Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-04-10
AN AMERICAN.FRENCH DUEL.

AN AMERICAN.FRENCH DUEL.
A Freuchman of fashion does not much
care TO reach the age of thirty without
having "made his proofs;" that is, with.
out having fought somebody. If he be OF
a temper naturally amiable, he will best
consult his own interests by getting three
dueIs comfortably over before his twenty
fifth year; then he can practice amiabilitY
for the rest of his days without being open
to miscOnstruction. Of course, in the
case of Olympian young gentlemen like
the Due de Sangbleu this rule suffers Cx-
ception, for in the first place a Duke is
everywhere treated with the Difference he
deserves, and, in the second place, should
he not be so treated, he may resent the
first symptoms of impertinence with a
cold stare, which will freeze the insulter's
tongue to his palate, recalling him to a
sense of social differences. In fact, if a
Duke has duel it is one of his own
choosing-except, indeed, he patronizes
the turf, in which event he will have tenn
porarily exchanged his coronet for a
Jockey cap, and must bear the rubs OF
Longchamps and Chantilly as he finds
them.
But take the case of a man like M
Pistache, who has nothing Olympian
about him, and whose cold stares might
not produce all the effect desired. 1t is
not enough that people should be able to
say in answer TO the inquiry, Who is NJ.
Pistache?" IN. Pistache is that young
man with black head and buff gloves
he sits on the committee for encouraging
woodcocks, and leads cotillon now and
then with rare spirit" The people
should be able to add, "And NJ. Pistache
is plucky fellow, too, who fought Mon
| sieur A. with foils and Monsieur b. with
pistols, both about nothing, for he Is a
| terrible character when the mustard
mounts TO his nose" This sort of GER
| tificate raises man in the worlds es.
TEEN; and, failing it, M. Pistache might
risk being called "ce bon Pistache,"
which would be intolerable. For " lie bon
Pistache" would mean the Pistache of an
obliging turn, like the dog who let his
tail be trodden on "You may slap him
on the back, send him to Rome with a
telegram on All Fools Day, and joke
with him about his grandmother
facetie not to be endured moment by
any Frenchman careful as to appearances.
Besides, dueling has this advantage, that
until you have pinked few contempt.
raries it is not decent to proclaim your
opinion that dueling is foolish custom,
weak and absurd
Now M. Pistache when he came to
Paris last December for the winter season
had not yet made his proofs, and was in
wardly humiliated at it, Was it that his
sweetness of disposition had prevented
or that he lacked that eminently social
| - Of Aafa Nffa xxyha
meantP Anyhow, he had kept at peace
with the world, and, as a result, saw that
repugnant adjective of "bon" looming
upon him with perceptible speed. Yet
! no could not oall man aut for elanpinn
him on the back, nor force people to say
disagreeable things which must be washed
out in blood. His mord was to be smile
full, and mankind paid back his smiles
so cheerfully in the same coin that, shorl
of going into his club, catching up the
hat of some testy member and putting II
politely but firmly into the fireplace, he
saw no method whatever of getting up an
affair of honor. However, when mar
knows that he must pay subscription Al
some time, he naturally makes his ar
rangements for paying conveniently; ano
M. Plstache, who knew that his tribute o.
blood could not be STAYED off eternally
had actually been taking series o
ferocious fencing lessons with view tC
meeting his call with intrepidity 80 soor
as it should arise, when that highly'un
pleasant Soutzo trial occurred A tern
of solitary confinement in the prison o
Mazas with cocoa-nut matmaking for hi
daily occupation was not the kind o
fruit which he wished his duel to yield
so that on the whole this sad attai
wreathed his brow in melancholy. Not
that if M. Pistache had been truly ben
on drawing his sword, the fear of penal
! ties need not have deferred him an hour
Nothing is easier than for principals an
seconds to pledge their words
secrecy, and under such condition
murderous combat can be tough
out pleasantly in sequestered spot b,
yond eve and ear shot of justice-lndeeC
, such duels are fought every week i
, France by men who mean business.
! But then, M. Pistache did not mea
! business in the tragical sense of th'
Z term. What he wanted was gallant, vi
. deadly duel of the traditional sort, wit
!, plenty of newspaper putting, mutu
/ compliments, reconciliatory breakfa
/ and perhaps small fine 10 wind up wit
/ Thus he would have exchanged bitter b'
D witty words with his antagonist in
e public place-say the slips of pla
Q house-and cartel would have bee
: hurled Ia Regence, amidst a bevy
e actresses paling with emotion and inte
v posing their tears and white arms to sti
n the martial ardor of the disputants. The
n when the duel had triumphantlY ended
}. two scratches and champagne for seve
h including the surgeon, the press wou
It have published minute and excited proc
It Uer6allg of the whole affair, stating he
(. chivalrously the parties had conducts
n themselves; and both the Public Pros
IS cutor and the Judge would have bor
e their own homage to the general brave
', of the proceedings. This is how a prop
II duel between Frenchmen should be carri
k through, as every living duelfst of nj
n from M. Henri de Pene TO M. Paul
% Casssgnac can testify; but your gashi
IS hole and corner duels, with no pa
N graphs in the papers, no champagl
g. but policemen and imprisonment as
ID climax, are revolving things-only fti
Germans or savages.
All this clearly laid down, let it be !
of agined what were the feelings of M. /
TO tache when, just as he had begun
tell himself that he must be prudent TO