Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-06-10
MONTPELIER,

er of your age He was called SdnS-fue-nt-
lieu, because he had nolonger any father or
mother, or any shelter. The people of his
village gave him cage and sparrow-hawk,
put some bread under his arm, and a stick
in his hand, pointed out France to him in
the horizon, and said to him, march, with
the grace of God" Sans-fue-ni-lieu depar-
ted contented enough, lost sight of his stee-
J pie, eat his bread and shared it with his
bird, but soon found the end of it. He
wandered then from village to village, sing
ing for a sous, dancing enough for two,
sweeping a chimney for little supper, and
sleeping with the cows, or under the beau
tful stars He had in this manner travelled
more than hundred leagues when he was
surprised by snow in the midst of large
forest He had walked on and on, as long
as his legs would bear him, and he was not
able to reach any house. The snow lay in
heaps before him, and hunger was joined to
his fatigue.
He had eaten nothing for three days but
roots. In word, he thought himself aban-
doned by God, he set his hawk on the ground
threw himself at the foot of tree, buried
his frozen hands in his breast, and sank
fainting from inanition. 1t was all over,
apparently, with Sans-feu-n-lieu. The snow
fell continually, and began to bury him,
when all at once sharp pain aroused him
in an instant. twas his sparrow-hawk, Bit
ing at his ear He believed that his bird
wished to eat it, and this terror terminated
him; but what was his surprise when he
saw suspended to the bill of the bird quar-
ter of roast hare, yet smoking and cooked
The hawk, half famished, had opened his
cage, and had gone to rob this prey from
the feast of some coa-burners, hard BY
Judge of the feast the child and the bird
made. Sans-feu-ni-lieu saw that one should
never despair of Providence he thanked
God on his knees, swore to aid himself as
God had aided him, and try by patience to
gain every thing He arrived at the neigh
boring town, where he worked so well that he
gained hurdy-gurdy. With this hurdy-
gurdy he gained a new coat, and entered
joyfuly into Lyons. He found there mas
ter who did not take too much pains. He
saved twenty francs with these he learned
to read, to write, and arithmetic. One day,
when he was sweeping at the house of a
burgess, he saw boy seventeen years old
shedding scalding tears because he could
not do hard sum which his father set him.
The chimney-sweeper laid down his scra-
per, did the sum in five minutes, and went
singing again to the top of the house. But
when he descended, he found the citizen,
who had discovered it all. He looked at
him from head to foot, and asked him, " How
much do you gain by the month p "From
ten to thirty francs, without counting the
hurdy-gurdy" "Well, you would gain
| bnnIroI for
The next day, Sans-feu-ni-leu had fine
coat and good room. He entered as clerk
into the house of the citizen, who was
great mechanician. When he became egh-
teen years old his wages were doubled. Soon
he perfected a machine invented by his mas
ter, and this gave him patent, and brought
him in fifty thousand francs a year. AT the
death of the father he associated himself
with the son, and both realized one hundred
thousand crowns. Do you envy already the
chimney-sweeper my friends Well, the
bankruptcy of an associate ruined him, and
he became again Sans-feu-ni-lieu. Do you
know what he did then? He went back to
the source of his fortune he was not a.
shamed to be once more journeyman ma
chinist, and by his good workmanship he
became again master, and instead of five
hundred thousand francs he quickly gained
a million. 1t is with that sum he came to
Paris, and passed from mechanics to finance
He had reflected that machines ruined a
good many workmen, and he had resolved
not to make any more, remembering his
condition at first. God has recompensed
this honorable scruple.
To-day he has increased ten-fold his mil
lion he is one of the first bankers of Paris !;
but he has forgotten neither his origin nor
his misfortunes; and to prove this, my chill
dren, he has invited you to his wedding, in
order to relate to you his own history; for
Sans-feu-n-lieu calls himself to-day, Nj. An
drew j. He has crowned his happiness
by marrying the daughter of the Marquis
de v"
And this happiness he owes only to him
self" cried Mile de v, holding out both
hands to her husband.
This narrative, which contained nothing
new to his wife nor to the intimate friends
of M. Andrew, was told by him with so
much dignity, that his guests were proud to
embrace the former chimney-sweeper, and
the voices of the peers of France were min
ged with those of the Savoyards, in one
common reclamation.
And now, my friends" resumed the
banker, it is necessary for me to show you,
before dismissing you, the instruments OF
, my fortune; you can Judge with your own
eyes if they are in the reach of all of you. u
Every body followed M. Andrew into his
cabinet He opened his strong brass chest
arranged with two divisions.
, See my millions, and behold what has
produced them !"
They saw in the top thirty portfolio:
crowded with bank notes-and in the bot
, tom the mean costume of chimney-sweep
er, stuffed hawk, hurdy-gurdy, and a pail
o of wooden shoes then some mechanic,
= tools-fles, hammers, compasses, and in
y struments of measurement, all ranged anc
: carefully kept, by NJ Andrew himself
Join to that, my friends" said he, {" two
other admirable TOOLS perseverance and e
: economy, and you will raise, like me, you
fortune, of which behold here the first stone.
. lie gave to each child louis and lttl,
= book of five hundred francs in the saving
!, bank, and after new performance of tn,
:, dances of their country, our Savoyards re
). tired, crying, Long live Nj. Andrew j.
Since this day, they have all shown them
Il Al. a Al.