Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-04-19

theatres, with each o yang, and never felt
tho calamity OF an Q mpty purse so pun
gently as at that MOI ont. He now APP
preached the Seine. The muddiest OF r,v.
ers, looked more muddy than ever, and
Charles naturally shrunk from the plunge
which would so effectually disfigure him.
He again telt his last Napoleon; and in the
| hero,em of his recollections, was putting
the portrait Of his great leader to his lips,
when the sudden opening of n cafe door.
the sound Of the scraping of fddles, and
the hum of voices within, told him that he
might make better use of both himself ana
his coin than TO bury in the Seine, at least
for that night. A Frenchmnn has always
two reasons for every thing, a strong and
a weak one. He generally gives way first
the strong one will make way for Itself
One Of his reasons for determining to live for
at least the next half hour. was that he
owed a weeks rent to his landlndy, which
he was bound in honor to discharge and
the other was that he was desperately in
love with one of the prettlest girls in Ly-
ons, an exquisite blonde. who had given
him all her heart, but having not a sous to
give with il, had pledged herself to wait
ill Monsieur should be a colonel. 1t was
plain that neither Of those purposes could
be accomplished if he was TO make his bed
that night in the bottom Of the Seine. He
therefore postponed the performance until
he should at least break the matter 10 the
fair Enphrasia, in a billet worthy q French.
man in despair.
Ordering coffee, pen, ink, ond paper, he
sat down to write. To give him a clearer
view of this subject the smart garcon Of the
cafe lighted q small lamp in the rather dark
box into which he threw himself and sor.
rows. He began ; dashed off a few sem
fences Of supreme tenderness, and then
paused, as is usual even with the most cna.
mored, for n fresh flow Of ideas. The lamp
had thrown its radiance on a snowy mirror
and the mirror had returned its radiance
on Charles. His eye caught of himself at
full length in The mirror. Few men, french
men not excluded. think themselves alto
gether destitute of personal charms and
Charles was really a handsome figure, such
as might cap'ivate its possessor, particular.
y when it was his last look. But why
should it be his last look ? was the thought
that glanced into HIS mind. Shall this
classic head, jetty musiachois, exquisite
imperial, and chivalric air, 90 for nothing ?
Arc the hearts of the women turned to
stone Are there not hundreds Of maids,
wives and and widows that every week
marry monsters compared to this brilliant
p%hysiognomy ; and | am good for nothing
but to be picked up by a fishing net, laid
out in The Morgne, and paragraphed in to.
morrow's Moniteur? Something must be
tried"
But that something has formed the diff
ginning of the world. While he paused.
he was struck with the voice of a Jewish
rabbi who had marched from the farther
end of the cafe, offering tickets of lottery
in which the prizes were bon 6ons. The
sound caught his ears and the idea flashed
into his head like lightning. "a lottery 4!
why every thing is done by lottery-the
worlds a lottery-iortune is a lottery
commissions in the hussars are a lottery
marriage is a lottery; and why then should
not husbands be q lottery? Why should |
drown myself when l could be drawn for
by half the femel les of France, make some
pretty woman the ~happiest' Of the happy,
and make myself rich in the bargain
He then threw aside his paper, called
the Jew into the box, found by few lead.
ing questions that he was a Jew who knew
the world-a quick, sagacious, sharp wit
ted rogue-discussed the project of the live
lottery with him, and before he left the
box he had converted the love letter into a
charming address to all the charming wo.
men of France, to purchase tickets in a
lottery, Of which The capital prize was 10
be the most captivating of mankind.
The Jew was delighted with The project,
and exhibited all the eagerness Of his tribe
in a sure speculation, and promised for a
percentage to dispose of all the shares at
the synagogue in a week. To make the
matter more secure, he insisted on Charles
receiving fifty Napoleons on the spot, and
finished the night by supping with him at
his own apartment. The Napoleons were
accepted and so was the invitation. The
Jew packed up his bon bons, called a cab
%rioIet. the pair got into it and were whirled
to the Fauxburgh ST.. Antoine. A whole
labyrinth of streets, narrow as sewers, and
dark as pitch, led them to the Jews domi.
cile. A passage like the entrance to the
Jail led them into q room which had a very
striking resemblance 10 dungeon, and
Charles began to think he had trusted the
Jew too far-but what could he be robbed
of? Still he might be sold 10 the surgeons.
The idea was not the most agreeable he
cast a glance at the Jews motions. with q
full resolve if he saw treachery, to fly on
him and strangle him on the spot. But his
valor was unnecessary, the Jew simply
touched a bell, the door opened, and to his
astonishment he found himself in a suite of
rooms furnished with the utmost magnifi
cence, splendid carpets, giIded ~fauteuils,
costly pictures, met the eye every where,
and at the end of The suite. in a room of
still more exquisite proportions and furni-
,ure, a table was furnished with n Iuxuri.
Gus supper. You think all this rather