The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-07-23
The Miser of MarseiIIes.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
ayes, you have been very Ill, my
child" said Madame Guyot, as she
held the mug to the boys lips.
81 can only remember that l SEEM
ed to be burning up; and my mouth
is still SO dry and parched % replied
Jacques.
"You called continually for water
and would sometimes scream at the
top of your voice. But, thank Hesv-
en-, you are better now, dear and the
doctor thinks you will soon be well
again."
81 am so thirsty, and do not be-
lieve another cup of water would do
any HARM" said the lad.
mo, Jacques, not now" ans Iered
the mother, soothingly. "You must
wait awhile.p
There was knock at the front door,
Madame Guyot left the chamber and
found the doctor waiting to be admit
ted. After conversing for a few mo-
ments about the invalid, she asked /:
'tIs there no means of aIleviating his
intense suffering from thirst ?''
"You may allow him to drink free
ly now," returned the physician.
''But the water is exhausted, and
the authorities dole it out but once a
day."
The doctor paused thoughtfulIy, and
said "They are compelled to do so.
The drought continues, and it is
feared the supply will soon be wholly
"Jean thinks the fire last night
might have been arrested but for the
scarcity of water"
mo doubt of it." said the other,
curtly, as they went to the room in
which the patient lay.
Many days passed, and Jacques was
still confined TO the house. His thirst
continued unabated and at length
Madame Guyot told him the reason
she was unable to satisfy it. He re-
mained silent for long time, and at
last inquired, thoughtfully "Mam-
ma, does every one suffer so much
from thirst as do ?''
ga great many people do, my son."
reioined the mother, especially the
poor"
"Why, mamma, / thought water
was free to all, like air and light Do
people have to buy it, like houses, and
things to eat ?" ~
''Not exactly" she returned, little
puzzled 1t was evidently a new
thing to her. After a few minutes
she continued "Water is free,
Jacques but the labor of procuring it
must be paid for. The rioh man can
afford to dig wells and you know a
few of the wealthier class have aque-
ducts, which briug water from springs
or lakes in the country. When there
is q drought they are amply supplied !;
while the poor depend on the public
wells, and these always give out first" F"
"Why is there no public aqueduct?"
asked the lad.
because those who feel the need OF
il haven't the means to build one.o
Mamma" said Jacques, after a
pause, 'you once told me that papa
was RICH"
Eyes, dear; but his factory was
burned down at the time of the great
confiagration, ten years ago."
"Why didn't papa build an squeduct
for the poor when he was able 2" said
the boy.
"It would cost a great deal of
money, my child" she replied, ''and
we did not feel the need of it then"
"If there had been plenty of water
couldn't his factory have been saved?'
perhaps it might" responded the
mother ifor it was believed at the
time that the fire would have been
extInguished if there had been suffi-
cient supply OF water. There had been
severe drought that summer and
autumn and the rich were afraid to
allow the firemen to use their reser-
voirs.n
At that time Jean Guyot entered ;
and as he conversed with his wife on
household matters, Jacques reclined
on lounge by the open window, a5-
sorbed in thought.
Jacques recovery was slow and
his suffering made deep and lasting
impression on his mind. Finally they
were compelled to use water so mud
dy and brackish that even the swine
would hardly accept it, save in the last
extremity. The boys moral power
came to his aid, after the conversation
above related as he struggled man.
fully to conquer by patience what ap-
peared to have no other immediate
| remedy.