name." "What would you do if you could write?" " I would write a letter." "To whom?" " To little Jesus." " Well, my love, tell me what you want to tell the Infant-Jesus ; I will write to him, and you will sign." " Truly ? " "At once, if you want." "And it will be the same thing?" "Exactly the same." 136 ,.,r..„.*»n>»|>(^»„ jimlMj'lil •v.! "f "Tftf ~i ITtT? r ! i(> u nirhthi! ir^^rJ i':,> f'agre i.'^b said her my ^ so frj night have h'ttle pcrhcif Jca "Pc sudflen to writ " Wi "I ^ "To "To " Wei tell the . you will " Trul3 "At o " And " Exact I I i' 4 1 I I u ;) ,1 '( 4 ^ Jeannette I '( " Oh ! dear good papa ! " And the little one threw herself into the arms of the "dear .>d papa." who. a ^''' "^'""^^'-^ '^ -«•' w, a ng at his desk writing the following letter dictated word for word by his spoilt pet : Dear Little Jesus, "To-morrow is your feast of Chrislmas, and as I have been very good. 1 put „,y ,„,,, ,„ „,^ ,,^^^, s.one. just like the other children. But give me only your p.c,ure, and take the presents to Rosina ,vho - very good also, but .hose mother is a poor widow You know her house, dont you? I.s on Sanguinet street. There is a big tree right in front- - Here Jeannette jumped. A big tear, similar to the one that had wakened her one day by falling on her sick little hand, had just wet the paper, where the father's nervous fingers had some difficulty in following the lines. "Why do you cry?" she asked, passing a pudgy little arm around his neck and looking tenderly into his eyes. Too much moved to answer, the good father took his child in his arms, pressed her ■37 'I i, :M v'l ^ ^%. 1^ %.. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 7 ^j. {/ ,^ :a /j 1.0 I.I 1.25 '" IIIIIM |50 ■^= •^ IIIIIM t m 1.4 [20 1= 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WcBSTER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 m A ^. :\ V \ 4^' V 6^^^ > %^ "^^ .-jit^/ bl i' Christmas in French Canjuhi closely to his heart, cnvelcpincr her in a lasting passionate embrace; and for a long, long time, he jealously contemplated his treasure through the tears of happiness and love that filled his eyes. When the little one had scribbled her name at the foot of her touching letter to the Infant- Jesus, her father stood up and walked up and down for a k^v minutes to recover himself Then, with his back turned, he stood for some time before the window of his study, his gaze lost in the brilliant azure of the December •slKa!^iBK:Bias ^v^xvx The Phuntom Head HE traveller of to-day who crosses the St. Lawrence between Quebec and Levis, during the winter season, comfortably seated between decks in the powerful screw steamers which occupy only a (e\v minutes in passing from shore to shore, forcing their way through the drifting floes, untroubled by mist or wind driven snow, can have but a >4a rfraBCT r^of:^ Tho Phantom Head faint idea of what this crossing, in old days, really meant. The trip was made in heavy canoes, or dug-outs, formed of two large trunks solidly joined by a wide and flat keel of polished oak, turned up at both ends, so that the craft could be used as a sledge when needed. The captain sat astern, on a small platform where he commanded the manoeuvring, steering with a special paddle; while, at the bow sometimes standing right on the p,-„ce~ the slender projection of the p.ow-another fearless fellow explored the passes and watched the false openings. In the front of the pilot, a certain space was reserved for the passengers lying on the flat bottom, wrapped up and covered with buffalo robes, perfectly protected from the cold, but with hardly the power of moving The rest of the canoe was crossed with thin planks, equally spaced, which not only strengthened the craft, but also served as seats for the men, who paddled in time encouraging themselves with voice and gesture. '43 ^ '1 '"il if i'i K RT^» ^^(f^^p.,0^ Christinas in French Canada It was a hard calling; and, as the Canadian winters of those times were much more severe than those of ours, it was some- times a dangerous one. Every launching of the canoe— that is, every start from the shore-gave a thrill to the sturdiest. Down from the top of the batture~(thQ icy rampart built along the beach by the rising and falling of the tide, and the constant grinding and breaking of the drifting floes)_down from the top of the batture into the dark and swirling waters the crew hurriedly jumping on board in a desperate entanglement of hands, legs and arms, it was a matter of a few seconds only, but every heart stood still until the flying start was accomplished. And, Nagc\ camnmdcs 1 .... Haut les cocurs ! . . . . Lcs botis petits coeurs ! Enormous lumps of greenish ice block the way: quick! go for them! There we are! Down with the paddle, shoulder the rope, and, forward again on the frozen surface of the river ! Further on, great masses are crammed and 144 I %TMM±Wt MTr*amKwm — ■ ■«^,. Ij I " ft ini.s (I Jtard ciljiinj r.iec life 1 i!i mmsi tli-\" ilU|f;--,lfv i irrrSii *i*»**-< 1 1 I i, fi I ii •I !.)X '1 ■'( 'I Tho Phantom Head heaped up one upon the other. The passage ■seems impracticable. ... No matter, hoist up the canoe, and forward once more over the obstacle I A crevice opens before us ; it is an abyss perhaps. . . . Never mind, drive on at all hazards ! Wet snow freezes and sticks to the -sides of the canoe, impeding our advance : not a moment to lose : roll in ! roll in. boys ! . . . And off we are again! Now it is different ; everything gives way all around. It is „o longer water ; it is no longer:. Paddling is impossible ; no point of support to heave upon ; prisoners in the melting snow and the dis. olving ice I Courage, boys ...... Away, away, altogether ! forward, anyhow ! . . . . And the struggle might go on for hours sometimes even for the whole day. Oh ! yes, it was a hard calling indeed, y.ctor Hugo has depicted the "Toilers of the Sea. He should have seen the canoe-men of ■Levis at work ! '45 it I ! I h 1 ^'} Christmas in French Canada II Some thirty years ago, I happened to be m company with a newly-married couple from Horida, who had been original enough to un- dertake a wedding journey through Lower Canada in mid-winter. These travellers, from a country fragrant with magnolia blossom, and oranges ripening in January, found a deep interest in the peculiarities of our winter weather; and as a proof that their wanderings had been planned with tiie intelligence and sagacity of two lovers in search of the picturesque, it will be sufficient to say that their itinerary included a visit to Quebec and its vicinity, the mid- night mass in the old historic cathedral, a shde on the frozen cone of Montmorency, and a moonlight crossing of the St. Lawrence au'd the floating ice. They had reached Levis in the morning of the day before Christmas, and to insure the moonlight crossing, had spent the day at the Victoria Hotel, where, as an old acquaintance of the husband, I had hastened to join them. ,.^6 ►«*«4»i»«<;«-,i»«''«»»''***iiiii (la led to be Liple from ?h to un- h Lower fragrant ripening in tlie and as a planned of two t will be included he mid- ledral, a norency, awrence morning insure he day an old lastened The Phantom Plead In the evening, we made ourselves read^• and started for the quarters where the cano;.' -en generally stood waiting for passengers. it IS fine moonlight, that's true," said one of them a fellow by the name of Na.aire Jodom. ..but the cold is bitter and the fioes -n fas, I tell you! I ■ ou don't wish to would' 7'' °" ''^ '^"'^ ^^ ^^— nt. r would adv,se you not to face the ice bef^e a co,p, ,, ,,^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^.^^ ^ Po.nte-a Puyseaux with such a current. Old Baron h.mself would not dare to try it" "Where is old Baron?" "At Uncle Vien's, smoking his pipe. But he won take you across before eleven or half past, take my word for it- You can walk m and warm yourselves until the ebb -over, and by low tide, I'llland you safe and sound in the Cul-de-sac, just L quick as you can desire." "Well, then," said I to my friends, " wait for me, I will consult with old Baron ; he is the oracle in such matters." "We will go with you" said th^ lady. ^'^^ y"""^^ H7 ! I ,1i •i'ii ;ifi I J t I u'\ ' Christmas in French Canada h ■ I " But, madam, remember I am not going into a drawing-room." "What do I care? We are not looking for luxuries in our crossing of the St. Law- rence this freezing night." "But those people smoke like volcanoes; you will be suffocated." " It cannot be worse than our negroes' cabins, I presume." "Oh! certainly not." " I am used to that, let us go ! I travel not only to see the country, but also its inhabitants." " All right, then ; the fact is, you will see only honest people, somewhat rustic in their manner, but all kind, good-beared fellows." I knew the house of old Vien; we entered without knocking, to find ourselves in a large hall surrounded by wooden benches running close to the wails. On these benches, with crossed legs, or elbows on their knees, a •score of canoe-men smoked their brown pipes, exchanging from time to time a few words with indifference or good-natured interest. 148 The Phantom Head Others, more recently arrived from out- side, with frozen boots and soaking beards dried their leather mittens, striking the floor with their feet, around the huge cast-iron stove which roared away in the centre of the room. These men, in more or less shabby attire wore, for the most part, a grey or red flannel shirt under a round jacket made of baracan corduroy or ^offe du pays tightly fastened around the waist by a belt of gaudy colored wool. A fur cap pulled down to their ej'es • their trousers half buried in long-legged moc- casins were held up on the hip by a well- buckled strap.-suspeuders being inconvenient for the handling of the paddle. There they were, young and old, black- bearded or grey-haired, hardly distinct in the confused lights falling from the tallow candles held on the wall by tin brackets, and which were themselves hardly distin- gu.shable through the smoke of the pipes and the vapor produced by drying clothes. Two passengers, seated in a corner awaited, like ourselves, the favorable moment to start. 149 / t k ft" !| 'Ml M: 11 i H; Christmas in French Canada I : ?^ III On our entrance all conversation ceased and each o,ie uncovered himself, for pol;te- ncss is traditional with the French Canadian, liumble as may be his position in life. ''Entrcz, uurw.clle! entre,, ccs messieurs t» said the master of the house, advancing; "come and seat yourselves. You wish to cross, no doubt ? " "Ves, M. Vien," said 1, "and at once if pos- sible. What do you think 'if it, M. Baron ? " " It is always possible to tempt Providence," sen- ten tiously answered a tall old man, white-headed and honest-looking, who was smoking his short pipe ajxirt from the others, seated on the only chair there was in the room, " it is always possible to tempt Providence, but it does not bring good luct:." "You believe there is a risk?" 'SO Old Baron. ititit'itui*. «.«.«i»iPI»-!*»j« said The IMiaiitom Head " There fs at least the risk of passing, the night on the ice ; and with a cn'arure (lady) >t IS not a pleasant thing." "You can depend on old Baron," intervened our host, "he seldom gives bad advice" "That's true," said one of the smoking crowd ; " if poor Sanschagrin had listened to h-m. last year, he would probably be still in the world." " Well." said one of the canoe men who had not spoken yet-a man with a gloomy air and a long black beard-" he had seen leter.^-- head, you understand; and when a fellow has seen Peter's head . . . . " "He is bound to perish within a year" added one of his comrades. " ^•"^'^'■^"^ '^^ •' '^ I had the misfortune to see such a thing," said another voice "I wouldn't board a canoe for a thousand! " "I wouldn't touch a paddle for a fortune'" added another fellow. "Nor I, surely!" exclaimed several listeners. " A legend ? " whispered my friend's wife to whom the good old man had courteously 'S' n i(- I!, Iv '■a! ill !l;' Christmas in French Canada offered the only chair in the hall, " a legend ? It is a godsend ; pray, have them tell us the story." " What do you mean by Peter's head ? " said I to the man who had first alluded to the matter. "Friend Baron can tell you about that better than I," said the man of gloomy appearance, " the thing happened in his days." "Sure enough!" .said old Vien ; "Baron knew Peter Soulard well, and .so did I. A young man of good character, but not lucky. ^^^ "If he was not lucky," .said old Baron, "he was not very prudent either, the poor devil ! Take my word, mcs gars, it is very well to be brave and valiant, but one must not tempt Providence. One never repents of having been too cautious, while he often regrets not having been cautious enough. I don't like to boast, but I have paddled across the St. Lawrence in winter, spring, and autumn, in all kinds of weather, almost every day of my life, and I never met with the slightest accident. Why? Because I never played the braggart, and always hated 152 j*T,-Jij»«#««5 ^iMJkiJ kA' { i^aiiim !'i i i li'^ At I'lH-le V }('})' s •'l^!t• 1.1,- till (I f.vi I '^-"^^^^^^^**^!#«*Prt»ii^-. m. of, It stc the beti app It you I "he devil well not t havin rcfrret don't the i autiim day o slighte played S'iii VVr-f. ,t«i,| iie iv;is nf)i Inckv. I '.kUi.l.c'i : r .!( \'i Wii i Vil J I '( If If The riiantom Head bravado. I was not scared by trifles, certainly not ; but I was never ashamed to witiuiraw before a real danger. One can risk his own life if he wishes, when not stopped by the fear of God, but the hVes of others are not to be played with. Unfortunately poor Peter Soulard was more courageous than prudent. He preferred facing any danger than to be suspected of cowardice." And old Baron, yielding to enthusiastic recollections, told us the story of Peter Soulard. IV The story takes us back to January. 1844. The winter was exceptionally severe. Al- most uninterrupted easterly winds had blown over the region of Quebec, blizzard upon blizzard, in rolling avalanches of hail and blinding snow, which made the crossing of the river most difficult and .sometimes impossible. The tide drifted, from morning till night, and from night till morning, mountains oi^ ice which broke furiously on the angles of ^53 i ' I \ ill I ft 1 iA\ •ii ■^* 3^- m Christmas in French Cniimla the wharves with cremendous crnsh. It was only at intervals that the eye could reach from one shore to the other, through the heavy fogs tormented by the squalls The life was hard for the poor canoe-men. VVhen they left their homes in the morning. the>' were not always sure to be back it night. One day, however, the sun had risen on a clear and calm atmosphere. The cold was sharp, but dry. One could hear the ice-floes creaking in the distance, and the snow, hard- ened by the frost, cracked under the k^f but the sky shone, limpid and transparent like blue rock crystal. The floes had gathered so abundantly dunng the night, that they had frozen into a solid mass, closing the outlet of the Quebec basin at the place where the river suddenly narrows, between Point Levis and the south- west end of the Island of Orleans. To use the technical expression: "the ice hnVJge was frozen at the key." Now. when the ice bridge freezes - ih^ key. the rest of the floes which come from IS4 The I'lijintom Head above are still driven i,p and down by the current, so that the rising tide thrusts them several miles backwards, until the ebb drives them down against the formidable barrier. This is called the "Chariot." When the chariot is up above, the river between Quebec and Levis is clear, and the crossing is just as free as in summer time; but beware when the gigantic mass, filling the space from shore to shore, runs down to hurl itself against the rampart that bars its way to the Gulf! The impact is terrible. Woe to those who are caught in the jaws of the blind monster I As already stated, the weather was exceptionally fine, but the river was no less threatening. Peter Soulard, who com- manded a canoe of his own, had crossed from Levis to Quebec early in the morning; and after having loaded his homeward cargo,' was preparing for his return to the south' she re. Unfortunately, one of his passengers had caused him to lose much precious time, and the chariot, driven down by the ebbing tide, '55 ri lit. u v f Chri.stmas in Freudi Canada was already doubling the Foulon's wharves when l>eter Soulard. his paddle in his hand' cned out with all the .^ight of his lungs-' "All aboard! all aboard- £,„^,„y,, ,, C7iibarqitc ! " " It is late, Peter ! '" remarked some one " I^«"'t bother me, please ; I .- ,,, ,,i,^, 1 am about." " Your canoe is too heavily loaded," observed another; " vc)u will have the chariot on you before you can reach loint Levis." "Mind your own business!" was the only reply. " Do you take me for a green- horn ? " "Peter." called old Baron himself, who happened to be near b^-, "no tom-foolery n^y friend ; there is nothing to be gained by tempting Providence." " You are a set of old women," cried out Peter Soulard, launching his canoe from the top of the batture of the Champlain Market It was a heavy plunge in a resounding gush of foam ; the paddles strenuously dipped "^to the waves; and the canoe, manned by •56 The Phautoni Head ? ■s.xtcen passengers and crew, shot away under the blue sky, leaving a long silverv' fack n. the dark waters behind, while th'e bravJy.''"' °' ''''" ''°"'^''' '"''^"^ -^ The tide ran with extreme violence ; in a re^v moments, they were out of sight in the direction of the West India pier Twenty minutes later, the roaring chariot was opposite Quebec, and the idlers, who watched the torrent dashing along, .saw old Baron stealthily crossing himself, with his eyes turned offward. That evening, when the early night of January spread its darkness over the hills of Lev.s. two men were seen walking alon. the ,ce-covered beach, sobbing and shaken b^ convulsive shiverings. It was Peter SoularJ who had escaped from death as by a miracle' wUh one of his comrades. The other fourteen had perished-drowned in the tumultuous waters, or ruthlessly crushed beneath the onward rush of the snv-uro uic .savage mass. '57 1 1 ll! fl Christmas in French Canada _ Strange to say, the terrible lesson. fr'^Htful as it was. was of no avail to the reckless man. Two years later, his Jiab.tual imprudence brought to a fatal end two more unfortunates who ventured to embark with him. in spite of the reputation of fatalism naturally attached to his person. But this time it was the end of him also, and a most tragical one. too. While clinging to the flank of his canoe wh.ch had capsized in mid-stream, a rapidly n-nning floe of fee. thin and sharp as a steel blade, struck him a fair blow in the neck and cut his head clear from his shoulders' •n full sight of his horrified companions, as swiftly as would have done the fatal knife of the guillotine itself The head of the unfortunate man bounded ofifward, and slid by starts, leaving behind a dreadful trace of blood upon the ice. In that dangerous part of the Quebec basin, known as " .w/;r /.. ,/,,cv r-Hscs" between the two churches of St. Joseph and Beauport, especially in foggy or snov.- dnfting weather, the horrible head sometimes '58 I iiii*i*t*'insifi WfWRJf ^ The Pliaiitom Head appears to the terrified crew led astray in those perilous waters. Suddenly, they see. emerging from the n^'ll U I' \ Chi'istnms in French Canada " One canoe and eight good paddlers will be enough." " Murry up, it's your turn, Nazaire." "And it's lucky for you," said I. "for you are going to take across a newly married couple." " You don't say ! " " Yes, and who see the St. Lawrence for the first time." " Is that so ? " "Yes, it will bring you luck." "Ah! well, then, if .such be the case listen to me: I have a brand new craft which I intended to hansel on New Year's day; why not hansel htr to-night?" " That's an idea ! " said old Baron ; " is she ready ? " " She has only t(^ be taken out of the shed and launched." "Get her out, then." " You order so ? " " Of course ! We shall christen her like a three-master." "Will the little lady consent to be god- mother !' " 160 ida idlers will lire." " for )-ou married rence for he case, iw craft / Year's "is she :he shed ler like )e god- The Phantom Head "I should think so!" I exclaimed, "and her husband will be godfather. As to „.e ; 7/:\^"-' ^ ^hall furnish the liquid.' is that right ? " "That's right!" " Hurrah ! " "Well then, forward, hearties! Ho !...." ■ ■ ' We started, and «,o„ the elegant new craft, dressed up with flags, and with a joyou, crew-some at the rope and others at the gunwale slid along the sloping path whieh led to the r ver A f.».r re . ^ ''^^ moments were sufficient to reach the beach. Old Baron accompanied us. "Uncle Kdouard," said Na.aire Jodoin addressing him ■ " vo.i cN.ii J ^uom, ^ ™, you shall come with us wont you.P You shall command ; it will be another good omen for my canoe" Old Baron never hesitated when called upon to perform a task of any kind "As you wish, boys!" said he, "but since we are going to baptize a new Christian, have you thought of choosing a name for he;." In fact, wc must choose ^ name." i6i ,!( i mi IJ: Cliristnms in French Canada "Well," said somebody, "it is Christmas Kve-iV.v/ ill Frencli-why shouldn't we call her Xoci} " " No, no ! '■ intervened the owner ; " I I,avc lost a law suit with Nocil J^audoin of St- Henri: I won't name my canoe Nor/\" "In that case we might call her the Infant-JcsHsr f)roposed one of the crew. " Tanfan Rheaume, )-„u'd better liold y„ur tongue. We are not at church here. Would >-ou only promise never to swear o.i board this canoe, if it was called the Infant- J csusr^ " Well . . . now . . . '■ "Of course not, you wouldn't. We are too great sinners, do you hear me? all of us, to give such names to our canoes." " If we called her Santa Claus ..." said a voice. "Ves! to have lier rush with her load into Mother ]iegin's garret, like Michel Couture's canoe which bore that name ? You remember when she broke her rope running down the Eraser hill ? " " Into a garret, )ou said ? " "Yes, Madame, at night, on her way down 162 iSs«*S!«^ iT J %f Is LaJLAi^J i-J nada i Christinas J n't \vc call ;i' ; '" I have oin of St- ATor/]" 1 Iicr the crew, hold )'()iir •c. Would on board mt-Jcsus ? " We are all of us, • . " said her load 2 Michel ic ? You : running ay down T'le /'(.aiitom Hea 'he same level „ T !; ""-"^ '■» -■^^ - ia,ie„ :' h" „ ;: ^^^ -. '""«tl of f„|,„„,,. "■ "'^"'^'^ loose, a,„| partition frames n,„| u , ' '"""S"' «"™s. '-"■ You ca^ i ■ ""' ""■"' ">-■• -n. "A„d.!^e J"' r;' ''""''- fo-l«." 'He,a,i;\:i:'r:,^'--K.e.a.,.„, "Oh! no!" u-as \\. , "^h-^ would have been I '^''"^ "^•^"^'- '• ^'-'^" too much." i'l-^'ten to me • f r be agreed upon," 'said l"'' 7 '""^"•^^' ^^'■" the group. « Let us ^^'^^"cing towards ;^'- godmother. ■brCTwLV'^"'"^ ^hnstmn name, Madam.." '' >'°^"- "Mary, sir." "'St time ;„ his life 163 m ^>jy^i M 1)1 r r Christmas in French Canada " Merry Christmas ! hurrah ! . . . " At this moment, the first call to midnight mass rang in the distance, and at the majestic sound of the bells of Notre-Dame in full peal, the traditional libation glided over the prow of the swift canoe, while twenty joyful voices cried : " Merry Christmas 1 " to the echoes of the lofty hills which face the rock of old Quebec. A few minutes later, my companions and 1 were warmly nestled down amid the heavy furs heaped at the bottom of the canoe. The light craft, with her prow turned towards the river, advanced slowl>- at first, head (jverhang- ing in the space, balanced there for one moment, and then, carried away by the weight of the paddlers jumping aboard, she shot forward like an arrow, dived into the waves, rebounded like a ball, and under the effort of eight good ])addlcs skilfully handled, swept off in the whirling foam. " Merry Christmas ! " cried the paddlers. " Merry Christmas ! " repeated old Baron, who sat astern, bent on his long paddle wriggling in the eddy like the tail of a Triton. i6j. i } .m. IE la Tiidni^ht majestic full peal, he prow 111 voices choes of of old lions and le heavy oc. The ards the )verhang- for one by the aard, she into the ndcr the handled, iddlers. d Baron, y paddle a Triton. 4: The rhantom Head "Let us have a song!" cried somebody. "No, boys, no songs to-night!" said old Karon, "but a Christmas hymn if you like." And with a true and sonorous voice which old age had not )et aflfected, the old veteran of the St. Lawrence canoe-men, intoned over our heads the old carol whose cheerful rhythm keeps time so well with the movement of the paddles, and which sums up the whole Christian Legend : // es/ tid, k divii) Etifaii/ .- Joiiez, hau/hois ! rhoniiez, muselle!: ! II est iid, !e diviii Enfant : Chantons tons son avhtemeiit ! ^ ^^£ gfeg e^ « di •• 9M. tn - liAu^ ^^^^m ^^ 1 r * I ■-™— — ■ J ft=r m 'jt ::i=^t=-^ ±=t: <3*A n€ ^ A di - vt*t. Ut. - fiZF: 5 '65 'h I Christmas in Frondi Canada To which the manly voices of the crew answered in unison : a I |'( // est III', le i/h'hi F.iifiuit .' I shall never for<,fet that wonderful voyafjc. We sped on, rapidly, under the sparkling blue sky, flooded by the white ra>s of the moon, which spread afar its silvery glitter over the undulation of the waves. One could fancy that each star, as .. magic spark, lighted thousands of flaming cressets here and there among the masses of the resting floes. No, I shall never forget that delightful voyage. Suddenly our way was barred by a vast piece of ice, flat-surfaced like a marble floor. In two seconds, our canoe was hauled on it ; and we halted to contemplate the scene. It was fairy-like. The steep shores of the St. Lawrence unrolled right and left their snowy tapering heights, which the roofs, the trees, the cam- paniles and the church steeples seemed to i66 J It I 1.:^ ression of serenity. F. • some time the church bells of Quebec had been mingling their clangor u>th the resounding peals from the other shore. Unconsci(Jusly overwhelmed by the grandeur of the spectacle, we instinctively pressed against each other, listening to the ■solemn voices of the sacred bronzes ex- changing from height to height their call to prayer, through that wondrous night-sublime anniversary of the great event. "Ave Maria!" cried out old Baron, taking off Ju's I-"'--!,-., r,,.. fc> 111.1 i,v.a\y lur cap. .67 l-l' »!' ""* ""BUI "*«■ 'f |) 13 if Cliri^stmus in Fioncli Caimdu And all the .sturdy canoe-mcn uncovered their heads, while their tawny faces glowed under the starry splendors of the ni^dit. Impossible to picture the inajest)- of the scene ! "Nothinj,' could be more beautiful!" ex- claimed, with one voice, my two friends from Florida. "And thank God, we have not seen the Phantom Head," uttered Nazaire Jodoin, setting his foot on the batture of Quebec. • » • • Several years later, passing along the foot of the cliff which overhangs the cove where like a bee-hive, hums the great ship-yard, I noticed the remains of an old canoe, on the shattered bow of which a tattered piece of tin bore the four letters " TMAS," half washed out by time and weather. Was it the skeleton of the old Merry Christmas ? t l ida uncovered :.s glowed iiif,'ht. t)- of the full" cx- j friends seen the Jodoin, Quebec. « the foot /e where, 3-yard, I ;, on the piece of >S," half J Merry iOyisE J FEW jears ago. some peculiar circumstances had led to Nicolet —a pleasant little tou-n situated on the banks of the Nicolet nver— a famih- of five persons, neither rich nor poor, of neither humble nor brilliant condition, but in whose home the angel of happiness had always had i6() '.(II i '< nil A l m I ■,>l9^>K-tff4f^„^^^ ."^'^.''^'Vj^ni.jHK Christinas in French Canada hh corner at the hearth and his place at the table. At the time of my story, the youngest of the three children-a delicate fair-haired little ma.d, with dark eyes-was just four years old; but her pretty face and her winning ways had already made her friends with the whole neighborhood. Most of the time she spoke of herself in the third person, and this peculiarity con- tributed to make her name of Louise-which she pronounced <9/.m-_famiHar to every one from old Boivert's r^rry to the Bishop's' Palace. When she leaned over the railing of the balcony, or when, light as a lark, she wandered in the alleys of the garden, her provoking little head emerging here and there among the rose bushes and honey- suckles, the old priests who passed by on their way to the Bishop's, the students who turned the corner of the college avenue, the gentle- men and the ladies who followed the sidewalk of the main street, never failed to say: " Bonjoui; Louise ! " 170 1 l\ PS iisij J!'-T rrniTiT ri JTii sida ace at the 3ungest of lired little bur years ' winning with tliQ lerself in rity con- e — which lery one, Bishop's ih'ng of ark, she :len, lier ■re and honey- on their > turned gentle- idewalk ly: Ouise To which a fresh and laughing baby voice invariably answered: " Bofisour ! " The carters and the lumbermen who work sm.led to her with a pleasant word y^ofisoir, mamzclle Louise!" And the little one answered in her dear nnging voice, like a bird's call : " Bonsoir, monsieur ! " . ^^'" '^' -^^^PP-d the coachmen with a •s.gn of her dimpled finger, and when they came nearer to ask what she wanted • "A drive!" she whispered, with a whole regnnent of l.^king .smiles nestled at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Sometimes they would object: "I am in a hurry, Mamzelle Louise" But then, she would put the index of her n^ht hand on the index of her left, and with an accent of irresistible coaxing: " A I't- • . lit. . . little one ! " she would pray, varyn.g her gentle intonations in the most exquisite manner. That was all ; the coachman would stop, •7' W (■ i i Cliiistmas in Froiicli Canada look at luT a moment, and then yidclin- to a fit of snily kindness, would t;rumble: "What a child! Impossible to refuse her anythino-.'' And seizinij the h'ttle one in his two •sturdy hands, he would place her on the seat of l,i- vehicle, jump to her side, give a craciv of his whip, and start at random, while the child shook her fair curls in thJ wind, and her peals of laughter rang in the ears of the passers-by, Avho looked at her with a smile. In short, Louise was a favorite. Did she love an>one in return ? Did she love anyone? Why, she loved everybolo, airaho ! "Toto Corbeau!" exclaimed the little one. And her ringing laughter sparklec' like a piece of fireworks. The first time she was taken to confession, her father said to her : "You will pray for me, won't you, Louise." "Oh! yes, papa."' she answered. And when, on her return, she was asked iT she had remembered her promise: "Ves, papa," she said, "Ouise told two big sins for )-ou ; there ! " As the winter feasts drew near, the papa had gone to M.Mitreal for a short trip. He '73 i i -ni i -fti M Mi ii Christmas in French Cana.hi returned ho.e on the very ..y before Christ- J -"Jrf not open, having, to the great disappointment of the I,>Ho ^ . n^f-^i I .. ^ ^"^''' unfortu- nately lost the k-ey on his wa^- Of the contents of the m^.terious trunk he had not the shghtest recollection prestnts'"a'7'' '" ^""" ""^ '^' ^'-'^^--^ presents, as, for one reason or another, he IZ 'T ^' '^^ --S of Montreal closed bee ' t T ""^ "°''^ •^""">'"^'^^' '- ^-^' Been .short of money. Under such eondition,,, l,„„ could he have pureha.,ed anything at all ? „ „,., ^j, =.ppo,nth,g indeed ; bnt everyone k„„„.., ,ha on Christmas Eve Santa Claus makes his round witii his basket full „f good children. ' """"'^ '"' JVVell. now, my honeys," said the father, P"t your shoes in the (ire-pkace, ha„^, up your s.ock„,,,s at ,l,e foot of your beds ' your prayers, and_c,uick, under the bl„„ke„l To-morrow morning we shall see what the ttle ones fr.end will have brought to you. If you sleep wen, you may be sure that he wont forget you." '74 Ouiso for r« 'rV'",' "■""■' '""'' "^ eiven ,o him for that_haWiiia ClirisliMMS ill hcMcli ('.■||i;i(l;|, R"-.l Mioh, ,,,,,,inj. ,,n.l tl.r p,vpay,a\ou (,„■ rest ma.lr a li.ippy (li\cisi(.ii. 'riin-(< no,.,l S(.UH(lill^r l^issi-s t,, ,,;,|,,.,, tlllVC tondor luins to uKimina. ami (ui inimiu-s later, ihrcv pairs of fiiir m-w sli.n-s lay ,,n the stones ,.(■ tlu> lu-arlli. an.! tinv.- .rrntl.> heads. '"■"■'■ and dark, sank int.. Umv uhiu- |,i||o\vs, in tiK- sha.lou- ..f tin- nnlains ra.vss.-d by tlu- trcniMin.; n|i,„„HMs ,,C ilu> ni-lit l.nn|.. As ,)no may -ncss, (lu- key of tlu> trunk w.is cMsily Cnin.k Aii.l prr -itts of all kinds s.)..n craninu-d tlu- sIkh-s in tli(> (lic- PI.HV ; a bin- d.,11 -..r-cnisly dvcssal was l.ii.l a.n.ss those of L.,ui,se ; the little stoek- in.i;s h.ni-in- .,t the lo.,t of the beds were '"'lle.l up with landies and pretty -^ifi^ |,y tlie .lisereet h.nul of the mamma ; and when, before retirin- the papa threw a l„vin^' .q:kince thr.n.oh the halC-,.pene.l ,!„<„■ hehin.l "'licli reste.l I,is treasures, he faneie.i !,e could see a swarm of th.)se winged spirits called dreams lluttcrin- around the brow of liis darlin- pet. murmurinnr to her ears s.,me of the divine secrets which, th.u nioju especi- 'illy, the an-cls of Heaven exchange between ^7*4 ilv id.'i atidii Idi ipa, three itt-s later, on the le heads, • pillows, essed by t lain|). of (he ts of .all th(> iuc- sed was le st()cl<- xis were ^ifts In- Ill when, lovint^ hehiiid :ied lie spirits [ivow of "s some cspcci- bctuccn Oiii .S(! th , ';";7.'- "' ""■ •"' ' ".^ ..f .1,,* ,.„., Iial (elidty. „,,■''"'; ■""■-- I— I ,i„. ,1,,.,,,,. ' ,'""V" ^ "" ""■ « ■■-. '■'■'■ ".'"■• »■"' '" *'-v. I.,„,,l ,,, ,„' "■'';";",' ' '■'■ ""■ i-ii. ci,a,„i„„ .I,,,,-,. ,:",''"■ ";' «'""""■'■■ "'' ",. „,„, ,,„.,, "\ "•''«■"■■'' "!■ '■)■ i"yn.i .xHa,,,.,,;,,,,, ll"lll tin- |„„,,. ^1,,,,.,, 'I' „'" ',"■ ' -^ ""■ l'""M-- >V.,s „„ f„,„ Kall.,T,.,l i„ „„„ ^,,„„|, ,,,"""'"''■■■■•■ '-^ ""■""'••'• '-?'asl<,.,| „,„ "■;■ '"»"■"'•' ""■• '».. cl.leM cl,il,i,x-„. "Is ""I I.oiiise ii|) 3'ct?" ■■VVIH.-1-,- is si,,., ,1,^.,,,.. If""' ,':; ■" ""»»"-! 'Lc liuio ,„„s. Louise ! "Louise! " search. •77 l^ (I :?Hesa»«>«~«^., 1^ f •} Cliristmas in French Cmicada "Where is the dog?" asked the father anxiously. " Corbeau ! " " Corbeau ! " " Corbeau ! " No answer, not even a growl. The p(,or father gave a cry of alarm • "The dog is not here! the child is gone! Good Heavens, where is she ? " And almost crazy, he rushed out bare- headed, without even noticing that the door bolt was drawn. A thin coat of snow had fallen during the night; footprints were visible crossing, the front garden and leading towards the cathedral. One could easily detect the tracks of two little feet together with that kind of rosette, in the shape of a five-leafed clover which the foot of a dog imprints. This somewhat reassured the anxious father, who continued his run in the direction indicated by the traces. He had not gone a hundred paces when he stood face to face with the Bishop, an old college companion, who came to him holding the father f" alarm : cl is gone! out bare- the door V\ -n during crossinp- -ards the he tracks kind of d clover. . m anxious direction es when , an old holding- •^ hriffg you hack „ litti, saiui ill *f™B|lli CI " Wlu anxious I) " Corl " Corl " Cor No .- The " Th( Good I And headed, uithi bolt wa A tl the nig the fro cathedn of two rosette, which t Thu father, i indicate He he stoo coilej;e 'i paces vvli; M ", an old 'S wilt' I an olfi II i< ^1 ssasitmmmm '/I Guise by the nVht haiul the h'ttle maid, whose left disappeared among the long and shaggy hairs of the griffon. " I bring back to you a h'ttle saint," said the Bishop. And handing to his friend a small parcel he held under his arm : "With a restitution," added he, smiling. The father was soon acquainted with what had happened. It was dark yet, and the lamps, lighted since five o'clock at the Bishop's Palace, had not yet jielded before the morning dawn when the door bell was heard. It was old Thcrese, the gardener, who answered the call. A type worth picturi,ii,r, this same Tht:-- rese. Imagine an old crone, who worked hard, grumbling from morning till night, smoked like a locomotive, and who, satisfied or dis- satisfied, had only one energetic expression to show torth her joy or discontent : " Crt< million ! " If you gave her a few cents, some tobacco, '79 1 m i il M .x^--, 'h!:, I p. Christmas in French Canada some old clothes, or even a glass of wfne she never failed to say: "Thank you, ere million! that's exactly what's good for me." If the little brats of the neighbourhood entered her garden, walked on her flower- beds or plundered her rose-bushes: "Cre million!" she said: "hold on a bit you scoundrels ; I'll hang you by the ears on the handle of the door." The children, who knew the value of her threats, were not frightened more than was necessary-and had given her the surname of MdUon, to which she seemed to have no objection. It was she who went to the door. ''Bonaour,Miyonr said a little voice from out the dark. Therese drew near: it was Louise with h^"- dog and a little parcel she held with outstretched arms as something precious and sacred. "Why, is it you, puceron?" cried the old •"aid; "what arc you about at such an hour ? " I So tii.iitMi»i HJaKiSJtiJ ada 3 of wine, s exactly ibourhood -V flower- on a bit, e ears on Je of her than was rname of have no lice from ise with Id with ous and the old uch an Ouise " Want to see Monsieur Monscigncurr " Monseigneur ! Monseigneur ! Crc milhon ' he has something better to do than listen to your nonsense, Monseigneur. Come in and warm yourself. Did you ever see the like ? " "What is it?" asked a low paternal voice, well known to the little girl. And the good Bishop appeared in the opening of the ante-chamber. "What is it?" "It's me." " Who you ? " " Ouise ! " "Louise! upon my word! so it is. Who is with you ? " " Corbeau." "Does your father know?" "Is asleep." "And what are you here for?" "Ouise brings a dress for the little Jesus" "You bring a dress for the little Jesus?" "Yes; Ouise saw him yesterday; has no dress. Feels cold, cold." " But where did you get that dress ? " And the child told, in her baby language i8i '^ M ''I mi Christmas in French Canada with hesitation and stammering efforts at the long words, how she ],ad put her shoes in the fire-place before going to bed ; how Santa Clans had come during the night and brought her a big doll with a nice new dress ; how -she had then thought of the Infant-Jesus all alone in his n^anger in the big cold church ; and, at last, how she had taken off the doll's dress to bring it to the poor little Jesus. The Bishop listened with emotion. "^ But now your doll is going to be cold too," said he. "Oh! no, she's wrapped up in Guise's shawl." "Well, then, come away!" said the good prelate, stealthily passing the end of his fingc.- in the corner of his eye, " I shall take you back to your papa ; you will dress up your doll again ; and, as to the little Jesus, don't be anxious about him, I shall have his manger warmed so that he will be quite comfortable " . " Surely ? " '• Surely ! You will see to it, won't you Therese ? " Thcr^se \\as wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron. 182 Ouise " Cre million ! my lord," she said, " I'm ready to heat him until he melts." " All right, then ; and now, Louise, here is a nice picture for you ; it is the picture of the little Jesus himself." "Thank you. Monsieur Monseigneur." "You like it?" " Oh ! yes ; have you got another one ? " " You want two ? what for ? " " Ouise wants one for her Indian." "What Indian?" '■ood Indian brought Oui.se to mamma, when Ouise lit— lit— little." The Bishop and old Thcre.se had a good laugh, and the Indian was made happy too.* It is a received traditi.m v,i,h our little ones that they are bror.Rht to their p.ironts by .n "good Indian," which theory is at least as elTective as that of the :abbage Leaf. ■ di •83 I ^«safaas£i--,.-. j|HE narrator was a well- •^ known Montrealer. I was spending the winter in New Orleans, ■V said he, in company with l^ a countryman of ours, whom I shall call Al- Phonse, if you permit me: the most amiable of comrades, the most loyal of friends, but at the same time the greatest fatalist in Creation So complete a fatalist that, one day, in the open -street, he almost fell into my arms exclaimmg joyfully : iust^^t 'T '"''^""' '°"^"^"'^^^ --• ^ have JUi't lost a five dollar bill " ^ee in thi. any serious subject of 184 ''-■■MMi..:^:-y -i: well- ive Tlio Horseshoe fel.-cha.i„„ he was executing a .na^uAa ,„ep " the s,de.alk .o .,,0 g.ea. a„,a.e„,c„t Jf tnc passers-by. a slaiT TT''"' '" '"' --•*"'='"y broken a small Jookinsf fjlass -nifl i. da,.. The loss of the five dollars had averted the .hrca.e„h,g fatal,,,, hence exuberance of his joy. A black cat, in particular, had the effect of exasperating him .0 madness. „e would "ave walked miles to avoid the sight or::' It was the first winter I h^rt u, , „ ^"^ ' ^^^ ever passed a so , hern n„ate, and knowing nothing n the shape of December temperature bu^ h snow storms of Quebec and the free.i„, orth wn,ds of Chicago, I lived in ecs ,cv ;;-V^ indicated with sunshine and';::.' As for my friend, he was a jolly fellow eagerly feasting upon the sweet fruit 'of h^: '«s youth ,. and, free from al, annova, "e anx,et,es and regrets of any kind, we Id hr:re'::r"'^-----cou;' '85 I: fll €1 I '' i li f' Christmas in French Canada Our mornings were devoted to work ; but the afternoons .... but the evenings .... all left to our fancies! Alphonse was connected with a large firm, exporters of Louisiana produce ; and "on the same floor as the offices, but in rear, and separated from them by a large and almost empty hall, which served occasionally as a store room for samples, he had fitted up a very pretty suite of apartments which we shared like two brothers. The partition walls which separated us from the offices weie glass-framed from the dado to the ceiling; so that from our bed- room—it was this apartment especially that we amicably shared— we could see more or less what was going on in the front rooms, through which was our only exit. A narrow ante-chamber put us in com- munication with the wareroom. Christmas drew near .... New Year's also, naturally ; and we looked forward to all sorts of good times, of joyous parties with pleasant acquaintances. One evening, however, on returning home 186 1 I II i I ii it Ik- but com- The Horseshoe after a night passed at a planters of the neigh- A dark colored cat. according to his story, had entered our rooms th^f ^ ■ Inhr. ,j mornmcr; and John, our old servant, who was, by the way nearly as dark as the intruder, aided by all' available hands, had succeeded in ridding the house of this new guest, but only after endless difficulties. For two long days, my fnend seemed worried and strangely preoccupied This brilliant talker, always ready for a hearty laugh, was turning taciturn. The black cat might have annoyed him no doubt; but to have disturbed him to such an extent was beyond all reasonable sup- position. '^ "Look here," said I. on Christmas Eve whue he was searching every corner of the' roc^ .n a nervous and impatient manner what ,s the matter with you, anyhow .? " ' "The matter with me," said he. in a furious tone, " the matter with me is that I have been robbed.—that's all ! " .87 Ji m (}! V » Christmas in French Canada " Robbed ! " "Yes, robbed! and the worst of ft is" added he. letting his ar.s fa„ i„ ,,j,,,.,;^ Jhe worst of ,t is that I a,n afraid to sus- "Whom do you mean?" " I mean John. Do you understand ? To suspect some one hitherto considered honest. D.schargmgr a poor fellow, dishonouring an old servant, with the risk of ounishing an innocent n^an. J .vouldn't do that for ten times what I have lost And still . . . . " "But what is it you have lost?" "My pocket-book." " With money in it ? " " With two bills of five hundred each " No!" "Ves, my friend; I had drawn that money from the bank to conclude a bargain J" the evening, with an old Creole. You' know that most of those old Creoles won't hear of checks ; scarcely will they accept ^reen-backs. Now, the man having missed his appointment, the two bills remained in my pocket-book. It was there, in the inside 188 ■arte f( % ',' mfWriff nwaafuiiti The Horseshoe pocket of ,ny vvafstcoat on the back .f that cha-r, when I turned in the night before last • -I now it is gone. Oh I that cursed black ^_^_^_;'And yon have searched everywhere for " I have turned everything inside out But no more of this," he added, seizing 'rnJ by the arn. and turning my head towards the httle fancy stove which stood in the centre of our bedroom; "it shall be the last time such a stup,d thmg will happen to me" "What is that?" "A horseshoe, which I have just found on the street. I can defy bad luck now " And sure enough, I saw the gleam of a half-worn and polished horseshoe balanced on the central ornament of the little heater "And you believe. . . ?" .^i,^ j ^^,j^,^ ^ "Ves. I believe!" he interrupted with conv.^.on. -.you shall see for yourself" Well then, let us get to dinner; we shall dnnk the health of the wizard who is to bnng back the star of good luck to our 1 89 ij ih I ^^^r.^^f' ■''»•*'%»*»«*; ''""'V'mmmmi, Chn-stm,is i„ n-ench Oaimda pock-et-book- ! " "Who knows? At all events. let us ^J'"e ; we shall sup after midnight mass. I have ordered so.ne ,.ood n-o,„^:,„,„, at Victors to remfnd us of our home " "A L^ood idea! but is midnight mass of great imjjortancc to y ,u ? " "Of course. The artists of the Opera are^ ,^oing to sing at the Jesuits', you know." The.i you shall go alone, for I have an appomtment for high mass to-morrow." "And what about the cro./u;\r„,/,, ^ „ ^^^^ "Vou'll take some home with you. that's And thus it happened that on the sqth of December, i8;o, by one o'clock in the morning. I was sleeping alone-our servant havmg his lodging elsewhere-in our bachelor quarters of Po.dras street, in the city of New Orleans, while, under the illuminated vaults of the churches, resounded the Joyful carols of that mysterious Christmas night so dear to all Christian hearts. Suddenly, I awoke. 190 "i-iisran-; -~^^^zTj2m$»mfm your so The iroivseshoo A noise was heard in the direction of the ortices. "Here is Alphonse comin,. in," said I to -yself; - I should have left the ,as h.hted." Now. for some weeks past, a strange ex- citement had reigned in New Orleans IWie talked of nothing else but burglars and burglaries. ^ Every morning, the newspapers contained accounts of broken doors, of forced drawers ol plundered safes. The police were of no avail. The bold tlHcves set watchmen and detectives at defiance with e.vtraordinary skill and un- heard of audacity. While thev^ were apparently cornered at one pomt, they operated in another direction and generally with successful result. The plundering of iron safes was their Pnncpal specialty, and when the same -s.sted picklocks and other instruments they used gun-cotton, nitro-ghcerine or any other kind of explosive to break open hinges and safety locks JlT" "'° ''' "•^' ---"'^ "p- 191 n I V ' C'liiistnias in Froncli Canada N"u-. to return to my narrative: at tl,e very nio.ncnt uhen I uas ,nal" turnin^r reflection Lir room. ■ f; "he Tho Horseshoe kneeling 11 of the omewhat lu at the r a dark saw two > of the :kin<4 ^)f ^htnnijT, Would the thieves be satisfied with the plundern.g of the offices? Would they venture in my direction ? And then .... How to escape? how to ,Mve an alarm? how defend myself? , ., „ ,•„ , ,,,,^,, -thout a weapon, vilhoni .>ou a stick. I vvas even una'^lc to d-. .ss. for fear the s-^htest noise might ,. t.a.. the attention of tlic ruffiatis, and reveal my presence On the other hand, it was folly to stay in bed. ^ A thonght came to me : the horseshoe ' And here I am creeping out of my sheets as cautiously as possible; and stealthily qu.etly, slowly. I ^ade my way towards the' -stove where I saw. glittering vaguely in the pale U^ht of the night, the only weapon a mere hazard had left to my disposal. A mome.it later I stood in the .-te cl^amber, half hidden behind the frame of the door opening on the back store, in night sown, with chattering teeth and shaking l.mbs, holding my breath, the perspiration of anguish on n>y forehead, a desperate •93 ilJ fl Christmas in French Canada pang in my heart, and the horse.hoc i„ .ny One is generally more t-.id abroad than at home. Beside, to be surted from sleep as I had been, is not calculated to give con- fidence. I was terribly afraid. Did the \vaitinhe head of one f .! "' bandits. . ""= ■''"PPosed yelH,,!: ■ '°«""" "■■■"^ » f"™' nada ^'irly lia\ing IS, Alphnnsc door which th(; spring rly on the d, on their i fiiidintj it search of imiiicd the -ting their er parts o{ liad struck 1 slione on • ;hes lower, ccn killed, when my Lirch piiz- me busy Bourbon, )lace, and The Horseshoe ' f ' • '"■■ ^'""^ '"•»" fellows wl,., ,„„,„,«, " Here's to your luck ' " th^,. , • . with n,. ^ L-xclanned W'th the most enthusiastic spirit. ""'-''•es to your luck, old iVicnls - " answered I with ,-,. i ' faction. '=" -r.A^.,n^^i satis- "Merry Christmas!" intervened Alphonse ye„*"^ Chr,s.,n.s a„„ , „„,,p^ ^^^ "God bless j.„ ,„,.,„„ p.,., ^,^ . My c„,„,.ade was soon acquainted 'with the situation. " "You see, old fellow," he s-i,VI to "thit !> ,v- J • i'L said to me, t'^at It IS good sometimes to have a horse sh(je near one's hand." f.uc, sa„l tl,e policeman vho had so narrowly escaped my blow, "% the way," I remarked, ".speaking of the horseshoe, what has be. .me of it-. " ' """'' ''"™''" '^-•'l one of the patrol men. '97 4 i f to rll Christmas in French Canada "Neither do I," said the other "The fact is. I did not hear it falV said I Let us look for it." And armed with candles and with the two lanterns, we befran fr u . . ue Degan to search for the horseshoe in pi-«,-,, -i i in ever)' possible corner of the place. ^ "But where could it be.'" "It cannot be very far, anyway" "To get out of the room, it should have passed through the glass partition." " And we heard no sound whatever." " And not a pane broken." "Strange, isn't it?" " Unless it be on the top of that ventured one of the policemen And he pointed out a pile of empty barrels standing endwise in one corner of the store, and which almost reached the ceihno-. "-"^ o " It is impossible ! " ^ "Well, I shall judge for myself," said Pat Lend me your shoulders, Michael " barrels' rt ''''"'"' '" ^'^ ^' ^^^ barrels, wh.ch resounded jovfull)- under the 198 iht-iHtitHimM-ti titi'.ri^i k-iH-i'i nada fall," said I. ' with the :h for the er of the lould have ;er. lat. f empty orner of hed the said Pat. of old ider the The Horseshoe pressure and hammering of his hands and knees. At last he reached the summit. "Hurrah, boys!" cried he, "here's the beggar!" And he triumphantly brandished the horseshoe. Suddenly : "Hold on!" .aid he ; ■< .here', some.hin,. else. Whaf, this? A pocket-book, b? J ove ! ^ "My pocket-book!" exclaimed Alphonse. And f,,o brave policeman almost fell Cd ""^ ''""'' '""' *''' Po^I^et-book in his '^ It wouldn't have remained there twenty years, said he. "Good hiding place. Pretty smart, the thief" ^ Alphonse was hugging me, laughing to tears. ^ "Friend, friend," said he, " the horseshoe! will you believe in it now ? " But after a while his face took an expres- sion of sadness, and he threw the pocket-book on his bed. 199 Jl m I Christmas in French CanaLt "Oh! John," said he, with a gesture of discouragement, "I would have risi.od a icr- tune in his handa Who can be trusted now ? " Tn the morning, John rnido ids ;ippear- ance, ami between us three, we found the y to the enigma. From the waistcoat hanging on the back of tho clrnr, the pocket-book had dropped irito ;• boot which had happened to lie right underneath. The infernal black cat, chased by d\\ the broom-sticks of the establishment, had taken refuge on the pile of whisky barrels. The boot, thrown by Alphonse's supple wrist, had turned out the animal, but had fallen back empty. The pocket-book had remained on the top of the pile of barrels ; and, as nobody would ever have suspected its presence in such a place, it might, in spite of Pat's opinion, have stayed there twenty years and more, had it not been for the horse- shoe. As for good old John, if he is still living, 200 The Iforsi'shoe he doubtless remembers the Christmas box he took home that evcniii'tf^ip^ ./?/C^, crac, girls and boj-s ! Par/of/s, parlee, par- loiv ! The whole thing if you want to know, pass the spittoon to Fiddle Joe ; sacatabi, sac-d-tahac, all who arc deaf will please draw back." It is hardly necessary to mention that the narra- tor who thus commenced his speech was Fiddle Joe himself, my friend Fiddle Joe, presiding over a vcillce de contcs (a story telling party), on Christmas Eve at the blacksmith's, old Jean Bilodeau. 202 il I ■MMltkk Tom Cariboo Poor old Bilodeau, it is over fifty years now since I heard the sound of his anvil, and I fancy I can see him yet, sitting in the h'j,dit, with his elbows on his Ixiiees, and the shanl< of his short j^ipe tightlx- held between his three remaining teeth. Fiddle Joe was a queer kind of a fellow, very interesting and very popular, who had spent his j-outh in the shanties, and was very fond of relating his travelling adventures in the pays d'cn haut, the t-mber lands of the Ottawa, the Gatineau and the St. Maurice. That day he happened to have a fit of inspiration. lie had been compere in the morning, which meant he had stood as godfather to a new-born child ; and, as the accessories of the ceremony had brought a slight breeze into the sails of his natural eloquence, his stories went on marvellously. All camp and forest incidents of course : fights, casual ities, fishings extraordinary, mi- raculous hunting exploits, visions, sorcery, feats of all kinds; he had a collection to suit every taste. 203 ij ^;M I f ''^feSf* (JhrisLmas in French Canada " Do tell us ii Christmas story, Joe, if you know one, to fill up time until we leave for church," cried a girl b\' tlie iiuiac of Phemie Boisvert. And Fiddle Joe, who prided himself on knowing what was due to the fair sex, had responded by the characteristic formula as above. Then, after haviUj-^ moistened his throat with a finger deep of Jamaica, and lighted his pipe at the candle, with one of tho.so long cedar splinters which were used by our country folk bcure, and even after the invention of phosphorus matches, he opened his narrative in the following terms : This is to tell you, m\' friends, that, on that )'ear, we had gone rafting above Bytown, at the elbow of a small river called La Galeuse, a funny name but whirh is of no importance to what I ai i going to relate. We were fifteen in (jur camp . beginning with the boss, and ending with the choreboy. Nearly U .vere good m' n, not quairelsome, not given to cuss words— of course I don't speak of a little innocent '. caring here and there to keep thing- oing— and nut drunk- '^s t swsmt ot .^ , , --^c-'jafc jfcii Tom Cariboo ards— with the exception of one, I must acknowledge— a touirh one indeed. As for this fellow, boj-s, he was not exactly what may be called a drunkard- when he happened to come face to face with a demijohn, or when his lips met those of flask or bottle, he was no longer a man, he was a regular funnel. He came somewhere back of Three Rivers. His real name was Thomas Baribeau ; but as our foreman, who was Irish, had always some difficulty over this French name, we had nicknamed him "TOM CARIBOO," Thomas Baribeau— Tom Cariboo— it sound- ed pretty much the same, as you see. At all events, it was the fellow's mwi dc ,^ncrri\ and th( boss had caught it as easily as though it hau jeen a name freshly imported from Cork. Anyhow, to speak in polite terms, Tom Cariboo, or Thomas Baribeau, as j-ou wish, had a galvanizcd-iron throat of the first quality, and he wa^, moreover, a patenteu ruffian ; but something out of the common, to give the Devil his due VVhe; I think of all I have heard him say .■-ias%*'***«w-- Christiims ill I'Yciicli Caiiadii (i ;ijl:|; against ( k1, the Blessed Vir^iin, the i^ood an^'els, the saints of Heaven and all the Holy Trinity taken together, I still feel a shiver down my back. Oh ! the worthless swagger, what a scamp lie was ! He swore, he lied, he cursed his father and mother five or six times a day, he never said a word of prayer ; in short, I don't hesi- tate U> say that his miserable carcase, with his soul into the bargain, was not worth, with due respect to the company, the wag of a dog's tail. That's my opinion. There were not a few in our crowd who swore to having seen him on four paws, at night, in the fields, roving about in the shape of some devilish lonp-garou. As for me, my friends, I saw the brute on all fours several times, but, take my word, he was neither playing the lonp-garou, nor anything so respectable, I assure you : he was too beastly drunk for that. Anyhow, I must tell you that, for some time, I was one of those who thought if the rascal practised any sorcery at all, he had a io6 trood / Tom Cariboo preference for the cliasse-galerie \ for, one night, Titoine I'elchat, one of our ro.-ul cutters, had spied him comini; down a big tree, when the pagan had told him : " Toinc, curse my soul ! if you ever mention a word of this to anybody, I'll rip you cold, that's all!" Of course. Titoine had not failed to tell everybody in the shant)-, but in the greatest confidence. If you don't know what the cliassc-galerie is, my friends, I am the man to post you fine on the matter, for the chassc-galcric I can boast of having seen with my own eyes. Yes, I, Fiddle Joe, (jne Sunday afternoon, 'twixt mass and vespers, in full daylight, I saw the infernal machine pass in the air, right in front of the church of St. Jean Deschaillons, on my soul and conscience, as clear as I see you now. It was something like a canoe, which travelled, rapidly as an arrow, at about five hundred feet above the earth, manned by a dozen reprobates in red flannel shirts, paddling like damnation, with Satan standing in the JMMh^^ Cliristnias in French Canada 1 ; I. stern, steering straight forward in the direc- tion of Three Rivers. We could even hear them sing in chorus with all sorts of devilish voices : / "la r/ion vciil '. T'/a FJoli vait !* But I may say there are many who don t require such a dis[:)lay to practise chasse-gPSftS«Sr nada Come on ! times ; and I couldn't Dack to see of the fine with manes \r of merry if a country It to have canoe that 1! you that brilliant as were not )sinfT ; there ly the glare igers' wind- lightingale's 1 doubtless gait with 1 a censer :here wasn't Tom Cariboo even the shadow of an Infant-Jesus; which, as you all know, is no small drawback to a Christmas performance. To tell the truth, the good old man Job himself couldn't have been more poorly fitted to say his daily mass. But no matter, there are lots of church services with music and gilded ornaments which are not worth the one we had that night, my friends, take Fiddle Joe's word for it! It reminded us of old times, do you see. of the old parish, of the old home, of the old mother, and all that. Good gracious me I you all know that Fiddle Joe is no squinny nor crying baby; well, I had never done passing my quid from one cheek to the other to control my emotion. But that's enough about this part; let us see what had happened to Tom Cariboo during our absence. I need not tell you that, after the mass was over, w. returned to our camp by the same way, so that it was full daylight when we reached the shanty. At first, we were greatly surprised not to Christmas in French Canada see a single thread of smoke rising from the chimney; but \V(> were still more astonished when we found tlie door wide open, the stove without an ember, and not a trace of Tom Cariboo. As true as I live, our first thought was that the Devil had carried him away. A worthless cha[) like him, do you see. . . But, after all, that was n>) reason for not looking for him. Hard enough it was to look for him, for not a bit of snow had fallen for several days, and the consecjuence was there were thous- ands of foot-prints around the shanty and even in the surrounding woods, all so well crosoed and mixed up together, that it was impossible to make out anything of them. Fortunately the boss had ;". very smart dog : Polisson, as wc used to call him for a pet name. " Search, Polisson ! " said we. And off g(jes Polisson searching out right and left, his nose in the snow, wigging his tail, while the rest of us followed on with a double-barrelled gun loaded with bullets, and which I carried m)'self. 21.| •m W ■■Wml ■ ••% y*.t , ttitit,ti,it ada Tom Cariboo g from the lished when n'e without Cariboo. 1 ought was a\»'a)-. A sec. . , ii)ii for not or him, for ;vcral days, -ere thous- ■ihanty and all so well Lhat it was f them. very smart him for a g out right nggiiig his on with a bullets, and A good gun in a shanty is like the petti- coat of a woman in a family. Remember that, my friends. We had not been two minutes |)eeping through the branches, when our clog suddenly stood still in his tracks, trembling like a leaf 'Pen my word, if lie had not been ashamed I think the scamp would have made a right about for the house. As for me, I threw up my gun and stepped forward. You'll never imagine, my friends, what I saw right in front of me, on the slope of a ravine where the wood was thicker and the snow heavier than eLscwhere. . . It wasn't funny at all, I tell you. Or rather, it would have been very funny, if it hadn't been so fearful. Just fancy that our Tom Cariboo was roosted in the fork of ;i big wild cherry tree, pale as a winding-sheet, his eyes start- ing out of their sockets, at the muzzle (jf a she-bear who clung to the trunk about two feet below him. Thunder ! Fiddle Joe is not a man to 2'5 Clii'istmas in French Canada skedaddle when called upcMi to face a squall, \oii all know that ; well, this terrible sight made my blood whirl up from my toes to the nape of my neck. "This is the time not to miss your aim iny pcjor I'^'ddle Joe," said I to m\'selt. "Point blank I or God save }'our soul!" Shifting; was no use: bini,^ ! banLj ! . . . I aimed and shot both barrels at once, ni)- two bullets strikint,^ the beast rii^ht between the shoulders. She cjave a f^rcnvl, stretched her paws, swung for a moment, and then fell head long with her back broken. It was high time. M)' gun was still smoking, when I saw another mass tum- bling down from the tree. It was Tom Cariboo, who s])read himself fainting and sprawling right across the dying she-bear. He was terribl}' torn by her claws, which had struck him more than once, and his hair. . . Well, now, try and guess, my friends. . . His hair had all turned white! Yes, as white as snow. Fear had turned his hair white in a single night, as true as 216 inysclt. 1 I" head - After tchit'l, if to fhr ('anin w^ <^1>^" 1^ .->> Tom Cariboo I intend to take nn p'tit coup by and by, with the grace of God, and the permission of Uncle Bilodeau, who shan't lose anythinp; by it. Yes, honestly, the rascal had suddenly grown so old, that some of us would not believe it was the same man. We hurriedly made a kind of hand-barrow with branches, and we laid the poor fellow on it, cautiously handling that portion of his body which had been damaged b}- the bear's claws; and so carried him back to the shanty half dead, and frozen nearly as hard as a piece of Bologna sausage. After which, it was the bear we had to drag to the camp. But here's the fun of it. You may call me a liar if you wish ; it wasn't credible, but the infernal beast seemed to have inherited poor Tom's most character- istic quality, and was smelling of rum like a seasoned cask, so much so that Titoine Pel- chat said it gave him a mind to lick the animal. But it was no miracle. Christmas in Fiouch Canada You know, my friends — if you don't, Fiddle Joe will tell you — that the bears don't spend their winters working hard as we do, poor lumbermen building rafts for the spring. So far are they from working, that they haven't even the energy to eat. At the first frosts of Autumn, they dig a hole between the roots of a tree, and lie there for the winter, buried alive in the snow which the animal's breath melts from the inside, so as to form a k'nd of oven where they spend the whole season, half asleep like marmots, and licking their paws for a living. Our own, that is Tom Cariboo's bear, had chosen the roots of that particular cherry tree to shelter himself, while Tom had chosen a forked branch in the same. . . You'll knov\ what for in a moment. C>nly, as you remember that the ground was on a slope, Tom Cariboo — which was quite natural — gained his branch from the upper side of the declivity; and the she-bear — which was natural also — had dug her hole 3l8 iiijifit'ttiiitj ula ()U don't, ;hc bec'trs Iiard as rafts for that they they dig 2, and lie the snow from the ven where ilf asleep ,w.s for a bear, had herry tree chosen a m'll knov\ \e ground vhich was from the 2 she-bear r her hole Tom Cariboo from the lower side, where the roots were not so deeply buried in the sod. This accounts for these two savages having lived neighbors and almost partners, without having ever met; each of them being under the impression that he iiad the exclusive possession of the premises for himself You will probably ask what business Tom Cariboo had in the fork of that tree. Well, in that fork there was a hole, and in that hole our drunkard had hidden a jar of high-wines which he had smuggled into the camp, we never exactly knew how. I suppose he had made us tow it under water behind one of our canoes, at the end of a string. At all events, he had it ; and almost every night he would sneak out and climb the tree to fill his flask. It was from that nest of his that Titoine Pelchat had seen him coming down, that time we spoke of the chasse-galerie ; and that was why, every morning, one could have set the scoundrel on fire, merely by passing a live coal under his nose. 219 Christmas in French Canada Well, then, after we bad left for the midnii,^ht mass, Tom Cariboo had gone to fill his flask out of the hidden demijohn. On a merry day like Christmas, of course, the flask was soon emptied, although there was only one drunkard to treat ; and Tom returned to his cupboard to renew his stock. Unfortunate!)', if the flask was empty, it was not the case with its master ; on the contrary, its master was too full. The demijohn, carelessly handled and uncorked, overflowed on the other side of the cherry tree, right on the muzzle of the she-bear. At first, the animal had naturally licked her chops, sniffing; and then, finding that this kind of rain had a peculiar taste and smell, she had opened her eyes. Her ej'es open, the whisky- had flowed into them. High-wines, friends ! it's no use asking if the beast awoke for good. On hearing her howls, Tom Cariboo began to descend the tree, but noi a bit ! Stop, boy ! The bear, having also heard a noise, ti((jii«i known by all as Johnny Morissette's little angel ; and with aa6 I .*'lf «( ««^ll«i€^( luidii ill his day, r, was par- Fancy how fine spring, •intcring, his bit of a tot, the frying / friend ! " linny Moris- swallowing e good God y." 1, my dear or a shabby ke the brat no help for chance of a urns passing have a look vn by all as ; and with I I Titanj(o time he came to bear no other na.nc but that of Titangc. When I talk of his growing up. it would be a mistake to think that he ever turned out to be anything like a patch to his father Far from it : he was horn a weakling and he remained a weakling. In short, as a man he was a dead failure. This must have bee.i a great worry to h.m. for, take my word, in the whole of my l>fe. whether in the woods or on the rafts I never saw such a blazing fire-brand. Althou'di he was no h-'gger than my fist, as a make u^p I suppose, ne fussed, and fumed, and swore' and stormed like a whole shantv ^.ang, all by I'lmself. At every turn and mostl . for no purpose, he would viciously swing ' his a.xe and promise nothing dse but to kill to' destroy, to slaughter, to rip you open 'and tear your heart out. Those who knew no better took him for a demon and were scared to death ; but I could .size him up better than that. And then, as we were mated together, do you see, I had to bear with him such as he was. The 227 mSmSSssameammtm Christmas in French Canada consequence was, that, in spite of his rough ways, we remained pretty good friends ; and so we had a chat now and again at our work, without wasting time of course. One morning— it was the day before Christmas— the fellow dropped his axe, and started staring at me like some one having a mighty big thing to tell. I stopped also, and looked at him. " Uncle Joe ! " said he, spying around. "What's up, Titange?" said I. " Are you a safe man for a secret ? " "Did you ever hear me tattle about?" « No, but I would like to know if I could trust you with something very particular." " Well, that depends." " "What do you mean ? " " I mean if there is no mischief in- tended . . . .' " Thei\. is no mischief whatever ; the ques- tion is to go and have a little jollification to-night at old Calice Doucet's of the Ban- lieue ? "Which Banlieue?" " The Banlieue of Three Rivers, to be sure aaS :iilMi.iitSM mmfii uti JiSsi nischief in- s, to be sure ■ iaam,-^,-.Mlmf ada his rough ends ; and lin at our se. iay before 5 axe, and le having a lim. around. :ret?" about ? " V if I could ticular." ;r; the ques- ; jollification of the Ban- Si •Vi, • ^rf (itvichuj hop " //V///.S n iiirc I'.ltfc JiS ' - '"-""W iir«3« t: t of I he iiais- HwiiiSftjIMiJi^p- faiEr« ■HUMV^'W- ■ . -T iSBUfj'i UKJit rret?" . ..if. oi the Bau- s,U^ I * ir i • ^«>«it.-jljl<2ij wxn th fifiiif'"''*"^"'**'''^ Titange 0,d Calice Doucet is a tip-top fiddler, do you see; on every Otristmas Eve there. ahva>s a nice dancing hop with pretty g.rl. at h,s "'"you mean to go dancing at the Danlieue of Three Rivers to-night ! More than t«o hundred miles through the woods, wuhout roads or teams 1 Are you mad ? .. There is no need of roads or teams. .•How is that? Do you imagine you can travel as the crow flies?" ■One can travel much easier than the crow flies, uncle Joe." ^^ "Over forests and mountains? " Over anything at all." ...pon my word. I don't understand you. "Uncle Joe," said he, glancing once more all around as if to make sure nobody wa near by; "you must have heard of the Cto^-W^''^-^ before this, haven t you? " Of course I have." " Well ? " «Well, you don't mean to run Chasse- galerie, do you ? " _^ "Why not? we are no children. 229 ..J Ml / / . I Christmas in French Canada On my conscience and honor, my friends on hearing that, the shivers ran do^vn my' back. I felt as if a heUish warm breath passed right in my face. I tottered on my legs, and my axe shook so in my hands that twice I missed the chalk Hne, a thing which had not yet happened to me that fall. "But, Titange, my dear fellow," said I, "have you truly no fear of God?" "Fear of God!" exclaimed the ruffian in an outburst of blasphemous laughter. " There is no God around here. Don't you know we have stored him en cache at the Forge village? It's all very well down below, but up the river, with all cautions taken, as long as you are all right with the Devil, every- thing goes." "Will you hold your tongue, you repro- bate!" said I. "Now, now, come, uncle Joe!" said he " Don't be such a hayseed. Here, listen to me, I'm going to tell you how the thing is worked." And chopping ahead, he went on quietly to tell me all about the whole infernal con- 230 mada my friends, down my arm breath red on my my hands ne, a thing ne that fall, •vv," said I, - ruffian in ;r. "There you know the Forge below, but -n, as long :vil, every- ^'ou repro- said he. , listen to - thing is )n quietly rnal con- Titange corn. A true invention of Satan himself, my friends, no more nor less. My flesh crawls only to think of it. I must warn you, by the way, that if the town of Three Rivers has a great name for its good people, it has a mighty great one too for those who are not. And if we are to go by the set of worthless scamps it supplies every year to the lumber shanties, that reputation is not a stolen one, I tell you ! I know Sorel, and I know Bytown ; and I can stake my word for it, as far as roughs are concerned, there is nothing to beat Three Rivers. If you want to know how far those scoun- drels can go, listen. When they start for the shanties in the fall, they are too darn wicked to go to confession, of course ; but as they still dread God somewhat, they put Him en cache, as they say; which means they lock Him up. How do they go through that hellish game? This is what I am going to explain, at least according to what Titange told me. First, they get a bottle of rum which has 2.3' Christmas in French Canada been filled up at midnight, on All Souls' day, by the left hand of a fcllcnv standing heels over head. This bottle they hide well in the bottom of the canoe, and they start for the St. Maurice Forges, the first station on their way up. That's where the fine work of the devilish trick is gone through. Remember, the chapel of the village has a flight of wooden door steps. Weil, v.hen it is pitch dark, one of the scalawags lifts up one of the planks, while another empties the bottle in the hole, say- ing : " Gloria pat ri, gloria patro, gloria pat nun" To which the other replies, replacing the plank as it was : " Let the cat free, let the t^'iiul bhni>, let the boys dm in ! " " After which," added Titange, " if yon are all right with old Harry, you need not fear anything for the whole winter. Beyond the Pointe-aux-Baptemes, God is nowhere ; no saints, no angels, nothing at all! One can work the Chassc-galerie every night if he wishes to. The canoe travels like wind at 232 Souls' clay, iding heels well in the :ait for the on on their ;he devilish the chapel )oden door rk, one of anks, while hole, say- z patnitn." )lacing the ' lilozu, let if )'ou are i not fear jyond the here ; no One can :ht if he wind at ■■«f|.;. '' Beyomf the Pninfe-mur-fiapfp.un's (r- of rejoicings, you know that.' As you may well think, my friends, al- though Fiddle Joe may not be a Christian of 233 i ',1 t^Mtmmtmummta Christmas in French Canada the first water, I couldn't stand such profanity without being startled. But at the same time I must declare that I had often heard of this invention of Satan called Chasse-galcrie ; I had even seen it. as I have already said, in broad daylight, right in front of the c'^ xh of St. Jean Deschaillons ; and I shall not deny that 1 was rather anxious to know how those scamps managed the infernal machine. In fact, my friends, to tell you the whole truth, I had a kind of notion to witness the thing with my own eyes. " Well, what have yow to say to this, uncle Joe ? " said Titange, " are you in it ? " " Ma friinc! o\d fellow," said I, " I don't say no. Are you sure there is no danger ? " " Not the slightest. I'll go bail for that." "Well, I think I'll chime in." " Well done ! I may depend upon you ? " " Honest ! When shall we start ? " " As soon as the boss is asleep ; at half- past nine, the latest." " Where ? " " You know where the big drive canoe lies ? " 234 ] lada h profanity same time heard of ssi'-galcn'c ; ready said, the c'^ ,-ch shall not know how .1 machine. the whole fitness the y to this, )u in it ? " , "I don't danger ? " for that." ion you ? " ?" ; at half- ive canoe Titange " Yes." "That's the one we'll take; don't fail to be there in time. In less than half an hour we'll be at old Doucet's. And then, hurrah, boys, with the 'double-double,' the gigm simple, and the 'pigeon-wings.' You'll see, uncle Joe, how we twist up a midnight mas.s, we boys of Three Rivers ! " And so saying the rash fellow started a quickstep on his piece of timber, clogging his heels as if he had been already hopping at old Calice Doucet's, with the girls of the Banlieue of Three Rivers. As for me, my friends, I was far from feeling so merry. In fact, I was more than ill at ease, I was dreadfully scared ; but I had my plan, of course. So, I wasn't late on the spot. At half- past nine sharp, and before the others had turned out, I had time to pin a small pic- ture of the Infant Jesus right on the stem of the craft. "There!" said I to myself, "this is stronger than all the ev an an tne evil spn-its of ( tion : we shall see what's going to h; 235 I ; jamna- ippen." Christmas in French Canada " All aboard, all aboard, quick ! " whis- pered Titange, falling in with four other worthless chaps, and taking his place at the stern. " Uncle Joe, you have keen eyes, sit in front. The others at the paddles ! No scapulars on any of you ? " " No." " No medals ? " "No." " Nothing holy, you understand ? " " No." " All right, then. You are ready ! Atten- tion now . . . ! Let every one repeat after me : Satan, our master fair. Heave us t(p in the air . . , IVin^s^, wang, woni^ ! IVong, waug, wing ! Drive us along On the nighfs dark wing ! . . . Now paddle on ! paddle on, boys ! . . . Damn it, paddle on ! . . . ." But it was no go, my friends. Vainly did Titange and his comrades paddle as if to save their lives, the canoe didn't stir. 236 ^L■.■^i*■*Xttil.i-*ilthSl^Jtltiti^lMix.^Mit-ilti^liiJl.. Titaiiffe " How is this ? " shouted out Titange, with a dreadful oath. "You did not repeat cor- rect after me ; let us begin over again ! " We began over again, but it was no use ; the craft remained motionless in the snow, like a dead trunk. " By damnation ! " cried Titange with a string of oaths ; " some of you are cheating. Step out, one after the other, we shall see who is the confounded traitor." We stepped out one after the other as he said ; but for no good ; the machine did not move an inch. "By all thunders!" swore out the little man, " I shall go alone ; and may all the devils of the St. Maurice hang the whole set of you by the neck . . . Satan, our master fair . . . ." And the reprobate went on with the devilish imprecation. But, far from travelling " on the night's dark wing," Titange couldn't jump over a fence, and we didn't see even the wing of a bat. The canoe was frozen dead. 237 I ■I ! 1 1 : i I .■; t I Christmas in French Canada Then, my friends, it was a tempest the sole remembrance of which makes my hair stand on end. " My axe ! my axe ! where is my axe ? " yelled the ranter; "I'll kill! I'll murder! I'll massacre ! . . . My axe, I tell you ! " Bad luck! there was one at the bottom of the canoe. He grabbed the tool, and standing up straight on one of the cross- ings, wild with rage, he swung it three or four times around his head like a desperate maniac. It was terrible; but at the same time it was a real curiosity, my friends, to see this insignificant little bit of a man who looked hke a consumptive mosquito, raising such an infernal row. A pack of mad hounds couldn't have been more noisy. The whole shanty flocked out, of course, and witnessed the dreadful scene. Titange had it in for the canoe now: " You accursed rascal," he cried, " I have said all the words correct: you must start, or I'll know the reason why." And saying so, he darted forth with his 238 U V jaifl—Mw mada tempest the :cs my hair my axe ? " murder! I'll ou ! " the bottom tool, and the cross- it three or 1 desperate Tie time it to see this .'ho looked ig such an ds couldn't of course, now: , " r have lust start, with his Titange axe, to demolish the bow of the craft, where my little picture stood fast on the stem. Goodness of my soul ! we had time only to utter a cry. The axe, catching in a branch, had whirled out of his hand, and fiillen back right on the outstretched arm of the mis- creant, whom the shock had hurled headlong to the bottom of the canoe. The sinews of his wrist were clean cut . . . At twelve o'clock that night, the whole shanty, moved by the terrible ordeal, knelt do ,n for once, and fervently offered an hon- est prayer to the newly born Redeemer. On New Year, an old missionary visited our camp, and we, as one man, confessed our sins — Titange first of all. Full of repentance, and confused for hav- ing so poorly succeeded in putting le bon Dieu en cache, he moreover took advantage of the good priest's company to make his way down to Three Rivers, without thinking for a moment, I'D stake my word for it, of sparking with the girls at old Calice Doucet's of the Banlieue. 239 Christmas in French Canada Some two years later, happening to stop at the St. Maurice Forges, I saw, on the steps of the chapel, a poor ailing beggar holding out a hand with fingers crooked, dis- torted and twisted like a Christmas croquig- nole. I drew near to give him a penny : it was my former timber mate, old Johnny Moris- sette's little angel : Titange ! And cric^ crac ! ... Et cetera. 340 aomti yaiiad a 2ning to stop saw, on the ailing beggar crooked, dis- >tmas croquig- >enny it was uhnny Moris- ^ujs:.€.^ ^_yhe Loup Garou \ AVE you heard that la belle Merance a Glaude — i ') Couture* is going to be TTWJ^yA married?" "Well, she is; the * The prc-scnt st.i-y is not wholly ori^rimil, some of its fealures hems traditional among our peasants uiuier more o;- less dilTerent forns. The louf,.,^r„r„„ is nothin- else than the wehrwoif of the Get.nan letjend founded on the helief that some people could trans- 241 fc^j^^q^ittCEaiM ^^..^ ;^i?R'M ff^^-' i . ■ 1 Oliristmas in French Canada banns are to be published next week." " Married to whom ? " " Guess." " It's pretty hard to guess : /a belle Merance is surrounded with sweethearts hy the score every Sunday that God brings along." " With Ikiptistc Octcau, I bet ! ' " No." " It must be to Damase Lapointe, tiien." " Not at all. . . Ma foi, it's just as well to tell you at once : she is going to be married to Captain Gosselin, of St. Nicolas." " To Captain Gosselin, of St. Nicolas ? " " Exactly." "Well I declare!" " You don't say so ! " " She is to take such a miscreant ? " " Well, the fellow is well off, you know ; form themselves into wolves at ple.isure. In French Canada, though, a moral has heen aJJed to the fantastic tradition : the loiifi-gnrou, here, is not ,i sorcerer, hut a victim of irreligion. A man who has been seven years without partaking of the Easter Sacrament falls a prey to the infernal power, and m.iy he condemned to rove about every night in the shape and skin of a wolf, or any other kind of ,'inim.tl, according to the n.iture iif his sins. A hloody womul imly can release him. Vi\ h.' H'." " It's doomed fate for him, if he passes seven years without absolution for his sins." " Poor Mcrance, it's too bad ! . , " "'Tis no fun to have your husband con- verted every evening into a beast roaming wildly along the roads, through the woods, God knows where. I would just as soon marry old Harry himself" " It is true tiiat there would be a means of releasing him." "How?" "By wounding him, of course; by pricking 243 f 'W b 1 I t m ( i ii ijii Cliristmas in French Canada his forehead, by cutting his ear, his nose, his tail, anything at all, with some sharp instru- ment, the main thing being to draw blood." " And the beast will be again a man ? " "At once." " Why, thanks ! As for me, I prefer a man that needs not to be bled." "So do I," exclaimed all the girls. " You believe in such silly tales ! " cri i a voice : " you set of fools ! " The foregoing conversation was held at an old farmer's of St. Antoine de Tilly, where a number of young people from the neighborhood had gathered for an i ll l l | ||||l g| | ' , r ii i | - | i ■ii fc r, 1 ■ i ■ 1 > :l:iii ■'I ■ I, Christmas in Froiich Canada "Let LIS have a drink," said the miller. And hurrah with the glasses and the checkers ! The people who passed by, going to church, riding or on foot, said to each other : "Why, Joachim Crete's mill is still run- ning ; he must have quantities to grind." " Surely he won't go on working on Christmas, will he ? " " I wouldn't be surprised." "Especially if his accursed Sauvageau has a hand in it. . . " And so on. In the meanwhile, the mill went on rolling, the game of checkers didn't stop, and the drinking continued. Toasts were endless. Some one knocked at the window : " Hold on, you fellows ; it's near twelve. The last bell is pealing. It's not very Chris- tian-like, what you are doi:''^ there." Two voices answered : " Go to blazes ! Let us have peace ! " The last passers-by vanished. And the mill went on rolling. As the weather was 252 mada the miller, ■s and the , ^^oin<^r to d to each s still run- ) grind." lorking on ivageau has :?, the mill k-ers didn't d. Toasts dow : ear twelve. very Chris- re. :ace ! " And the father was i^ LiHtk here Juachhii, if you imiil a pluer in my berlot, there itt one for you' \\x^.- is' Yi' ',1 0" ' i ■' '^^SSSmesM I The Loiip-Garou calm and quiet, its runiblint,^ noise was heard afar, and the good peojjlc hurried away, mak- ing the sign of the Cross on their breast. Although the church was nearly two miles distant from the mill Joachim Crete could hear -learly the sound of the bell. At the last toll he felt a kind of remorse : "Tis twelve," said he; "if we rai.sed the paddle -door. . . " " Pshaw ! are you such a poltroon ? " said Sauvageau. " Here ! let us have a horn, and then I'll make you capot." " Ah ! well, as to that, you are not fit for it, my young man. . . Help yourself, and here's your luck ! " " Here's yours, monsieur Joachim." They had barely replaced their tumblers on the table, when the last sound of the bell passed over the mill like a whisper in the wind. It was as rapid as thought. . . Crac! . . the mill was .stopped dead, just as if a thun- derbolt had broken the machi'iery. A deep silence followed, through which one could have heard the creeping of a mouse. 253 i if»'^af^' ' .!•!, ..( ' 'i: Christmas in French Canada "What's the matter^" cried out Joachim Crete. "Some impudent jokers, no doubt," said the hired man. " Let us go and see, quick ! " A lantern was h"t, and our two checker players started with uncertain step in the direction of the undershot-wheel. But vainly did they search and poke everywhere; all was in good order, nothing seemed to have bet.i interfered with. "This is most extraordinar)-," they said, quite nonplussed. At all events, they oiled the machine, started her again, and returned to their checker-board — not without making their first call at the table, though. "Your health, Hubert." "This is to yours, monsieur Joachim." But hardly were the glasses emptisd, when the two men started staring at each other with a bewildered expression : they were beastly drunk first of all, and then the mill had become silent once more. " Some confounded rascals have thrown 254 iiada ut Joachim oubt," said /o checker ep in the But vainly ivhere ; all d to have they said, machine, to their :ing their achim." :ied, when ich other hey were then the e. e thrown The Loup Garou rubbish into the grindstones," muttered Joa- chim Crete. "Let the devil wring my neck," jabbered Sauvageau, "if we don't find what's wrong this time." And here are once more our two drunk- ards, lantern in hand, prowling everywhere about the mill, stumbling and tripping on everything they came across. But all uselessly ; there was nothing the matter either in the grindstones or elsewhere- The marhine was started again, but ouic/i/e! half a turn of the wheel, and that was all. The whole mechanism was at a dead stand still. " The Devil take the whole concern ! " yelled out Joachim Crete; "let us go!" A desperate oath was uttered. Hubert Sauvageau, who had urobably entangled his feet in some kind of obstacle, had fallen headlong on the floor like a helpless brute. The lantern had gone out of his hand, to be sure; so that it was pitch dark, and Jcachim Crete, who had all he could do to ass l-ljMM mmm Christmas in French Canad.i steer himself, li;ul no j^'reat miiul to ^o to the rescue of his companion. " Let the rogue look after himself as best he can!" said he; "I'm ^o'mg for a drink." And by the dim light of the candle which glimmered in the distance through the half- opened door, he succeeded, after many stum- bles and slips, to worm his way into the room, where he entered without closing the door behind him, so as to give the loiterer a chance to do the saine. As soon as he had passed the threshold, you ma)' well imagine that his first thought was to go right to the table where the glasses and bottles stood ; but as he was pouring out a gobletful of rum, swinging on his hips, he heard behind his back something like a groan. " That's you ? " he said without turning ; " here you are, come on ! " Another moaning answered, stror.ger than the first. "What's the matter? . . Did you hurt yourself? . . Have a drink, that .. cure you." But no one apfieared nor responded. Quite surprised, Jijachim Crete turned 2$6 ~L 'W'Wttdf^ttf^jp i^^ luad.i (I to ^o to nself as best "or a drink." candle which gh the half- many stum- ay into the closing the the loiterer le threshold, first thought e the glasses pouring out his hips, he like a groan. )ut turning ; trotiger than J you hurt .. cure you." responded. ,rete turned The Loiip-Gaiou around, laying his glass on the tabic, and stood terrified, with eyes fearfully fixed and his hair standing on end. It wasn't at all Hubert Sauvageau who was facing him ; it was a huge black dog, as tall as a man, with formidable teeth, sitting on his haunches, and who stared at him with eyes blazing like embers. Without being a hero, the miller was not precisely a coward : after his first impression of terror, he plucked up courage and called out to Hubert. "Who has let this dog in?" No answer. " Hubert ! " he insisted, stammering with a thick voice ; " where this dog come from ? " Not a word. "Why, that's rather cool. . . Get out of this, you ! " The big dog gave a growl that sounded like a bit 'f laughter, but didn't stir a foot. And Hubert was nowhere to be seen. Joachim was anything but merry, as you may reckon. He couldn't understand what 257 ^t - '^^'^ev^a^^ilt^^} Christmas in French Canada was going on; and as a dreadful fright was creeping over him again he thought of mak- ing for the door. But the terrible dog had only to turn his head with his blazing eyes to bar tlic way. Seeing this, the poor man crawled backwards to take refuge between the table and the bed, without losing sight of the monster. " And he fell on his knees." The latter advanced a few steps with another hellish growl. "Hubert!" cried out the unfortunate man in a tone of horrible anguish. The dog kept moving towards him, erect H ititjua^gii mtimmfmm ards him, erect The Loup-Garou on his legs, growling more and more, and keeping his burning eyes fastened on the trembling man. " Help ! help ! . . " howled Joachim Crete, crazy with fear, and backing himself up to the wall. None answered his call, but at that very moment the church bell pealing for the Ele- vation was heard. Then a thought of repentance passed through the brains of the wretched man. "It is a loup-garou!" cried he; "my God, forgive me ! " And he fell on his knees. At the same time the infernal beast darted upon him. Fortunately the poor miller, while kneeling down, had felt something on the wall that caught him by the clothes. It was a reaping-hook. The man instinctively seized the weapon and hit the brute right on the head. It was the matter of one instant. Every- thing disappeared in the dark. In the struggle, short as it had been, the table had been over- "59 r , ! Christmas in French Canada turned, and the glasses, bottles and candle were scattered on the floor. As to Joachim Crete, he had fainted away. When he returned to his senses, somebody was throwing cold water in his face, and a well-known voice was saying : "What has been the matter with you, monsieur Joachim?" " Is that you, Hubert ? " " As you see." "Where is he?" " Whom do you mean ? " "The dog." '•Which dog?" " The loiip-garou." " What ? " " The lotip-garou I have released with my reaping-hook." "Good Heavens/ have you gone mad. Monsieur Joachim?" " I have not dreamt that surely. . . And yourself, where are you from?" "From the mill." " I see it is running now, the mill. . . ''■ "You can hear it." 260 tf, I s anada and candle ainted away. Js, somebody face, and a ' with you, id with my gone mad, :ly. . . And : mill. . .'' The Loup-Garou "Go and stop it right off; it must not work on Christmas." " Why, Christmas is passed, it was yester- day." "How is that?" "You have been senseless for two days, that's all." " Is it possible ? . . But what is ^he matter v/ith your ear? . . Blood!" " That's nothing." "How r.' you get that? Speak out!" "Do- remember I had a fall in the mill on Christmas Eve?" "Yes." " Well, I cut my ear on the edge of a pail." Joachim Crete, my friends, sat up on his bed, haggard and shaken by a shiver of hor- ror. . . "Ah ! damnable wretch ! " cried he ; " it was you ! . . " And the poor fellow fell back on his pillow, never to recover his wits again. He died ten years later in a lunatic asylum. 361 11 1. I l\> Christmas in French Canada ^s to the mill, jt was tr^rr. j earned away in th. °'"" ^"^ "P of the L ^ ^™'' ^^ ^'^^ ^-^-^ ..*t'"" "*-"■— '"■"»«. of corn!" ^"^ ^^^^ "Is that so? . Givpf" -J 1 A„ . . . • ^*^^' said he stealthily And rising on his feet- ^' my rights!"* ■■■ . . i cla-m And, to the applause of all ft,, man bowed ,o his right and '^"""^ 'oving .,-ss o„ the blush g cheerofTI ' neighbor. °^ ^'^ fair "And so help me Gnri" -j , all fh« "' s^'d he, "that'- aM_the sorcery I believe in!" * III an ipiuchetle de bli-d' In^. v. .'1,1.' ' 263 w MiM ■- 1 .jntitiS. tjmkii 'nch Canada ^'as torn down and ng. at the breaking L sweet voice in the ose increduh'ty had tory; "a red head said he stealthily. with a joyful ex- ^°'"''-' • . I claim ^f all, the young and impressed a cheek of his fair said he, "that's '^e>- finds a red head of s choice.