2
l)c nits, ftctu BloomftdV Ja.
PAID IX IIISOWX COIN.
1 GOOD STOllW
IN the year 18 there lived at Bordeaux
the last or one of tho lust of a
long line of scoundrels who hud lnado
that part of France infamous (to onr ideas)
by a succession of cold-blooded murders,
committed under tho sanction of what
people wcro pleased to call the Code of
Honor. This was a certain Comte de
V , a. man of great physical strength,
iinperturable sangfroid, and relentless
cruelty. Not a bad sort of companion, as
Home said, when the fit was not on him,
but this came on once in about every six
months, and then he must have blood,
it matters little whose, lie had killed
and maimed boys of sixteen, fathers of
lamilies, military officers, journalists, ad
vocates, peaceful eouutry gentlemen.
The cause of a quarrel was of no impor
tance; if one did not present itself read
ily, he made one ; always contriving that
according to the code aforesaid, he should
be the insulted party, thus having the
choice of weapons; and he was deadly
with the small-sword. It is difficult for
us to realize a state of society in which
such a wild beast could bo permitted to
go at large ; but we know it to be histori
cally true that such creatures were en
dured in France; just as we are assured
that there were at one time wolves in
Yorkshire, only tho less noisome vermin
had a harder time of it as civilization
progressed than was dealt out to the hu
man brute.
The latest exploit of the Comte de V
previous to the story that I am about
to tell, was to goad a poor young student
into a challenge ; and when it was repre
sented to him that the boy had never held
a sword in his life, so that it would be
fairer to use pistols, he replied that" fools
sometimes made mistakes with pistols",
and the next morning ran hiui through
the lungs. The evil fit was on him; but
the blood thus shed quieted him for an
other half year and rather more, for pub
lic opinion was unfavorable, aud the air
of Bordeaux became too warm for hiui.
Hut the scandal blew over after a time,
and he came back to his old haunts, one
of which was a cafe by the river side,
where many used to spend their Sunday.
Into the little garden of this establish
ment our wolf swaggered one fiuc sum
mer afternoon, with the heavy dark look
liud nervous twitehingof tho hands which
those who were acquainted with him
knew well meant mischief. The evil fit
was on him ; consequently ho found him
self in tho center of a circle which expand
ed as he went ou. This did not displease
him. He liked to be feared, lie knew
lie eould make a quarrel when ho chose,
so he looked around for a victim.
At a table almost in the middle of tho
garden sat a mau of about thirty years of
age, of middle height, and au expression
of eountenance which at first struck one
as mild and good humored, lie was en
gaged reading a journal which seemed to
interest him, and eating strawberries, an
occupatiou whieh does uot call forth
any latent strength of character. Above
all, he was profoundly unconscious of the
presence of 31. le Comte de V , and
continued eating his strawberries and
reading his paper as though no wolf were
in that pleasant fold.
As tho Count approached this table, it
became sufficiently well kuowu whom he
was about to honor with his insolence;
and the circle again narrowed to sec
tho play. It is not bad sport, with some
of us, to see a fellow-crcaturo baited es
pecially wheat we arc out of danger our
selves. The strawberry eaters' costumo was not
such as was ordinarily worn in Frauco at
that time, and ho had a curious hat,
which the weather being warm ho had
placed on tho table by his side. " He is
a foreigner," whispered some in the dress
circle. " Perhaps ho does uot know
Monsieur lo Couato."
Monsieur le Comte seated himself at
tho table opposite tho unconscious stran
ger, and called loudly, " Garcon."
" Garcon," he said, when tho function
ary appeared, take away that nasty
thing!" pointing to the hat aforesaid.
Now the stranger's elbow, as he read
liis journal, was on the brim of tho " nasty
thing," whieh was a very good hat, but
of Jiritish form and make. Tho garcou
was embarrassed.
" Do you hear me ?" thundered the
Count. "Take mo that thing away ! No
one has a right to place hit hat ou tho
table."
" I beg your pardon," said the strawberry-eater,
palitely, placing tho offending
article on his head, and drawing his chair
a littlo aside ; " I will make room for
Monsieur."
Tho garcon was about to retire well
satisfied, when the bully called after
him
" Have I not commanded you to take
that thing which annoys me away ?"
" But Monsieur lo Comte, the gentle
man has covered himself."
" What does that matter to mo ?"
" But Monsieur le Comte, it is impos
sible." " What is impossible ?"
" That I should take the gentleman's
hat"
" By no means," observed the stran
ger, uncovering again. " Be so good ns
to carry my hat to tho lady at the coun
ter, and ask her on my behalf to do mo
the favor to accept charge of it for the
present."
" You speak French passably well for
a foreigner," said the bully, stretching
his arms over the table, and looking his
neighbor full in the face a titter of con
tempt going round the circle.
" I am not a foreigner, Monsieur."
" I am sorry for that."
" So am I."
" May one, without discretion, inquire
why?"
" Certainly. Because, if I were a for
eigner, I should be spared the pain of see
ing a compatriot behave himself very
rudely."
" Meaning me ?"
'Meaning precisely you."
''Do you know who I am?" asked
the Count, half turning his back upon
him and facing the lookers-on, as much
as to say, ' Now observe how I will
crush this poor creature."
" Monsieur," replied the strawberry
cater, with perfect politeness in his tone,
" I have tho honor not to know you."
" Death of my life ! I am the Comte do
V ."
Tho strawberry-cafer looked up, and
thc easy, good-natured face was gone.
In its place was one with two gray eyes
which flashed like fire, and a mouth that
set itself very firmly.
" The Comte de V ," ho repeated
iu a low voice.
" Yes, Monsieur. And what have
you to say against him '"
"I? O, nothing."
" That may bo well for you."
" But there are those who say ho is a
coward."
" That is enough," said the bully, start
ing to his feet. ' Monsieur will find me
in two hours at this address," flinging
him a card.
v I shall not trouble myself to seek
Monsieur le Compe," replied the strawberry-eater,
calmly tearing the card in
two.
" Then I shall say of Monsieur what
he, permitting himself to lie, said just
now of me."
" And that is?"
" That he is a coward."
" You may say what you please, Mon
sieur le Conine. Thoso who know mo
would not believe you, and thoso who do
not my faith ! what care I what they
think ?"
' And thou thou art a Frenchman !"
No one but a Frenchman could have
thrown so much disdain as ho did into
the "thou."
The strawberry-cater made no reply,
but turned his head and called "Gar
con !" The poor trembling creature
came up again, wondering what new di
lemma was prepared for him, and stood
quaking some ten yards oft".
" Garcou," said tho stranger, " is there
a room vacant iu the hotel?"
" Without doubt, Monsieur."
" A largo one ?"
" But certainly. They aro all large
fine apartments."
"Then engage the largest for mo for
to-day, and another no matter what
for Monsieur le Comte."
" Monsieur, I give my own orders when
necessary," said tho Count, loftily.
" I thought to sparo you the trouble.
Go, if you please, (this to tho waiter,)
" and prepare my rooms."
Then the strawberry-eater returned to
his strawberries. Tho bully gnawod his
lip. lie could not mako head nor tail of
this phlegmatic opponont. Tho circle
grew a littlo wider, for a horrid idea got
abroad that tho Count had not found ono
who was likely to suit hiui and that he
would havo to seek elsewhere what ho
wanted.
Tho murmur that went round roused
the bully.
" Monsieur," ho hissed, has presumed
to make use of a word whioh amoug men
of honor"
" I beg your pardon ?"
" Which amoug men of honor "
" But what can Monsieur le Comte poss
ibly know what is felt among men of hon
or ?" asked tho other, with a shrug of in
credulity. " Will you fight yourself with me, or
will you not?" roared tho Count, goaded
to fury.
" If Monsieur lo Comte will give him
self the trouble to accompany me to the
apartment which no doubt, is now pre
pared for me," replied thestrangcr rising,
" I will satisfy him."
" Good," said the other, kicking down
his chair ; " I am with you. I waive the
usual preliminaries. I only beg to ob
serve that I nui without arms : but if
you"
" O, don't trouble yourself on that
score," said the stranger with a grim
smile. "If you are uot afraid, follow
me."
This he said in a voice sufficiently loud
for the nearest to hear, and tho circle
parted right and left, like startled sheep
as tho two walked toward the house.
Was there no one to call " police." no
one to try and prevent what to all seemed
imminent ? Not a soul ! The dreaded
duelist had his evil fit on, and every one
breathed freely now that he knew the
victim was selected. Moreover, no one
supposed it would cud there.
The count and his friend (?) were ush
ered into the apartment prepared for tho
latter, who, as soon as the garcon had
left, took of his coat and waistcoat, and
proceeded to move the furniture so as to
leave tho room free for what was to fol
low the count stauding with folded
arms, glaring at him the while. The
decks being cleared for the action, the
stranger locked the door, placed tho key
on tho mantel-piece behind him, and
said :
" I think you anight have helped a lit
tle ; but never mind. Will you give me
your attention for five minutes '("
" Perfectly."
" Thank you. I am, as I havo told
you, a Frenchman, but I was educated in
England, at one of her famous public
schools. Had I been sent to one of our
own Lycees, I should, perhaps, have
gained more book knowledge, but, as it
is, 1 have learned somo things which wo
do uot teach, and one of them is, not to
take a mean advantage of any man, but
to keep my own head with my own hands.
Do you understand me, Monsieur le
Comte?"
" I cannot flatter myself that I do."
" Ha ! Then I must bo more explicit.
I learned, then, that one who takes ad
vantage of mere brute strength against
the weak, or when, practiced in any art,
compels one unpractieed in it to contend
with him, is a coward and a knave. Do
you follow me now, Monsieur le Compe ?"
" I camo here, Mousieur "
" Never mind for what you camo, bo
content with what you will get. For ex
ample to follow what I was observing
if a mau skilled with the small sword, for
tho mere vicious love of quarreling, goads
to madness a boy who has never fenced
in his life, and kills hjm, that man is a
murderer; and moro a cowardly mur
derer, aud knavish."
14 1 think I catch your meaning ; but
if you have pistols here " foamed tho
bully.
" I do uot come to eat strawberries with
pistols in my pocket," replied the other,
in tho same calm tone he used through
out. " Allow me to continue. At that
school of which I havo spoken, and in
the society of men who havo grown out
of it, and others where tho same habit of
thought prevails, it would be considered
that a man who had been guilty of such
cowardice and knavery as I havo men
tioned, would bo justly punished if, some
day, ho should bo paid in his own coin
by meeting some ono who would take him
at tho same disadvantage as ho placed
that poor boy at."
" Our seconds shall fix your own weap
ons, Mousieur," said tho Count ; " let
this farce end."
"Presently. Thoso gentlemen whoso
opinions I now venturo to express, not
having that craze for blood which dis
tinguishes some who havo not had asim
ilar enlightened education would proba
bly think that such a coward and knave
as wo have been considering would best
meet his deserts by receiving a humiliat
ing castigation befitting his knavery and
his cowardioe."
" Ah ! I see ; I havo a lawyer to deal
with," sneered the Count.
" Yes. I have studied a little law, but
I regret to say I am about to break one of
its provisions."
" You will fight mo thou ?"
' Yes. At tho school wo have been
speaking of, I learned among other things
tho use of my hands: and if I mistake not,
I am about to givo you as sound a thrash
ing as any bully ever got."
" You would tako advantago of your
skill iu tho box?" said the Count, getting
a littlo pale.
" Exxi etly. J ust as you took advantago
of your skill in the small-sword with poor
young I' ."
"But it is degrading brutal!"
"My dear Monsieur, just consider.
You aro four inches taller and some
thirty to forty kilogrammes heavier than
I am. . have seldom seen so fine an
outside. If you were to hit me a good
swingin g blow, it would go hard with me.
In the sumo way, if pc or young B
hud got over your guard, it would have
gone hard with you. But' then, I shall
only black Jwtth your eyes' mid perhaps
deprive you M' a tooth or so, unhappily
in front ; wheeas you killed Arm."
"I will uot accept this baa-barous en
counter." "You must; I have done talking.
Would you like a little brandy before wc,
begiu? No? Place yoursclfon guard,
then if you please. When I hnvo done
with you, and you are fit to appear, then
you shall have your revenge ev en with
the small sword, if y0u please. At pres
ent, bully coward knave, take tl laA, and
that, and that!"
And the wiry little Anglo-Frank iva as
good as his word. In less time thtm it
takes to write it tho great braggart was
rendered unpresentable for many a Ion g
day. That number one caused him to se e
fifty suns beaming in the firmament with
his right eye; that number two produced
a similar phenomenon with his left; the t
number three obliged him to swallow a.
front tooth, and to observe the ceiling
more attentively than he had hitherto
done. And when one or two other that
had completely cowed him, and ho threw
open the window and called for help, the
strawberry-eater took him by tho neck
and breeches and flung him out of it on to
the flower-bed below.
The strawberry-eater remained a month
at Bordeaux to f ulfil his promise of giving
the Count his revenge. But then, again,
tho bully met with more than his match.
Tho strawberry-eater had had Angelo for
a master as well Owen Swift, and after a
few passes the Count, who was too eager
to kill his man, felt an unpleasant sensa
tion in his right shoulder. The seconds
interposed, and there was an end of tho af
fair. It was his last duel. . Somo ono
rouuecu a sketch ot him as he appeared
cinsr thrown out of thn Vmtrl winrlmv
and ridicule so awful to a Frenchman
rid tho country of him. Tho strawberry
cater was alive when tho Battle of tho
Alma was fought, and is the only man to
whom tho above facts aro known who
never talks about them.
Boston a Century Ago.
ThoBostou Gazette and Counti Journal
of a century ago, was a curiosity in its
way. It was about 1-t inches by 10, and
half of its twelve columns were filled
with advertisements. From acopy, datd
I2th June, 1769, wo clip tho following
advertisements :
A Few Silk Worm's Eggs to bo given
away.
Will bo sold by public vendue, at the
Bunch of Grapes in King's street, two
stout, able-bodied negro men. Also a
negro boy and two negro women.
Umbrellas, made in tho neatest man
ner, to bo sold at G1.5 apiece, by Oliver
Groenleaf, at his shop the corner of Win
ter street, opposite Seven Star lane, South
End, Boston.
David Burnitt gives notice to all gen
tlewomen that ho " makes in a new fash
ion, which has never been done in Bos
ton." " Major General Makay" advertises " a
free pardon" to every deserter who shall
surrender himself and join his regiment,
ou or before the last day of June except
some eighteen soldiers who are named, for
whoso apprehension tho General offers
three guineas each. The paper has no
list of marriages and deaths, but simply
the following announcement :
" Buried iu tho Town of Boston since
our last, nine Whites, two blacks, Baptis
ed iu the severul churches, four."
The news from England is to April 29,
by " Capt. Hall arrived about six weeki
from Loudon." Tho most important in
telligence is tho rejection of John Wilkes
by tho IIouso of Commons. The latest
news from Philadelphia is to June 1
cloven days old.
B$ Sec hero ! exclaimed a returned
Irish soldier to a gaping crowd as ho ex
hibited with some pride, his tall hat with
a bullet holo in it. Look at that bullet
hole, will you? If it had been a low
crowned hat I should hayo been killed
outright.
SUNDAY HEADING.
The Best Use of the Bible.
" My mother srive me a Bible for mv
gift last Christmas," said a little girl,
complacently, and Louise gave Cousin
Harry one, at tho same time. Now just
look at them, and seo tho difTsrenco."
Harry's was a littlo worn. Its gilt
edges wcro tarnished, and the newness
was gone from the cover, but it looked as
if it had been read very often. Hero
and there I saw pencil murks near favo
ite verses, and in one or two places it
seemed as if tears might havo fallen.
Little Harry Gordon had become a Chris
tian lately, and his Bible had evidently
been very precious to him.
Minnie said triumphantly, after I had
finished my look at Hilary's, ' Now see
mine!" She unfolded the tissue paper
from it, and there it was just as fresh
and fair and uninjured us when it camo
out of the shop.
" I've never had it out of the drawer
but once," said Miss Minnie, " and that
was to show to somebody."
" Minnie," said I, " if your father was
away from home, and should send you a
letter, telling you just what he wanted
you to do and be, would it be good
treatment never to break tho seal, and to
lay it away in a drawer unread ? Would
it not rather bo better to tako it out every
day and to read it over and over, trying
all the more each time to obey his m
j unctions ?"
"Yes!" said Minnie, blushing and
hanging her head, as she began to seo
my meaning.
" This is God's letter to you, my love !
Like the mau who folded away his talent
in a napkin, you havo folded up your
precious Bible. Hereafter, my child, use
it as God wants you to. ' Search the
Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have
eternal life, aud they aro they which tes
tify of me."'
The Runaway Knock.
" Teacher," said a bright, earnest
faced boy, " why is it that so many pray
ers aro unanswered ? I do not under
stand. The Bible says, Ask and ye
shaH receive, seek and ye shall find, kuock
and it shall be opeued unto you,' but it
seems to me a great many knock and are
not admitted."
" Did you ever sit by your cheerful
parlor fire," said the teacher, " ou some
dark evening, and hear a loud knocking
at tho door? Going to answer tho sum
mons, havo you not looked out into the
darkness, seeing nothing, but hearing the
pattering feet of some mischievous boy,
who knocked, but did not wish to enter,
and therefore ran away ! Thus it is of
ten with us. Wo ask for blessings, but
wo do not really expect them; we knock,
but we do not wish to enter : wo fear that
Jesus will not hear us, will not fulfil His
promises, will not admit us aud so wo go
away."
" Ah, I see," said tho earnest-faced
boy, his eyes shining with tho new light
in his soul, " Jesus cannot bo expected to
answer runaway knocks. Ho has never
promised it. I mean to keep knocking,
knocking, Until He cannot help openiwj
the door."
Is Your Soul Insured.
"Pa," said a little boy, as ho climbed
to his father's knee, and looked into his
faco as earnestly as if ho understood tho
importance of tho subject, " Pa, is your
soul insured?"
"What aro you thinking about my
son '!" replied tho agitated father, " Why
do you ask that question ?"
" Why, pa, I heard Uncle Georgo say
that you had your houses insured, and
your life insured, but ho didn't beliovo
you had thought of your soul, and ho
was afraid you would loso it; won't you
g3t it insured right away ?"
Tho father leaned his head on his hand,
and was silent, lie owned broad acres of
land that were covered with a bountiful
produce, his barns were oven now filled
with plenty, his buildings were all well
covered by insurance ; but, as if that
would not suffice for tho maintenance of
his wife and only child in case of his de
cease, ho had, the day before, taken a
life policy for a large amount; yet not
ono thought had he given to liia own im
mortal soul.
AS?" God has not chosen to flatter our
curiosity by any of ilisrovelations. What
lie reveals to man is iu tho end assigned
him, and the means of attaining that end.
Dootrines and morals constitute an essen
tial part of these moans.
6& Prayer without faith is lite a gun
discharged without a bullet, which makes
a noise, but docth no execution