Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-02-28
loves SACRIFICE.


it, THEE days after he received a second
invitation still more pressing, and contain
ing the information that the next day at
nine o'clock a carriage would stop before
his house in, ordersto convey him. TheVe-
-netresolged to let The affair take its course,
and when, on the following day, at the
striking of the clock an elegant carriage
stopped before the door,, he stepped into
it, and asked the driver to- whom he was to
carry him.
The ,dFiyerrepliedin English, t"tWhat |
do not know Z Cannot tell ~ W. "a (
Atlength the carriage stopped before the
door Of the hot6I{ { a handsome young
man Of about twenty eight years of age
received the surgeon at the door, and con-
ducted Hm.p q staifs,iito alarge chamber,
where Lie following CONVERSATION took
place.
"You have, sent fpRme?"
" am much Obliged to you for the trou-
BILE you have taken to visit me. Here is
coffee, chocolate, OF wine, if you would
take anything before the operation
IS, Snow me the patient, sir; must first
ascertain whether the injury. is such as to
render an amputation necessary"
I have perfect confidence In you-listen TO
me. Here is purse of one hundred gum
cas- this is the pay you willreceive for the
operation If done successfully it yours.
Should you refuse to- comply with my wish
es, see, here is q loaded pistol You are in
my power GbWM sllootyouY0d WaU 4
Sir, / am not afraid of your pistols
But what is your particular desire? Tell
me without preamble
Youcmast cut off my right leg"
t, With all my heart and, if you please,
your cad too. But the leg is sound d You
sprang up just now with the agility of a
dancing master What ails your leg?"a
Nothing / only want it off" iaa sg,a
Sir, you are fool"
Why does that trouble you?"
What sin has the leg committed !"
Z. None bat are YOU ready to take it.
.@."sir, Idonot know Bring me evidence
that you are sound of mind :" ''A
WiHgyou comply with my request?"
Yes, SIT, so soon as you give me suff1-5
Gent reasons for such mutilation of your,
self" e.~~.v,.
rI".I cannot tell you the truth, perhaps, for
some years but | will lay wager that.
after certain time you shall understand
that my reasons are most noble-that my
happiness my very existence, depend upon
my being free from this leg"
"Sir, lay no wagers Tell me your
name residence, family and occupation"
You shall know all that hereafter Do
you take me for an honorable man ~ M
-'J"I cannot ASrAan of honor does not
threaten his physicians with pistols L
have duties toward you as stranger.'oI
will not mutilate you. If you wish to be
the murderer of guiltless father of fam
lily, then shoot" ~, .,,y,,.,r -,
:" Well, Mr.. Thevenet, I will not shoot
you; but I will force you to take, off my
leg. What you will not do for love of
money nor thefearof a. billet, you shall
do for compassion"
And how so?" ~ = ''''
"IwiH break my leg by discharging my
.pistol-and here, before. your eyes" = :,
The Englishman seated himself and
placed the muzzle Of the pistol close to his
knees. Thevenet was on the point of
sprlnging to prevent him, but he ex-
'btir not, or fire! Now" said he,
'Iwill you increase and lengthen out my
pains for nothings"A Hi Il 1T
lTYoulare a FOOL said Thevenet,5 'fbut it
'shall'be done I will take off the unfor-
tunate leg"
The Englishman calmly laid by the pis-
tolls, and all was made ready for the opera
ton. AS soon as, the physician began TO
cut, the Englishman lighted his pipe, and
swore it should not go out. He kept his
word The leg lay upon the floor, and the
Englishman was still smoking. Thevenet
did his work like a master the wound, by
his skill, and the patients own good ma
ture, was healed at a fixed time. He, re-
warded theistrgeon like king, and thanked
him with tears of joy for the loss of his leg,
and sailed over the streets on a wooden
one. About eight weeks, after his depart
IRE, TheYenet received a letter from Eng
land with the following contents = ~ -
~ You will receive inclosed, Sasa prooflof
my most heartfelt gratitude, an order for
two hundred and fifty guineas upon Pc Mons on
Panchard, In Paris. You have made me
the happiest mortal on earth in depriving
me Of my leg, for twas tile only hindrance
to my earthly felicity Brave man, you
may now know the cause of my foolish
humor, as you called it.
=" You concluded at the time, that there
could be- no reasonable grounlgfor such
'selfmutilatien. | offered TO lay d wager
you did well in not accepting it. After my
second return from the East Indies, | be-
came acquainted with Emile Harley, the
most perfect of women. | loved her pas
sionately.l Her wealth her family eonnecI
tions, influenced my friapds in her favor
but was influenced only by her beauty
and her noble heart. joined the number
of her admirers. All excellent Thevenet,
| was so fortunate as to gain her affections.
She loved me above all--made no secret of
it--but still she rejected me- sought her
hand in vain; in vain | implored her pa
rents andfriends to intercede for me. She
was still immovable. For long time
was unable TO conjecture the cause of her
refusing me; since as she confessed herself,
she loved me almost to distraction. One
of her visitors at length betrayed to me
the secret. Miss Harley. was wonder of
beauty, but she had only one leg and ON
account of this imperfection she feared to
become my wife, lest should esteem her
the less for it. My resolution was taken.
l resolved to become like her; thanks to
you l became So | came with my wooden
leg to London, and IN the first place visited
Miss Harley. 1t had been reported, and |
myself had written to England, that by a
fall from horse had broken my leg,
which was consequently taken off, Emile
fell into swoon the first time she saw me.
She was fora long time inconsolable, but
now. she is my wife. The first day after
our marriage, l intrusted to her the secret
of the sacrifice had madei in consequence
OF my wish to obtain her hand She loves
me now the more affectionately. Oh, my
brave Theyenetl had ten legs to lose,.
would, without single contortion of fea-
ture; part with them all for nv Emile So