The Leather Pouch
The Leather Pouch
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The door opened with a creak to reveal a withered woman. ‘Pardon Madame, but could you spare a farthing?” the beggar asked with a strong
French accent. “Leave my doorstep this instant, you damned Acadian wench!”
responded the old Englishwoman with scorn. “Isn’t it enough that we must suffer your presence amongst us without having to support you out of our own pockets as well?”
Without a word, the beggarwoman turned aside to make her way once more toward the abandoned cabin where she lived with her children, orphaned of their father, and her sister-in-law who was a widow. The insults of the Englishwoman were already forgotten. After twelve years spent begging the most meager charity of her English hosts (gardiens),
Elizabeth Brasseux had created a barrier between herself and the barrage of insults.NNevertheless, dragging her clogs in the snow ., her feet wrapped in bits of wool, Elizabeth felt the anguish which would come again the following day, when she would have to go on begging from door to door. The generosity of the English had quickly died out after Christmas, and as the coins which tossed about in her leather pouch reminded her, there hadn’t been enough money to buy gifts for the children for New Year’s Day.
But New Year’s Day hadn’t always been so sad for the children. Louis Thibodeaux, who had been her neighbor, was a master carpenter capable of making a modest living. He was ‘not really rich but, despite his large family, he had always helped his cousins out and gave little gifts to the children for the New Year. But this year, like the majority of Acadians from Maryland, Louis and his family had set out for Louisiana on a merchant ship.
Their departure had upset the Brasseux world. The eldest, Pierre, earned some money doing small jobs here and there, but it wasn’t hardly enough to feed his pregnant wife. “I am condemned to begging,” Elizabeth told herself, crying in silence_
But her plaints were cut short by the cries of the youngest, Blaise. “Mommy! Mummy!” he cried, running toward her. “A letter from cousin Louis arrived today. Aunt Marguerite brought it to Mr. Hebert to learn of the news.”
“Oh!’ responded Elizabeth, disappointed. Then she went in the house. She crossed the room to the little hand-made table. Seated at one of the two chairs in the house, Elizabeth paried the questions of the children assembled around her. Then she gave the contents of the leather pouch to
Blaise, who had become, since the marriage of his brother, the head of the famil y.
By the light of the fire, Blaise’s face moved the already troubled spirit of Elizabeth. “He so resembles his father,” she thought. “If Cosme had only spent the first winter with us!” Tears came to her eyes once ‘again to think of the boat that had brought them in exile and on which Cosme had caught smallpox. “I’ve done my best to raise my family all alone,” she said. But, the pouch empty in her hands, she had to admit, “Fly best is not enough.” Some British officials had tried to place Pierre with some Englishmen, but Cousin Louis and other Acadian neighbors had prevented them from doing it by sending the Brasseux from Baltimore to Georgetown by the smugglers’ route. In Georgetown, Elizabeth had seen her begging attract the attention of the constable, forcing her family to move once again. Finally settled in Cecil County, they lived peacefully enough, but the preacher of the Presbyterian church down the street wanted to offer Blaise as apprentice to a “Christian” carpenter. And now Louis could no longer help them.
Elizabeth was so preoccupied by her problems that she didn’t noticed the footsteps approaching the house on the narrow path. The door opened Wide, and Aunt Marguerite had lgnace and Joseph Hebert and Jean Granger come in.
“I read the letter from Louis Thibodeaux,” announced Ignace who, before the deportation, had learned to read from the priest in Grand Pre to help him in his business with the English smugglers from Bale Verte (Green Day). “Louis and his family have been settled along the Mississippi by the Spanish government and, if they are not completely happy with where they have been placed, they are in a region where French is spoken and where they can work their lands for themselves.”
“And they no longer kneel before the blasted English,” added Jean. “Yes,” said Joseph, “those bastards have taken our houses. They have
sent us here, and now they want to hear nothing more of us.” “They have done nothing to help us,” confirmed Ignace. “But they
always want to help themselves. That is why we need you, Elizabeth.” “But what in the world can I do? I am nothing but a beggarwoman.” “It is precisely for that reason that we are asking for your help,”
insisted Joseph. “Do you want to remain a beggar the rest of your life?” “No.” Elizabeth understood. “Well, then, come with us folks to see the magistrate. You know very
well how the people are disgusted to see you come knocking at their door. Like the businessmen when they see us corning to look for work.”
“As a matter of fact,” added lgnace. “the English are as sick of seeing us as we folks are of them. We should use their hate.”
Joseph explained. “We spent an entire afternoon writing up a petition for the magistrate. He has already received many complaints about us folks, and if he thinks he can get rid of us, he will give us enough money to get out of this miserable country.”
“Leave Maryland?” said Elizabeth joyfully_ “How could I help you?” “Come with us,” responded lgnace, “and help us persuade the
magistrate that he must help us.” “Certainly,” answered Elizabeth getting up to go with her friends. The office of the magistrate of Cecil County was a small, humid
building, uncomfortable in any season, but particularly disagreeable in the winter. The magistrate, William Smith, was therefore especially unhappy with the arrival of this handful of neutral Frenchmen or Acadians, as they called themselves. They -announced their intention to speak, thus preventing him from going home as quickly as possible.
“These damned Acadiens, “he thought. “They’ve been nothing but a nuisance since their arrival. Well, maybe I can force them to leave by piecing theft petition at the end of the docket.”
But the magistrate saw that this small band of Acadians was determined to stay, no matter what. Holding her leather pouch, Elizabeth prepared herself to endure one more humiliation of asking money of such a haughty and condescending magistrate. The time passed slowly. The magistrate had intentionally slowed down his deliberations, but finally he was obliged to call the Acadians.
”State your businiess, “he said in a surly tone of voice. “We wish to leave Maryland, “said Ignace, presenting a short petition
declaring the request. And We lack the necessary money.” “And just why should we help you leave?” Smith demanded. He grimaced, reading the petition.
“Because we are farmers, “answered Elizabeth, surprising everyone, including herself, “and because you won’t give us land to farm. We have no other skills to make a living. For twelve years now, I have gone from door to begging for alms, moving on whenthe local people get so tired
seeing me of seeing me that they refuse to even speak to me. Now a preacher is talking about apprenticing my youngest son to en English tradesmen because like other.Acadian widows, have difficulty in supporting him. We do not want poor charity. We want to support ourselves. And, most of all, my children and I want to remain together. Only by leaving Maryland can wedo this.”
‘None of us wants charity, “added Ignace. We only want to go where we can earn a decent living and where we will not be a burden to anyone. Many of our brother Acadians in Baltimore have chartered a ship for Louisiana and they will depart for that colony in only a few days. We edo not have enough money to buy passage aboard their vessel. That is why we have come to you.”
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“We know that the English people do not want us here. We know that they like supporting us even less. Give us enough money to leave Maryland end we can assure you that we will not return.”
The magistrate considered their request carefully and had to admit that they were right. The last wave of complaints against these beggars and vagrants was one more proof of the hate directed against them. “We also need to purge the colony of Papists such as these, “he thought. “And this is the perfect opportunity to dispose of them.” Besides, his cold feet and his grumbling stomach reminded him that a long debate would put off his supper by the fire. “I have given the matter some thought. ” Smith announced, finally
breaking the heavy silence that had filled the room for a short time.”Indeed, the local populace has grown weary of supporting poll and as you
cannot support yourselves here, I shall issue the necessary funds”
When Elizabeth and her family embarked on the Britannia, it was the beginning of March, 1767. The beggarwoman looked out over the port of Baltimore and she remembered the day, twelve gears before, when she and her family had arrived, prisoners of the English. “Life was hard in those times,” she thought, “and it will surely be so again on the shores of the Mississippi. But at least I will be able to earn a living, for myself and my children.” Then, searching in the folds of her wool skirt, she took her leather pouch and threw it into the troubled waters of Chesapeake Bay.
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