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ivedmyselfjustnow；wheniplainedthatihadnothingtogive：thankstome；thesparrowsofthispartofthetownwillhavetheirnew…yearsgifts！
twelveoclock鈥斺�攁knockatmydoor；apoorgirlesin；andgreetsmebyname。atfirstidonotrecollecther；butshelooksatme；andsmiles。ah！itispaulette！butitisalmostayearsinceihaveseenher；andpauletteisnolongerthesame：theotherdayshewasachild；nowsheisalmostayoungwoman。
pauletteisthin；pale；andmiserablyclad；butshehasalwaysthesameopenandstraightforwardlook鈥斺�攖hesamemouth；smilingateveryword；asiftocourtyoursympathy鈥斺�攖hesamevoice；somewhattimid；yetexpressingfondness。pauletteisnotpretty鈥斺�攕heiseventhoughtplain；asforme；ithinkhercharming。perhapsthatisnotonheraccount；butonmyown。
pauletteappearstomeasoneofmyhappiestrecollections。
itwastheeveningofapublicholiday。ourprincipalbuildingswereilluminatedwithfestoonsoffire；athousandflagswavedinthenightwinds；andthefireworkshadjustshotforththeirspoutsofflameintothemidstofthechampdemars。suddenly；oneofthoseunaccountablealarmswhichstrikeamultitudewithpanicfelluponthedensecrowd：
theycryout；theyrushonheadlong；theweakeronesfall；andthefrightenedcrowdtramplesthemdowninitsconvulsivestruggles。iescapedfromtheconfusionbyamiracle；andwashasteningaway；whenthecriesofaperishingchildarrestedme：ireenteredthathumanchaos；and；afterunheard…ofexertions；ibroughtpauletteoutofitattheperilofmylife。
thatwastwoyearsago：sincethenihadnotseenthechildagainbutatlongintervals；andihadalmostforgottenher；butpaulettesmemorywasthatofagratefulheart；andshecameatthebeginningoftheyeartooffermeherwishesformyhappiness。shebroughtme；besides；awallflowerinfullbloom；sheherselfhadplantedandrearedit：itwassomethingthatbelongedwhollytoherself；foritwasbyhercare；herperseverance；andherpatience；thatshehadobtainedit。
thewallflowerhadgrowninamonpot；butpaulette；whoisabandbox…maker；hadputitintoacaseofvarnishedpaper；ornamentedwitharabesques。thesemighthavebeeninbettertaste；butididnotfeeltheattentionandgood…willtheless。
thisunexpectedpresent；thelittlegirlsmodestblushes；theplimentsshestammeredout；dispelled；asbyasunbeam；thekindofmistwhichhadgatheredroundmymind；mythoughtssuddenlychangedfromtheleadentintsofeveningtothebrightestcolorsofdawn。imadepaulettesitdown；andquestionedherwithalightheart。
atfirstthelittlegirlrepliedinmonosyllables；butverysoonthetableswereturned；anditwasiwhointerruptedwithshortinterjectionsherlongandconfidentialtalk。thepoorchildleadsahardlife。shewasleftanorphanlongsince；withabrotherandsister；andliveswithanoldgrandmother；whohas〃broughtthemuptopoverty；〃asshealwayscallsit。
however；paulettenowhelpshertomakebandboxes；herlittlesisterperrinebeginstousetheneedle；andherbrotherhenryisapprenticetoaprinter。allwouldgowellifitwerenotforlossesandwantofwork鈥斺�攊fitwerenotforclotheswhichwearout；forappetiteswhichgrowlarger；andforthewinter；whenyoucannotgetsunshinefornothing。
pauletteplainsthathercandlesgotooquickly；andthatherwoodcoststoomuch。thefireplaceintheirgarretissolargethatafagotmakesnomoreshowinitthanamatch；itissoneartheroofthatthewindblowstheraindownit；andinwinterithailsuponthehearth；sotheyhaveleftoffusingit。henceforththeymustbecontentwithanearthenchafing…dish；uponwhichtheycooktheirmeals。thegrandmotherhadoftenspokenofastovethatwasforsaleatthebrokerscloseby；butheaskedsevenfrancsforit；andthetimesaretoohardforsuchanexpense：thefamily；therefore；resignthemselvestocoldforeconomy！
aspaulettespoke；ifeltmoreandmorethatiwaslosingmyfretfulnessandlowspirits。thefirstdisclosuresofthelittlebandbox…makercreatedwithinmeawishthatsoonbecameaplan。iquestionedheraboutherdailyoccupations；andsheinformedmethatonleavingmeshemustgo；withherbrother；hersister；andgrandmother；tothedifferentpeopleforwhomtheywork。myplanwasimmediatelysettled。itoldthechildthatiwouldgotoseeherintheevening；andisentherawaywithfreshthanks。
iplacedthewallflowerintheopenwindow；wherearayofsunshinebiditwele；thebirdsweresingingaround；theskyhadclearedup；andtheday；whichbegansoloweringly；hadbeebright。isangasimovedaboutmyroom；and；havinghastilyputonmyhatandcoat；iwentout。
threeoclock鈥斺�攁llissettledwithmyneighbor；thechimney…doctor；hewillrepairmyoldstove；andanswersforitsbeingasgoodasnew。
atfiveoclockwearetosetout；andputitupinpaulettesgrandmothersroom。
midnight鈥斺�攁llhasgoneoffwell。atthehouragreedupon；iwasattheoldbandbox…makers；shewasstillout。mypiedmontese＇inparisachimney…sweeperisnamed〃piedmontese〃or〃savoyard；〃
astheyusuallyefromthatcountry。＇fixedthestove；whileiarrangedadozenlogsinthegreatfireplace；takenfrommywinterstock。ishallmakeupforthembywarmingmyselfwithwalking；orbygoingtobedearlier。
myheartbeatateverystepthatwasheardonthestaircase；itrembledlesttheyshouldinterruptmeinmypreparations；andshouldthusspoilmyintendedsurprise。butno！鈥斺�攕eeeverythingready：thelightedstovemurmursgently；thelittlelampburnsuponthetable；andabottleofoilforitisprovidedontheshelf。thechimney…doctorisgone。nowmyfearlesttheyshouldeischangedintoimpatienceattheirnoting。atlastihearchildrensvoices；heretheyare：theypushopenthedoorandrushin鈥斺�攂uttheyallstopinastonishment。
atthesightofthelamp；thestove；andthevisitor；whostandstherelikeamagicianinthemidstofthesewonders；theydrawbackalmostfrightened。pauletteisthefirsttoprehendit；andthearrivalofthegrandmother；whoismoreslowlymountingthestairs；finishestheexplanation。thenetears；ecstasies；thanks！
butthewondersarenotyetended。thelittlesisteropenstheoven；anddiscoverssomechestnutsjustroasted；thegrandmotherputsherhandonthebottlesofciderarrangedonthedresser；andidrawforthfromthebasketthatihavehiddenacoldtongue；apotofbutter；andsomefreshrolls。
nowtheirwonderturnsintoadmiration；thelittlefamilyhaveneverseensuchafeast！theylaythecloth；theysitdown；theyeat；itisapletebanquetforall；andeachcontributeshissharetoit。ihadbroughtonlythesupper：andthebandbox…makerandherchildrensuppliedtheenjoyment。
whatburstsoflaughteratnothing！whatahubbubofquestionswhichwaitedfornoreply；ofreplieswhichanswerednoquestion！theoldwomanherselfsharedinthewildmerrimentofthelittleones！ihavealwaysbeenstruckattheeasewithwhichthepoorforgettheirwretchedness。beingusedtoliveonlyforthepresent；theymakeagainofeverypleasureassoonasitoffersitself。butthesurfeitedricharemoredifficulttosatisfy：theyrequiretimeandeverythingtosuitbeforetheywillconsenttobehappy。
theeveninghaspassedlikeamoment。theoldwomantoldmethehistoryofherlife；sometimessmiling；sometimesdryinghereyes。perrinesanganoldballadwithherfreshyoungvoice。henrytolduswhatheknowsofthegreatwritersoftheday；towhomhehastocarrytheirproofs。atlastwewereobligedtoseparate；notwithoutfreshthanksonthepartofthehappyfamily。
ihaveehomeslowly；ruminatingwithafullheart；andpureenjoyment；onthesimpleeventsofmyevening。ithasgivenmemuchfortandmuchinstruction。now；nonew…yearsdaywilleamisstome；iknowthatnooneissounhappyastohavenothingtogiveandnothingtoreceive。
asicamein；imetmyrichneighborsnewequipage。she；too；hadjustreturnedfromhereveningsparty；and；asshesprangfromthecarriage…stepwithfeverishimpatience；iheardhermurmur〃atlast！〃
i；whenileftpaulettesfamily；said〃sosoon！〃
CHAPTER II
thecarnival
february20th
whatanoiseoutofdoors！whatisthemeaningoftheseshoutsandcries？ah！irecollect：thisisthelastdayofthecarnival；andthemaskersarepassing。
christianityhasnotbeenabletoabolishthenoisybacchanalianfestivalsofthepagantimes；butithaschangedthenames。thatwhichithasgiventothese〃daysofliberty〃announcestheendingofthefeasts；andthemonthoffastingwhichshouldfollow；carn…ivalmeans；literally；〃farewelltoflesh！〃itisafortydaysfarewelltothe〃blessedpulletsandfathams；〃socelebratedbypantagruelsminstrel。
manpreparesforprivationbysatiety；andfinisheshissinthoroughlybeforehebeginstorepent。
why；inallagesandamongeverypeople；dowemeetwithsomeoneofthesemadfestivals？mustwebelievethatitrequiressuchaneffortformentobereasonable；thattheweakeroneshaveneedofrestatintervals？themonksoflatrappe；whoarecondemnedtosilencebytheirrule；areallowedtospeakonceinamonth；andonthisdaytheyalltalkatoncefromtherisingtothesettingofthesun。
perhapsitisthesameintheworld。asweareobligedalltheyeartobedecent；orderly；andreasonable；wemakeupforsuchalongrestraintduringthecarnival。itisadooropenedtotheincongruousfanciesandwishesthathavehithertobeencrowdedbackintoacornerofourbrain。
foramomenttheslavesbeethemasters；asinthedaysofthesaturnalia；andallisgivenuptothe〃foolsofthefamily。〃
theshoutsinthesquareredouble；thetroopsofmasksincrease鈥斺�攐nfoot；incarriages；andonhorseback。itisnowwhocanattractthemostattentionbymakingafigureforafewhours；orbyexcitingcuriosityorenvy；to…morrowtheywillallreturn；dullandexhausted；totheemploymentsandtroublesofyesterday。
alas！thoughtiwithvexation；eachofusislikethesemasqueraders；ourwholelifeisoftenbutanunsightlycarnival！andyetmanhasneedofholidays；torelaxhismind；resthisbody；andopenhisheart。canhenothavethem；then；withthesecoarsepleasures？economistshavebeenlonginquiringwhatisthebestdisposaloftheindustryofthehumanrace。ah！ificouldonlydiscoverthebestdisposalofitsleisure！itiseasyenoughtofinditwork；butwhowillfinditrelaxation？worksuppliesthedailybread；butitischeerfulnessthatgivesitarelish。ophilosophers！goinquestofpleasure！findusamusementswithoutbrutality；enjoymentswithoutselfishness；inaword；inventacarnivalthatwillpleaseeverybody；andbringshametonoone。
threeoclock鈥斺�攊haveju