Short Stories, vol 10 | Page 5

custom. If it
were not adhered to misfortune was sure to attend the little one.
"I scolded, threatened and pleaded. I used force to try to cover the frail
creature. All was in vain. The nurse ran away from me through the
snow, and the body of the little one turned purple. I was about to leave

these brutes when I saw the priest coming across the country, followed.
by the sexton and a young boy. I ran towards him and gave vent to my
indignation. He showed no surprise nor did he quicken his pace in the
least. He answered:
"'What can you expect, sir? It's the custom. They all do it, and it's of no
use trying to stop them.'
"'But at least hurry up!' I cried.
"He answered: 'But I can't go any faster.'
"He entered the vestry, while we remained outside on the church steps.
I was suffering. But what about the poor little creature who was
howling from the effects of the biting cold.
"At last the door opened. He went into the church. But the poor child
had to remain naked throughout the ceremony. It was interminable. The
priest stammered over the Latin words and mispronounced them
horribly. He walked slowly and with a ponderous tread. His white
surplice chilled my heart. It seemed as though, in the name of a pitiless
and barbarous god, he had wrapped himself in another kind of snow in
order to torture this little piece of humanity that suffered so from the
cold.
"Finally the christening was finished according to the rites and I saw
the nurse once more take the frozen, moaning child and wrap it up in
the blanket.
"The priest said to me: 'Do you wish to sign the register?'
"Turning to my gardener, I said: "Hurry up and get home quickly so
that you can warm that child.' I gave him some advice so as to ward off,
if not too late, a bad attack of pneumonia. He promised to follow my
instructions and left with his sister-in-law and the nurse. I followed the
priest into the vestry, and when I had signed he demanded five francs
for expenses.
"As I had already given the father ten francs, I refused to pay twice.
The priest threatened to destroy the paper and to annul the ceremony. I,
in turn, threatened him with the district attorney. The dispute was long,
and I finally paid five francs.
"As soon as I reached home I went down to Kerandec's to find out
whether everything was all right. Neither father, nor sister-in-law, nor
nurse had yet returned. The mother, who had remained alone, was in
bed, shivering with cold and starving, for she had had nothing to eat

since the day before.
"'Where the deuce can they have gone?' I asked. She answered without
surprise or anger, 'They're going to drink something to celebrate: It was
the custom. Then I thought, of my ten francs which were to pay the
church and would doubtless pay for the alcohol.
"I sent some broth to the mother and ordered a good fire to be built in
the room. I was uneasy and furious and promised myself to drive out
these brutes, wondering with terror what was going to happen to the
poor infant.
"It was already six, and they had not yet returned. I told my servant to
wait for them and I went to bed. I soon fell asleep and slept like a top.
At daybreak I was awakened by my servant, who was bringing me my
hot water.
"As soon as my eyes were open I asked: 'How about Kerandec?'
"The man hesitated and then stammered: 'Oh! he came back, all right,
after midnight, and so drunk that he couldn't walk, and so were
Kermagan and the nurse. I guess they must have slept in a ditch, for the
little one died and they never even noticed it.'
"I jumped up out of bed, crying:
"'What! The child is dead?'
"'Yes, sir. They brought it back to Mother Kerandec. When she saw it
she began to cry, and now they are making her drink to console her.'
"'What's that? They are making her drink!'
"'Yes, sir. I only found it out this morning. As Kerandec had no more
brandy or money, he took some wood alcohol, which monsieur gave
him for the lamp, and all four of them are now drinking that. The
mother is feeling pretty sick now.'
"I had hastily put on some clothes, and seizing a stick, with the
intention of applying it to the backs of these human beasts, I hastened
towards the gardener's house.
"The mother was raving drunk beside the blue body of her dead baby.
Kerandec, the nurse, and the Kermagan woman were snoring