The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-02-21
The Battle of Life.
BY PHILIBERT AUDEBRAND.

young students from Paris had been spend
ing their holidays in one Of the charm'n
villages of Morvan, on the banks OF tn
Loire. They were both two-and-twent.
e., years of age, and wore the hues Of heait!
upon their checks. During couple 0
months they had lived almost like Ameri
can trappers, gun in hand and their game
bags slung across their shoulders, incessant
ly beating about the bushes, scaling noun
tains, rising at cock-crow, and eating rye
bread and mess of French beans at the
first farm they could discover in their peri
grinations. Sometimes, as a great treat
they washed down their savory meal by $
! glass of Indigenous white wine, rather tart
and very heavy, but in many respects sim
/ lar to the Rhenish wines. When evening
! camc, they selected either hare or part
/ ridge from the spoils of their days shooting,
and supped now in some wood cutters hut,
now in some way-sidc inn, frequented by
carriers.
This kind of life pleased tlcn exceedingly
| and caused salutary reaction in their sys-
| TEN, which was somewhat exhausted by
close study; for our two sportsmen had
Just taken their degrees as licentiates of the
law.
One morning as they were brcakfasting
at an inn, exhibiting the more ambitious
than appropriate sign Of 'The Mau-ofW Var,
(what, indeed, have ships to do in the
heart of forest lands:) near the pond of Var
zy, one of the young men twisted up his
shooting lsencc, and having set fire to it,
proceeded to light his cigar
"My good friend, Conrad" observed he,
'it's all very well to shoot for a few weeks,
but every thing must have an end Novem-
Der is staring us in the face, and with it will
come fog. and rain, and slcet, and snow.
Much we like Morvan, with its wolves
and boars, and 'arre hares. it viii be unbear
abe in another fortnight. So We must think
of returning to Paris"
" Ayc-to study, to pore over old law
books, and puzzle our brains" replied Con-
rad, with 4 sigh. "Such i, know, the
fate that awaits us. But, Tancred, if we
had a grain cf sense, we should ask leave to
stay here amongst these mountans"
So saying, he pointed to little cluster of
houses, almost hidden by clunp Of Lom
hardy poplars and holm oaks.
- 1t would be 50 delightful continued he,
to live and die on this spot, where our
nurses rocked us in our cradles, and where
our mothers looked on us with the eyes OF
affection. We have ripe fruits in our orch
ards, excellent wine In our cellars, and good
horses in our stables. What lno.e can we
wish for:"
Bravo cried Tahcred ironically; you
had better put the finishing stroke to this
delightful picture, by qa0tng Julius Caesars
saying: For my part, so far from caring to
be first in village, Id rather be the last in
Rome"
That is piece of mock modcsty. Tan
cred,' said his friend, (which. literally
translated, means that one would like TO be
first fiddle everywhere"
Well, anyway. village would not suit
me. Now. only suppose your wish real
Zcd-you would be made a country notary,
and !, perhaps, justice OF the peace; then
before couple Of years had rolled over our
heads, our families would have gwen us each
for wife some farmers daughter, with
cheeks red as love apples, and as notable
may be"
Should we be so very much piticd for
that - asked Conrad.
Hear me to the end. Our excellent
wives would bring US each sixty thousand
francs, which is reckonel 4 handsome for
tune in this place and folks would say OF
US. How happy they are.' But wait a bit.
Before ten more years have rolled over our
heads, | should see SIX sons, Of various sizes
seated at my table. and you six daughters,
lkcw.s sc asserted s.zeS-or you would have
SIX sons, and | six daughters-wc Will not
quarrel on that score, rs don't care which;
but what do care about, is MOTTO hang any
such weight round ny neck. Where would
be the use Of all our studies: Surely, as
we have as yet only tasted the bitters. let
US now aspire to the sweets Of the tree Of
knowledge, and enjoy them to perfection,
there is but one place, and that is Paris.
Then let Us CO. said Conrad resignedly. T.
The next day they took their leave, and .
set off in the diligence, as railroads were
not yet in existence, aud in three days they
reached the capital.
We have already said that each Of these .
young men had his diploma in his pocket, /
winch provincial parents generally seem to
a certain passport TO fortune; while /
the fact Il, the young aSpirant must then
enter upon noviciate, thousand tunes
more difficulty and more trying, before he
can obtain 4 single client.
Ii was after due consideration OF all the .
obstacles that would besct his path, that
Conrad gave up the idea OF aspiring TO the /
bar the very first day.
My good friend, said he to Tancred,
- you can become celebrated practitioner .
and learned jurisconsults ii you please
it is not | who will enter into competition .
before | attempt it,"
''Ihen what do you intend to do:' asked .
Tancrcd.
Il intend becoming painter, or else an .
engraver-an artist of some sort. In short
An artist! SO you wish to die of hun
ger, do you, my good fellow:'
Leave that old, stale joke to silly peo-
pie" said Conrad: 'you know painters no .
longer in hospitals. Many have not only /
magnificent mansions, but country seats in
to the bargain. Even upstarts no longer /
to affect to disdan them. Bankers, /
ministers, and even princes, |
are but too happy to fill their drawing-rooms !
with painters, poets, ,sculptors and musicians.
Don't the newspapers mention the names oil
all the celebrities that attended such and
such .fete, while they would never think ,
of cnumerating those of the monied men
who were present? Now, envy the fame /
that may be required by a stroke of the pen /
or pencil, or ehisel, as the case may be-. /
" Zach has his own views, said Iancred,
cOldly. 81 have no fear but what shall
acquire both fame and fortune at the Palace
of Justice"
81 hope you will, replied Conrad But /
as we are now about TO follow two distinctly
opposite careers, and are therefore not like
ly to meet often, should wish to propose
that we keep up our old friendship, by
agreeing to spend day together, once eve
ry year" -,
Agreed said the lawyer; but which
day shall it be 2"
"Let us say the anniversary Of our re,
turn to Paris. This is now the 3lst day OF
October. @
They then shook hands and parted.
A year flies rapidly enough. especially In
Paris, and more especially at the age OF our
two heroes, and the 3lst of October seemed
to come round faster than they had expect
cd Faithful to their ayr, ement, they met
at dining-room in the Paais Royal, such
being the place appointed by one OF them.