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Sister Josephine led Salome to her own cell, and made her loosen her clothes and lie down on the cot-bed, while Sister Francoise and Sister Felecitie went to the refectory and brought her a plate of biscuit and a glass of wine and water. Wine was not the proper drink for Salome, in her flushed and feverish condition.
These visitors were shown through all the various departments of charity, and left their offerings in each before they went away. "I do wish one thing," said little Sister Felecitie, as she lingered near Salome, after the departure of the visitors. "What do you wish, dear?" inquired the latter.
She sat down in a low nursing-chair, fed the child with warm milk and water until it was satisfied, and then rocked it and sang to it in a low, melodious voice, until it fell asleep. She was still rocking and singing when the rosy-cheeked and cheery young Sister Felecitie came in.
"I waited here, good mother, to learn more of the poor wounded man. Sister Felecitie tells me that he is a suicide. I hope that is a mistake," said Salome. "It is too true, helas! But, my daughter," said the abbess, turning to the young nun, "leave us alone for a few minutes."
All rejoiced in the possession of little dolls. "Look at them!" exclaimed Sister Felecitie, gleefully. "We tried the least little ones with other toys: but, bless you, nothing else pleases them so well as dolls. We once tried the little yearlings with rattles, which we thought, it being noisy nuisances, would please them better; but save us!
The abbess gave a few more directions to the lay sisters who were engaged in restoring the room to order, and then she withdrew from the refectory and returned to her own apartment, where she had left Salome and the little Sister Felecitie.
Look there!" gleefully exclaimed Sister Felecitie, pointing to a row of cots where about a dozen infants lay asleep, clasping their dolls tightly. "Yes, the tiny mimic mothers really do love their doll babies," Salome confessed with a smile.
Have you already forgotten Mademoiselle Laiveesong, who left us only three years ago?" inquired Sister Josephine, as she led Salome into the portress' parlor, followed by the two younger sisters, Francoise and Felecitie. "Ah! ah! so it is!
Still another, and a longer table, was bright and gay with party-colored scraps of silk, satin, velvet, ribbon, muslin, lace and linen, with which half a dozen young nuns seated there were cheerfully engaged in making dresses for a basket full of dolls, for the Christmas gifts to the infants. The blooming young nun Felecitie presided at this table.
The poor gentleman who has just shot himself through the body!" gasped Sister Francoise, losing her breath again after this effort. "A gentleman shot himself!" echoed Salome, in consternation. The abbess, pale as death, said not a word, but left the unnerved sister to the care of Salome, and went out to see what had really happened. She met the little Sister Felecitie in the passage.
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