Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1850-10-10
The French Rricklayer.


! The rplowing anecdote OF the French Bricklayer,
who has recently bccn elected deputy 10 th"
French National Assembly, is related by Paris
CORES spondont Of the London Atlas. II well illus
trates fine traits in the character q! The com
mon people oi Francc.I
The most remarkable member Of the new as
sembly is Naudaud, common working ma
son and brickhyer, without any pretenson TO
talent and who defends himself from the Impn
tation of having sought the distinction thus gra.
ciuu-ly thrust upon him The history of this
singular choice is most curious. Nandaud ,
vho i, one ofthe most honest creatures in cX-
istcnce, walked from the department of the
Creuse some few years since, with no other
baggage bu, hi, hod and lrovcl to seek en-
ploy ymrnt in Paris. Fortune favored him. and
beng found to be steady, hard working lel
lJw, he was held in high reputation by bis cjn
plo, ,ers. His wife, meanwhile had rndra,rr-
I'd 10 assist in obtaining living hy keeping a
stall from which she distributed fried potatoes,
At small profit To tie hungry comrades u.
her husband
This commerce. succeeded better than the
handcralt OF Nandaud, and il was svon found
that she rouli earn more III one day by her fry
ing pan, than he coul do in . week 10y the
most assidnou! labor. Mpdame Nau1Aud, thus
encouraged by success, opened small shop
IN the PlJce du Pantheon, which became the re
sor. of all masons and hricklaye.s III that quar-
ter. The library hiil!ug OF ST. GenevIeve
was then in progress, and sometimes rs many
as three hundred worknen wonid assemble in
the shop OF the good mother Nandaud, 10 eat
their SOUP and talk over the affairs Of Govern
mcn,, when the work was over During the
tempest occasioLed 10y The revolution Of Febru-
ary, the distress amongthe lnasons was great
er than among any other class of work people
Public employment was suspended entirely,
while private individuals no longer eager for
the iuliiment o: their contracts, dismissed the
greater portion Of their workmcn, and thou
sands were left without money, without EN-
ploymcnt and almost without hope.
ln this dilemma Naudaud stepped forward,
unable to bear the sight of misery around him
and with the consent Of llis wife, announced his
intention Of continuing to furnish dinner and
supper, as herel oiore, 10 those Of his comrades
whom the hardness oftne times had deprived
of resources. You can judge with what degree
Of enthusiasm such an announcement was
received "MIy wife has saved 6000 irancs,'
said Naudaud to the assembled workmen. "lf
we had not been honest and economical we
should have been Us poor as yo,. We will
live together upon this money ill better times
come round. Those who can earn ever SO
snal! pit,iance mus, bring it To the fund
Let us help each other, and all will go well.
OF course the proposition was agreed to on
the instant, and it is believed that in no case
was it devia,ed from during oil the trOub!ous
times.
Naulaud certainly hever expected any other
acknow wledgement o. his generous conduct than
that afforded by the esteem and gratitude Of his
friends; but his wife, who participates with a.!
French women in that same ambition and self
confidence which make the whole country sub.
icct to pettiooat rule, entered into private ar
range mtnt iih her customers, by which all
obligations due TO her were TO be cancelled by
the nomination of her husband to the Assembly.
Most Ct the nasons who work in Paris come
from, the department Of the Creuse, and the ai.
fair was soon arrangedi the popularity Of Nan-
dand amors this elias. being so great Tint he
might have been elected President had the VA.
cancy occurred. They say that the surprise
however, far exceeds tho delight with whichh"