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Ox-eye daisy

Easter daisy

Mahiette sighed, and wiped away a tear which trickled from her eyes

"This is no very extraordinary history," said Gervaise, "and in the whole of it I see nothing of any Egyptian women or children"

"Patience!" resumed Mahiette, "you will see one child--In '66, 'twill be sixteen years ago this ht to bed of a little girl The unhappy creature! it was a great joy to her; she had long wished for a child Her ood woman, who had never knohat to do except to shut her eyes, her er any one to love in the world or any one to love her La Chantefleurie had been a poor creature during the five years since her fall She was alone, alone in this life, fingers were pointed at her, she was hooted at in the streets, beaten by the sergeants, jeered at by the little boys in rags And then, twenty had arrived: and twenty is an old age for a her in no more than her trade of embroidery in former days; for every wrinkle that came, a crown fled; winter becaain in her brazier, and bread in her cupboard She could no longer work because, in becorown lazy; and she sufferedlazy, she had become voluptuous At least, that is the way in which monsieur the cure of Saint-Rerier than other poor women, when they are old"

"Yes," reypsies?"

"One moment, Gervaise!" said Oudarde, whose attention was less impatient "What would be left for the end if all were in the beginning? Continue, Mahiette, I entreat you That poor Chantefleurie!"

Mahiette went on

"So she was very sad, very miserable, and furrowed her cheeks with tears But in the midst of her shame, her folly, her debauchery, it seemed to her that she should be less wild, less sha or some one in the world whom she could love, and who could love her It was necessary that it should be a child, because only a child could be sufficiently innocent for that She had recognized this fact after having tried to love a thief, the only man anted her; but after a short time, she perceived that the thief despised her Those women of love require either a lover or a child to fill their hearts Otherwise, they are very unhappy As she could not have a lover, she turned wholly towards a desire for a child, and as she had not ceased to be pious, she ood God took pity on her, and gave her a little daughter I will not speak to you of her joy; it was a fury of tears, and caresses, and kisses She nursed her child herself, -bands for it out of her coverlet, the only one which she had on her bed, and no longer felt either cold or hunger She became beautiful oncemother Gallantry claimed her once ain for her merchandise, and out of all these horrors she made baby clothes, caps and bibs, bodices with shoulder-straps of lace, and tiny bonnets of satin, without even thinking of buying herself another coverlet--Master Eustache, I have already told you not to eat that cake--It is certain that little Agnes, that was the child's na time since la Chantefleurie had had any surname--it is certain that that little one was more swathed in ribbons and es, she had a pair of little shoes, the like of which King Louis XI certainly never had! Her mother had stitched and embroidered them herself; she had lavished on them all the delicacies of her art of eood Virgin They certainly were the two prettiest little pink shoes that could be seen They were no longer than my thumb, and one had to see the child's little feet come out of theet into them 'Tis true that those little feet were so small, so pretty, so rosy! rosier than the satin of the shoes! When you have children, Oudarde, you will find that there is nothing prettier than those little hands and feet"