Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-08-27
HUMOROUS.
The sentimental pronx.

A Paris paper relates the following story:
Along the alleys of the Champs Elysees three
or four blind men who have whistled through their
cracked claIionettes, the same tunes for the last
thirty or forty years. One of them, the Oldest,
who took his station in the same place, never al
lowed day to pass, summer or winter, without
coming there, accompanied by lovely child OF
about fifteen, whom he had adopted, and white
dog always carefully combed. He would play or
torture one of national airs, repeating it over
and over for whole hours together. During this
exercise the little girl begged and the dog himself
perfectly trained, howled bitterly, in way TO at
tract the attention of passengers.
This blind man was named CTlque-IOuche-.
He had a comrade, friend from infancy, blind
like himself and like him playing on clarionette,
but instead of frequenting the Champs Elysees he
had chosen for his theatre OF action the Font DIES
Tournells. For forty-three years without inter
ruption, Gaimard, so he was named, had attracted
himself to that locality. He wore over his eyes
large green shade, and carried III front bird organ
which served him as treasury. Gallnard had
seen four revolutions take place without thinking
Of giving up his place. He was accompanied by
child of ten years, who he put in retreat as soon as
she came to the age of reason. Galimard returned
every evening to his home, which was only
wooden stall in the basement of an obscure house
in ST. Jacques street. But death which spares no
one came to knock at his door. Feeling himself
near his end he wished to consult notary. Gal
nard made his will, and two days after he died.
We were crossing the Champs Elysees, and
were told that few huorS before 4 man dressed IN
black had stopped before Cirque Touche, the 9th
er blind man, and intcrruptng him in the midst of
lis song, had addressed him in this way, 'Sir, is
your name Crique-Touchei' yes SIR fYou are
a mendcant? Eyes SIR you have an adopted
doughterl YES "A white dogl' Eyes sir
sYon have friend on the Pont DIES Tournelles?-
He is named Galimard?' 'He was named, replied
the man in black For three days his body has
been in the cemetery
The blind man uttered piercing cry, and then
sobbed most bitterly.
,S.Au right, you are Crique-Touche.'
.Gamard has constituted you his universal lega-
tee by the will which have here. He gives you
chest which he buried some feet deep in the earth,
his bird organ, his clarionette,-in word, all he
possessed. But the chest i'll question contains
eighty thousand francs.' Crique-Touchc was so
affected that his closed eyelds were raised, and he
appeared to the amazed Notary with fine clear
black eyes. The blind man embraced his dog and
his daughter and got into carriage with the two
and proceeded to the house Of the defunct.
1t was exactly as the Notary had said. The
eighty thousand francs, i'll every kind of money,
were found in the place indicated by Galimard III
his will, and on the chest was this inscription;
MY old friend Crique-Touche, If God closes my
eyes before yours, l leave you this money. You
can endow Marianne. only desire to take with
me nv claronatte. You will bury it with me-
If YOU die before me- il is to Marianne your adopted
daughter, that give all that have Remember
sometimes the blind man of The Pont des Tour
nelles.'
The two clarionette players were neither of them
ever blind.