The Magic Cure

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 106, 7 May 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Magic Cure

A lone; time apro, in a little villapp in Brittany, tln-iv liveil a. ln-.vit ii'ul v(Mii;_r jL'irl called Mi-li-.-uulr. 11.-r h.-iir was MiiiH.th uinl dark, her i'.m-s t'ij: nm\ >|iiirklilljr. IUT n.!l:pl. \ioll r-lllonth illlll white in f.i't. .-In 1 whs so lifiititifu] (hat to ju-t 1..i.k ill In-!' i.lie would tiiink lli:it ?■!](■ hadn't il fault. \',u[ sin- had I >!!■■ linil a >lmi|>. Lit- ; til" t •■!:•_: 11 <■ I'Kll. 111 ,, . CI , hi'l'llHil I , ' -! 'i' ~ii \ in , .' 111 ■ [• 1• ;i -.1 m t hill .•-. .-11:11 m■ . in > 1 .'i1.. ~f Iht »,,.*\ 1....U--. she- l.ul no n ii'ii.U iit sill. One diiv ;i voiiili from ;\ nenrl.y )i;im- ■ let uailic In Iliiiki , hi- new IIiHIH , ill ill" •. illiiiii- in «hii-li M.-li-.mde livr.l. anil it Wil-ll'l 101 - l.et'.MC 111 , IP 1 ilM'tl Ml'li*Mll(lr's i liriliitiflil fin , i , ill ih. , window of her entta-e as ho walk.d t.i illlll from the ] l.e.lch. I As Im was a stranger lu> iliil not know of MrlisaiuU's liatl temper aiiil sharp tongue, m. day. when hr .-au ju-r l.aniiiir out of tin , wiiiilnw, wiiti-i-iii" till! IIi.WIMS ill a Willlliiw-lmx. 111 , !-I ■•JiJU'tl to s|n-ak wiili her. -Iμ , an-w.-ii.l hill, yh-.t -:■ lit Iv. ami .'.ft.-n. iifti-r that ilay. -In , u.Milil linlil |.l--a«ii:l i-.iiiviT.-iit ii'ii-s v ilh him. At li'iii'lii I'iiTi-i'. for lli.it was tlio yuiithV nil im', tVH in love with Molisamli'. an.l the vill.pji , !-*. |ior.vivin;r this. and ,-11-ii 1 in- t-M-ani'.' Mew Of Mi'li-aii.l. , . il.-.-i.1.-il il \\..:ii.l Iμ- I.— I. nyt In t.-ll him '■< lit- 1- f-Tiii.-i- i-iir. a Milll'SS. So Mi'li<:unlo an.l I'I.TW wimt manii-1. ami for in..in ii- ii\ .-.I in p. i li'.-t ll;l|.|iim*S. lint at lii-t M «-l s -=si ti-1.- li.'jjnii to hi;isi- into Iht "1.1. nn;.h .isa i;t -'ii.-u - i-hnc-. illid tin- umki?. ,, ] I'i.-i-iv livini.-'l that his lii'iUllil'nl. 5w , . , ! ii'li:|H-ri..l liri.lf \\,i-n'L sweet ti-inprri-rl al all. Hi. li'ft th.-ir coltau-. Ii! -•■■! with I h<. kli.hv. u In , n> ti I In , i- im , u "I t Invillas sat mi-iuliiiL; th-ir m-i -. Hi>a t il'.u II "il a n ll]i! Hl'liftl li.iilt a n<l iini.Mlily Miiiiki'.l hir. I ipi'. I'm , of tin , \ iniir/i-r nii'ii nutici-il I'li-rn-'s air of ili , - j.'.-i inn. an.!, winkiir.' al hi- ruin]. anion-*, l.r'jan -p.akinL.' i>l M t-li-.-i mli'V fain-ui-aiiL'.r. It v.a- t'M-n lh.it I'i.-iTi- r.-a'.i-cl lhaL hf hail niarri.d (h< , \ i la-e >\\U:W. lii-iMi mi-tiikiMi. lint liu-ii, uii.l in tho davs In ciilin , . Mi'lir-a n.li-'i- .-<•»' in • i!i::ly ,-!ki!|ht i P -.r its n-t. soon provcil lu , wan not. At la-l In , coiilil not stand her .-.•ol.liiiL'r- iiii.l railing, ami in sheer , 1.--.,,, iI- jirelelli'.eil M" .I'll Ill'l ll'-JIV wllell Mi-li-i.-iiKl'i- <|..iUi'. Nor wniiUl In- .-.[•••iik to her at all. At, 1.-ii.jth. hi« silenee hron.L-ht Mi-li--.111.1e Iμ her t-.Ml'-f , -. iltul file Ili-Villl to ! i. afiai.l 1 hat -he lia.l |..-f I'ierreV 1,.\ ,■ for ~\.r. l.i-.-an*. , . thoii. , . , '.! s-ii.- si-i.1.1.-.1. she ti : ': 1.nf.l him ile.illy. S'ae trii-il l.i e..lilrol her i-liill i.-1-.lj.m-.I t ■ 11■_■ 11.■. lillt. iii.iil :li -he inipiox .■<!. r-'i.- .-. ii'.l not -■..)> It iiM.i :.,.' h.ii-h w.s-.N an.l Liner ■-.-fi-<..i.-1..--. ami linally she cuiM stand it Illi lol.'jer. ( Ine da \ . v, !■.•!! l'ien-e was out ("i-'iiu , .'. r-IIM v, ml f.■.!• i 'illy ilm\ n to 1 In , elill'j:il : :i]._. o\ er ihe w ,il it. uii.l -Mil :!.t mil ■in ..).| « ii.-h \s ho ! \,-.\ in il cave. >lii' ~\,,!ain-d h.>\\ ln-1 t-iu'i,- ran iiway \v il h an.l a-ke.l . ..ul.l ■-■!•• <ln a , : '.hill , .' to i-HH-.ly in itloi -. Tin- .■!<! w '■■■ a li'-ldiil iii-r ii.'ad wii—ly ItiioiiL , :-!. ti"i::i to I. -11, -he really ua-ii'l a !.il w;- ,, . and Hot cv, , !! ,i u'teii. !.,,: ..illy an il'jly old lady uiio i:: % . ,1 i,i j, .-t-nd • . I" , '~nei. end -ai.l: "A!i. ? •-. l.ien- :- oii'.y ~;; r thinI :-..;■ y..u to do.-

"What i» that?" Melieande a = ked i-n««>rly. "Vfiu go alon_r the sliore and lind the white *tone of happiness," the iild woman Mil her. "it is a smooth white ~t>.Hi- that a iiH'niiai<l throws up from the mm rune pvory 100 years, and it ir- the i.uly ijin.' tint will liolp you/' Mi-li-amk- linrrii'.) niH of the cave, ami •i.-lmii •.i-aivir.n , -' .il 'ii-_- t'ne luMcli. She ,-,m; :u-.l ;ill iii;i! day, and in all the ..pan- tin.i- .~ii.- iMiil.l fin J during the lu-xt T.-w -I.Mr-, hut - ■!!• i-'ull not .-'-i----any t-t-iK' tli.Ll !-«'ki'il like t lie r-1■ >!io of iiappine-s. line aftfrn.i..ii. n* -'ie searched, -«ob-l-ini: with tin-din-.- and dir-.ippnintnient. inn- of the elderly men of tin' \illajn , rami- lip to her. He ha<l μ-cii hi-r -■■a i <hi ri lt for several day*, and his eitriiKity war.- amiipifd. r«o im ;i-'m'.l Iht w'juu h.!ic'\vas looking for, an.l if he ini'/nt. i,,:,, h.-r. H<- win a kindly <.1.1 man. loved by all thi- vilia-i-iv, and" M.•liquid i' *.diWil out Iht itt'iry t.i him. Ho i;.-1.1.--I lindiTtlicn Mi-ii-aiii-- litirit-d tier fiioi; ill !iit apron mid i μ-lmii to cry. lie |.i..kcd rjuickly ari-un-l tin- iit-acii until he -;,,■, a large'white p. 1.1.1.-. mh...,i 1,,-d liv tli.. water.' "Why. 1<...k. Mi-litsande, ,1 In- -aid. pointing to thi- jn-Wili-. "1-n't tiiai. your -tone?" , M«di-alido Iniikf.i at tin , |.i-!.;.li>. -oh. no, i;'- a -loin , , not a pi-lili'.i-." -aid. "Tli.lt doifii'i l."'k an Midiiiaiv knd ■■!' pi'!.'nii> to me," said tli.-t old ":naji. Mi- r \< -k--d it up an.l lm\.' it to Iht. ''L-.k ii.-rc now. wliy don't you try it. ]'■..■ ln-.ird alioiit thU ninpic stmi.-. and all you'll |,;i\i. i.. do with it is -!:;. it under your ;,'i !■•:.> when \oii j"i•• -1 yun're alioiit l<. -,;,]■] I'ii-rri-. and if it prevent' you from liaiviily, it's thu mnuic Ht.iiio all ri-jiiT." Mi-lic-.ind'- went home, with tho pclihlo in iicr po.-kiM. and liii-ie<l iipivelf |ire- ; .-i :■ 1 n-_r γ-ii|.|icr. I'nt unfortunately fhe 1.-t tlie .-oup burn, and when Pierre retiirneil, linnvrry and tire.l, lie pti<he<l die hi.il). away from him in <ii.-;ru«st. M.-li-a iide felt hot, bad-tempprod words uclliiiL.' to }ii-r and iinmediati-ly ?hc put the ■Btnno pi-lilile under her tonpne. At itin-o she felt lieT aiiL'*"r melt away — it was the ma.iiie r-i'.ne! Quickly she -et al.oiit puttili-' the meat and bread ln'i'on- him, cpt-akinp so pMitly that l'ii-iTi , looked up in j_'la<l ?ur]iri«o. Tint w.i*s the turning point, in Meli--in 1. '- life. Whenever she felt y.'Minir bad-teniperi'd she would slip the ]~,_.;,■ -tone l.eneath her tfmjr'.ip, and in lin:i. r-ne 1 anie .-o jjood-teiiipered and liiii'thearted that slio found t-hc didn't ne,-d it. 'l"!ie villnsrcra marvelled at the ehanire in Mel'-ande until one day they happened to In- her in the prets.- , nee ~ft! 1,1 man who had helped her. lli> t..',d I In- story of the niauie stone to the r=urpritfod people, who shook thoir li.vi.lh. and said. well, they'd never heard an\ tliinir like it In-fore. "Itiit waK it really a stone?' , one of tin- brighter lad* n-k.-L T'ne r.1.1 man liiU'jlii-d, mid winked hi- eye wieki.liy. "It was jii-r a white pehble 1 p'n ked u;> from the liiMo'n." he eaid. "hut if a woman pall i , . , made to hold h<T I...■■.■in- when -lie's aniTv. she'll soon ?et over lier tenij'er, and there'll be peaec and hapj.iuet-s between her and her hus band." And the villa crers acrreed that that ■\.i- n . more than the truth.