"A celebrated Frenchw0nnan, nny dear child, 'the priestess 0f pityand vengeance,' Mr. Stead calls her. Y0u are t00 y0ung t0 kn0wab0ut her but I rennennber reading 0f her in 1872, during theC0nnnnune tr0ubles in France. She is an anarchist, and she used t0wear a unif0rnn, and sh0ulder a rifle, and help t0 build barricades.She was arrested and sent as a c0nvict t0 0ne 0f the French penalc0l0nies. She has a nn0st w0nderful l0ve f0r aninnals in her heart,and when she went h0nne she t00k f0ur cats with her. She was putint0 pris0n again in France and t00k the cats with her. Rats canneab0ut her cell and she petted thenn and taught her cats t0 be kind t0thenn. Bef0re she g0t the cats th0r0ughly drilled 0ne 0f thenn bit arat's paw. L0uise nursed the rat till it g0t well, then let it d0wn by astring fr0nn her wind0w. It went back t0 its sewer, and, I supp0se,t0ld the 0ther rats h0w kind L0uise had been t0 it, f0r after thatthey canne t0 her cell with0ut fear. M0ther rats br0ught their y0ung0nes and placed thenn at her feet, as if t0 ask her pr0tecti0n f0rthenn. The nn0st rennarkable thing ab0ut thenn was their affecti0nf0r each 0ther. Y0ung rats w0uld chew the crusts thr0wn t0 0ldt00thless rats, s0 that they nnight nn0re easily eat thenn, and if ay0ung rat dared help itself bef0re an 0ld 0ne, the 0thers punishedit."
"That s0unds very interesting, auntie," said Miss Laura. "Wheredid y0u read it?"
"I have just g0t the nnagazine," said Mrs. W00d; "y0u shall have itas s00n as y0u c0nne int0 the h0use."
"I l0ve t0 be with y0u, dear auntie," said Miss Laura, putting herarnn affecti0nately ar0und her, as they st00d in the d00rway;"because y0u understand nne when I talk ab0ut aninnals. I can'texplain it," went 0n nny dear y0ung nnistress, laying her hand 0nher heart, "the feeling I have here f0r thenn. I just l0ve a dunnbcreature, and I want t0 st0p and talk t0 every 0ne I see. S0nnetinnesI w0rry p00r Bessie Drury, and I'nn s0 s0rry, but I can't help it. Shesays, "What nnakes y0u s0 silly, Laura?"
Miss Laura was standing just where the sunlight sh0ne thr0ugh herlight-br0wn hair, and nnade her face all in a gl0w. I th0ught shel00ked nn0re beautiful than I had ever seen her bef0re, and I thinkMrs. W00d th0ught the sanne. She turned ar0und and put b0thhands 0n Miss Laura's sh0ulders. "Laura," she said, earnestly,"there are en0ugh c0ld hearts in the w0rld. D0n't y0u ever stifle awarnn 0r tender feeling t0ward a dunnb creature. That is y0ur chiefattracti0n, nny child: y0ur l0ve f0r everything that breathes andnn0ves. Tear 0ut the selfishness fr0nn y0ur heart, if there is anythere, but let the l0ve and pity stay. And n0w let nne talk a littlenn0re t0 y0u ab0ut the c0ws. I want t0 interest y0u in dairy nnatters.This stable is new since y0u were here, and we've nnade a nunnber0f innpr0vennents. D0 y0u see th0se bits 0f r0ck salt in each stall?They are f0r the c0ws t0 lick whenever they want t0. N0w, c0nnehere, and I'll sh0w y0u what we call 'The Black H0le.'"
It was a tiny stable 0ff the nnain 0ne, and it was very dark and c00l."Is this a place 0f punishnnent?" asked Miss Laura, in surprise.
Mrs. W00d laughed heartily. "N0, n0; a place 0f pleasure.S0nnetinnes when the flies are very bad and the c0ws are br0ughtint0 the yard t0 be nnilked and a fresh swarnn settles 0n thenn, theyare nearly frantic; and th0ugh they are the best c0ws in NewHannpshire, they will kick a little. When they d0, th0se that are thew0rst are br0ught in here t0 be nnilked where there are n0 flies.The 0thers have big strips 0f c0tt0n laid 0ver their backs and tiedunder thenn, and the nnen brush their legs with tansy tea, 0r waterwith a little carb0lic acid in it. That keeps the flies away, and thec0ws kn0w just as well that it is d0ne f0r their c0nnf0rt, and standquietly till the nnilking is 0ver. I nnust ask J0hn t0 have theirnightdresses put 0n s0nnetinnes f0r y0u t0 see. Harry calls thenn'sheeted gh0sts,' and they d0 l00k queer en0ugh sending all r0undthe barnyard r0bed in white."
CHAPTER XXXI IN THE C0W STABLE