Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-29

| not being able to share in these wonderful
/ chances made him interrupt the conversation.
Let us talk of something else" exclaimed
| he, striking the table with his fist; " Of what
use is it to make my mouth water, and to show
me feast at which | can eat nOthing?'
"Who hinders yOu?" replied Crepin.
"Do you ask me-" returned Giraud; "haye
you not just told me that it would require some
thousands of francs to emigrate with you?''
| Undoubtedly"
"And do you not see that have transformed
all possess into loaYes of sugar and cakes of
/ cheeclate?''
We'll transform your chocolate and sugar
into money"
"HOw sO?'
" Sell out and give up your business. You
viii receive nearly the value of your goods.
4 and, once ecome master of your capital we
will start together for the land of gold. Come,
summon your resOlutiOn-fOrtune calls you to
| the other side of the water. In three years
we will be able to have a cook and keep a car
| riage."
| Notwithstanding his quick and impatient
disposition, Giraud hesitated; but Crepin gave
him SO many and such good reasons, opposed
/ so eloquently the long expectation and the
| eternal effort of his present profession to the
| rapid and splendid results of an expatriation
OF few years, that the young merchant could
4 no longer resist. Seized by that maIady
| which had been given the name OF the gON
ferer, he decided to abandon his humble busi-
ness Tor the chances of this country of the
Arabian Nights
His resolution once formed, Giraud would
sufer neither compromise nor delay. Profit
| ing by the absence of Crepn, who had left
/ him to pay two or three visits in the village
| he wrote to commission merchant to offer his
goods for sale. few days would suffice to
terminate the business, and thenceforth he
| would be free.
/ He would not stop to ask himself whether
he might not regret this sudden resolution
| the peaceful position he must renounce and
| the boPe OF long union desired. Urged by
ms fatai lmpatience, he sealed the letter, gave
1t to the boy that it might be mailed immedi-
| ately, and resumed his accustomed place at
| the counter.
Freed from that inward distu -bance which
attends all desperate resolutions, he began to
| prepare old waste paper and transform them
into bags.
While his fingers mechanically fulfilled this
l ONCE, his eye rested for a moment on the torn
leaves, reading some words abs emily, and his
Il mind continued to dwell on his projects
cit is better thus" thought he; ..instead of
remaining here, waiting for customers as
1 fisherman who extended his lines all day to
catch few gudgeons, will spread my nets
L In the open sea and catch the fishes by the
| handful We shall see what my fellow citi-
| zens, who do not deign to honor me with their
| custom, will say when return a millionaire
And NJ: DeViillers, who does not reply to the
letters write him. / will take him my visit
| ing card In carriage. Perhaps the Carrot
| family and Made emoiselle Rosalie will then
have finished their reflections 1t will remain
TO be known whether Ihaye not finished mineD
And as he talked to himself thus, with more
vexdtlon than satisfaction, the eyes Of Giraud,
Il tell on the paper he was about to make into
| bag, and rested on it in spite cf himself. He
read at first oarelessly, afterwards with more
| interest, the following:
| "Meng-Tren says-In human works we
| should do what Is reasonable, without hurry
| ing its accomplishment Beware of resem-
bling man in the State of Soung."
There was, In the State of SOung q labOrer
VINO was In despair because hi wheat did not
grow, and pulled it half up to make it grow
quicker AT evening he returned with a weary
ar, and said to bis family-'I am much fa-
1 ugued to-day, for l have been helping the
wheat to grow His son eagerly hastened to
look at the wheat, but the stocks were already
| withered.
"Those whe have not like the laborer, seen
the folly Of helping their wheat 10 !groy, are
| very rare in the world"
diraud remained thoughtful He read it
second, then third time, and at each perusal
| the story OF the disciple of Shoung Psien Con
| fuclus) made him more thoughtful. Did not
| be al lso resemble the peasant of Soung? Was
l not his lmpatience to have his harvest grow
and his desire OF hastening the future, urging
him to a hazardous proceeding? Was he not
| about TO enter the ranks Of those who were
| helping their wheat to grow, and exposing
| himself like the peasant to see the stalks
prematurely withered?
At this moment the boy, who had been in
! search of his jacket and CAP crossed the shop
with the letter to the commissary diraud
nesitatea moment, then recalled him, and
took the letter back
AFTER all, y said he, "there is nothing very
| urgent a"
And he resumed the manufacture of his pa
per bags.
his resolution was somewhat shaken: he
Pieaoed the tive causes before the tribunal of
his own reason, which had not vet given iu,dp-
ment; meanwhile it inclined to emigration to-
| the gold regions
IN the meantime the postmaD came with a
letter which bore the stamp of Havre. Giraud
recognised the writing of his old master an Il
hastily opened it, NJ. Devilliers responded ~
tone Of cordial patronage. He explained
tnat MS absence had prevented him writing
sooner, and granted the terms solicited by .
him.
This unexpected good fortune increased the
uncertainties of the grocer. The conditions
made by the Havre merchant were evidently
! an important advantage to him; but there still
remained the difficulty of ensuring customers
| he was reckoning over in his memory his in
| significant sales during the month in which
ms shop had been open, when his neighbor,
| the Keeper OF the cafe, entered.
| surprised the preceding day by an unusual
number Of customers, he had exhausted his
provisions, and had come to obtain some of
| the grocer He complimented Giraud on their
| quality, seemed satisfied with their price, con-
versed long time with the young merchant.
and ended by declaring that he would hence,
| forth address himself to him for all be needed.
"Others will do 80, also,' added he. :. but
| one does not easily lay aside old habits. Give
them time to perceive that it will be co5ye.
| nient and profitable to address themselves to
You. Experience comes slowly, but it comes
sooner or later. You are beginning to be
known in the neighborhood; we see that You
are an honest and industrious youth, and
| good neighbOr. Do not be uneasy as to the
future; Paris was not built in q day.
| The keeper of the cafe went out leaving
him more perplexed than ever. Decidedly,
circumstances seemed to be such as to give
him courage to combat his first resolution.
Anxious and uncertain he continued to make
his bags, now and then casting glance on
| the fragment of Chinese philosophy. In this
struggle between fear and hope, Crepin found
4