The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-15
AN UNFORTUNATE PIG.

In an amusing book lately translated and
published, concerning the wild-sports of eer-
tain district in France, called lie Morvan,''
the following account of the life Of an unfortu-
nate pig is given by The author "A cure,
exiled to deserted part of our torests-and
casions, lived only on fruit and vegetables-hit
upon most admirable expedient for providing
an animal repast to set before the cures of the
neighborhood, when one or the other, two or
three times during the year, ventured into these
dreadful solitudes, with view of assuring
himself with his own eyes that his unfortunate
colleague had not yet died of hunger. The
cure in question possessed a pig, his whole
fortune and you will see, gentle reader, the
manner in which he used it. Immediately the
bell announced a visitor, and that his cook had
shewn his clerical friend into the parlor, the
master of the house, drawing himself up ma
jestically, said to his house-keeper: "Brigitte,
let there be good dinner for myself and my
friend" Brigitte. although she knew there
were only stale crusts and dried peas in her
.larder, seemed in no degree embarrassed by
this order: she summoned to her assistance
"Toby, the Carrot" so called because his hair
was as red as that of a native of West Gallo
way, and leaving the house together, they both
went in search OF the pig. This, after short
skirmish, was caught by Brigitte and her car
roty assistant; and. notwithstanding his cries,
his grunts, his gestures of despair, and suppli-
cation the inhuman cook, seZing his head,
opened large vein in his throat, and relieved
him of two pounds of blood this, with the ad-
diton of garlic, shallots, mint, wild thyme and
parsley, was converted into a most savorv and
delicious black.pudding for the cure and his
friend, and being served TO their reverences
smoking hot on the summit of a pyramid of
yellow cabbage, figured admirably as small
Vesuvus and centre dish. The surgical ope-
ration over, Brigitte, whose qualifications as
semptress were superior, darned up the hole in
the neck of the unfortunate animal, and he was
then turned loose until fresh supply of black
puddings should be required for similar oc-
casion. This wretched pig was never happy
how could he be so? Like Damocles of Sy-
racuse, he lived in state of perpetual fever I;
terror seized him directly he heard the cures
bell, and seeing in imagination the uplfted
knife already about to glide into his bosom, he
invariably took TO his heels before Brigitte was
halfway to the door to answer it. Ii, as usual,
the peal announced diIer-out, Brigitte and
Gold-button were soon on his track, calling him
by the most tender epithets, and promising that
he should have something nice for his supper
skim milk, &c.-but the pig with his painful
experience was not such u fool as to believe
them: hidden behind an old cask, some fagots,
or lying in deep ditch, he remained silent as
the grave, and kept himself close as long as
possible. Discovered, however, lie was sure TO
be at last, when he would rush into the gar
den, and, running up and down it like a mad
creature, upset everything in his way; for Sc
veral minutes it was a regular steeple-chase-
across the beds, now over the turnips, then
through the gooseberry -bushes-in short, he
was here, there, and everywhere; but in spite
of all his various stratagems to escape the fa-
tai incision, the poor pig always finished by
being seized, tied, thrown on the ground, and
bled the vein was then once more cleverly
sewn up, and the inhuman operators quietly
retired from the scene to make the cures far
famed black-pudding. Half-dead upon the
spot where he was phlebotomised, the wretch
ed animal was left to reflect under the shade of
a tulip-tree on the cruelty of man, on their bar
barous appetites; cursing with all his heart
the poverty of Morvinian curates, their con-
ceited hospitality, of which he was the victim,
and their brutal affection for pigs blood"