Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-12
THE MIsER OF MARsEILLE,
lcoNCLUDED.1

j acQues
and Madeline, once more twitted Madame
Ouyot, saying, ii plainly was not love that
made her son such a miser in his habits: but
she answered. them more proudly than ever.
that Jacques would now look higher for a wife
90, nrst one great lady and then another was
said to be the fair object for whom our hero
cherished secret passion, and whom he was
trying to equal In wealth. But though Madame
Guyot f0stered the idea. she. Door souI knew
better for only a few days after the marriage
OF his one ssTe, Jacques had begged her in a
broken voice to ind out whether the little ves-
SCI IN winch Madeline had borne the precious
draught OF water to his bedside. a dozen long
years ago, were still in existence
my son, said Madame Guyot, {. since
You did SO love Madeline, why did you let her
go! She would not now be the wife of a stran
ger, Il you had asked her for thyself''
Better as it is, mother" replied Jacoues
though his lip Guivered while he spoke and
again begged his mother to procure what he had
mentioned, at any cost.
Madame GuyOts mission proved successful
though the mother of Madeline marvaIIed
greatly at the request; and both the worthy
Instrons agreed that the conduct of Jaedues was
problem beyond their power to solve. Eager
iy was the little vessel seized by him, and after
Desto"lng many grateful thanks on his mother,
he conveyed 1t to his own little room. Could
the thing Of clay have spoken, it might have
told bow, when others slept, JACQUES spent
many an hour in sighs, and even tears. Av.
Ior every drop OF water it hsd once held, the
strong man paid in tears a thousand fold.
Years sped on, and the father and mother of
Jacques passed from the earth. The young
man had been called miser, even durinp their
lItetlme, but now, indeed, he merited the title
Ever craving for money, he added to his store
by the strictest parsimony. His clothes were
Pa.cned oy himself, again and again till no
traces OF the original stuff remained General
ly has feet were bare and even when he wore
any covering on them, IL consisted of old shoes
tnat mad been cast away as worthless, and
picked up by him in Eis solitary wanderings
through the town. His food was of the coarsest
description, and taken simply to sustain life
lie no longer occupied the dwelling in which
ms early days had been spent; his present
home was an old and rOomy house built with n
degree OF strength which defed any attempt at
entrance, unsanctiOned by the will Of its occu-
pant; at least without degree of force being
used, which must inevitably have led to dis.
cOvery. Here, then, dwelt jacques Guyot quite
alone But far worse than alone was he when
absent from his house, tor the evil repute in
which he was held was such, that as he walked
the little children ran shouting after him !:
There goes GuyOt. See the wretched miser
now thin he Is He srudges himself food TO
make himself fat, and clothes to cover his lean
old body. Then the mischievous urchins
would cast stones at Jacques, and load him
with insults, unchecked by their parents. But
even this was not the worst. One day he met
friend, or at lesst he had been so in youth, and
whom ne had not seen for many long years.
For the moment, Jacques forgot his rags and his
lsolation-it was so long since kindly word
lad been bestowed on him, and oh, how he
yearned to win it. Eagerly he advanced, with
an lndescribable CLEAN OF Joy lighting his
plnched features; but his former comrade shrank
back, holding up his hands, as if to forbid his
nearer approach, saying. as he did So: - | will
nttl hold vrifh
you not love thy money better than her who
ought to be your wife but You suffered u stran-
ger To carry her away. and now the accursed
thing Is dearer 10 you than yourself, though
You have neither child nor kin to whom TO
leave it. Away, touch me not
Another trial came still later, and ii was the
hardest of all. A pOrtly dame, elderly. bat
still fresh and eomely-lOOking, and with fair
daughter / y her side, passed leisurely along,
the streets of Marseille. They seemed to be
new arrivals; but the elder one was evidently
no stranger, for she pointed out to her daugh-
ter various changes which had been made of
late. Jacque Guyet looked earnestly at the
girl, for her features brought vividly to his
mind those Of the object Of his one lOve-dream,
and as he came near, he heard her mother call
her Madeline. Another glance and he recOg-
niEed the elder female as ths Madeline of his
youth Though so many years had gone over
his head, his pale face was in a moment flushed.
Again he forgot the curses and the stones daily
shOwered around him; the vision of the bright
eyed, with the little treasured pitcher in her
hand, was before him, and he too was for an in
slant young but tor how brief an instant
Madeline, even In her distant home had heard
OF the mlser GuyOt, who heaped up wealth,
though with none to share il, and denied even
the smallest aid to the miserable. though sur
rounded with gold. Even at that moment, too,
sLe heard the taunts Of the passers-by; so,
gathering her skirts closely around her, as
though his very touch would poison, she swept
by with such look of scOrn as rooted the
miser to the spot, and brought back the sense
Oi his loneliness more terribly than ever.
Though DO inhabitant of MarseilIe ever en-
tered the miser's dwelling during bis life, yet
/ am able to tell how be spent his time there.
know he never entered his silent, eomfortIess
home without feeling that his heart would leap
with joy " hear friendly yoi;e, or if he might
be permitted TO clasp child to his bosom. L
know that, IN spite Of insults, reprOaches, AMI
taunts his heart teemed with loving kindness
10 his fellow creatures, and often, when suffer
ing from them, he would even smile, and mur-
muir - 1t is because they know Inc not; for one
day these curses will be turned into blessings"
Ay, ant that, when seated on his hard bench
10 take the food needful to prolong his life until
the object should be accomplished, for which he
had given up all that could tend to its enjoy
Inent, he prayed for blessing On his coarse
fare; and l know, too, that after each more
asked from the same Almighty source strength
10 = endure 10 the end -
A very old man was Jacques GuyOt when the
end came, but be met il with joy and hope. for
he then lived long enough TO finish his self-im-
posed task. Stretched upon his wrstched pal
let, he smiled and talked 10 himself An,
Jacques, said he, . they will never more call
thee accIrsed. The last stone has been cast at
thy worthless carcass, for worthless il may well
be called, since even the worms will scarcely be
able To banquet on the scanty covering OF thy
Old bones But oh, what joy TO think the miser
has not lived in vain. And thou, too, said he.
taking in hand Nadeline's little pitcher " well
hast thou performed thy part Though bat 4
thing Of clay. the sight OF thee has reminded me
each day and hour that, having given up her to
whom thou didst once belong, no greater sacri-
hce could be demanded from me; and more than
that, IT ever brought before me the memory OF
the one pressing want which the resolution God
has, IN his goodness, given me strength TO fulhl-
L Hill indulge just one weakness, aud, having
taken uy Last drau0ht frnm thee no other lin