The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-02-26
SELECT STORY.
THE SECRET AGENT.
From Lippincott's Magazine

| FROM l-lpflhcOttS s Magazine.
He was born in a little Corsicar
village almost in the center of the
island which was the birth place OF
the great Napoleon; and this seems
to have foreshadowej the strange
intimacy which afterward existed
between himself and ''his uncle's
nephew" At four years old he had
the misfortune to lose his mother,
and was left alone with bis over.
indulgent father, who spared the rod,
and not only repented of it in his
own conscience, but made the son
more than once in his stormy career
wish that he had been punished as a
boy rather than be forced to pay a
fearful penalty in later life. A man
of magnificent name, Muma Murac-
cioli, and of lofty antecedents-for
he had been a cOmbatant in the bat
tie of Waterloo-became his first
teacher iii village school. But his
impetuous, reckless temper soon
brooked norestraint he domineered
by force or by cunning over his
schoolmates, beating the little ones
and biting the larger; and he spared
not the unlucky master, who was a
brave soldier, but bad teacher
Whenever the boy was punished, he
revenged himself Instantly by play
ing the poor ex-soliier 4 tick. and
soon his reputation becarhe so bad
that if the church steeple had been
found missing some fine morning,
the future "secret agent" would at
once have been suspected.
He was speedily dismissed, and
sent to watch over the goats of bis
uncle. But here also he was rather
spoiled, for he knew full well that he
was neither the servant nor the shep-
herd of his uncle, his mothers broth
er, but his adopted son, who FOR a
pastime only tended the goats that
we're his own, as they had formed
part of his mothers dowry. His
temper, naturally fierce and fiery,
instead of being guided and checked,
became only more self-willed by his
uncle's kindness and the wild free
dom he was allowed to enjoy. His
great amusement was to chase the
horse or the OK he might meet on the
scanty mountain pastures, or to en-
gage in a regular steeple-chase after
a wild ass, never resting content till
he had captured and subdued the
animal. This practice made him as
fleet as he was strong, and he soon
became noted in the village games
for his superb physical development.
For six years he never saw a church,
house or a bed. During Spring
and Summer he lived in the noun
tains, while Autumn andWinter were
spent on the wild coast in sight of
the Mediterranean.
When he was fifteen years old, his
father suddenly concluded to take
him home and make a farmer of him.
The laborious life of peasant, was,
however, not at all to his taste; after
many years of freedom, during which
he had either roamed merrily over
the country or lounged lazily on the
fragrant turf, he found little pleasure
in bending over his work, and dig
ging and hoeing day after day. 1t
was probably with view to escape
from this drudgery that he allowed
his father to marry him, at the early
age of nineteen, after Corsican fash
ion, to young cousin of bis, whom
he had often seen at the house, and
always heard spoken OF as gentle and
virtuous. She was, however, no
sooner married than the dove chang
ed into hawk. She thought only
of her own family, for whose benefit
she robbed her husbands house and
soon the young husband and wife
found it impossible to live any Ion
ger under the same roof.
Fortunately, a remedy was ready
at hand. The conscription called
for young Corsicans and, although
the henpecked man might have OBJ
tanned substitute through the kind
ness of his relatives, he preferred
the risk of being killed in battle to
the wretchedness of his home. The
same evening on which he had de-
clared his intention to enter the-army
saw him leave his father in secret, to
avoid the tears and lamentations of
the rest Of the family.
Griscelli-for such was the name
of our hero-went straight 10 Ajac-
clio, the cradle of all the Bonapartes,
and entered the Sixtieth regiment of
the line as recruit 1t was, however,
not there, but in small village near
Murato, that he commenced his mill
tary career as conscript. The very
morning after his arrival he was out
on the drill ground, and regaIed
with a thousand eyes right :"
"Eyes left - His Lieutenant hap
pened 10 be Corsican like himself,
and became interested in his welfare
he sent, therefore, for Griscelli, and
.rosd imam him the imDortauee of