Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-06-26
CHAPTER III.

so long ago"
CHAPTER ILL.,
"Here comes old dry-bonesw cried {
ragged boy to his mates as they were a
play by the roadside. 1t was gooC
many years after Annette's marriage.
"Give it to him" shouted another, al
he picked up a handful of mud, and, aftel
rolling it into ball, threw it at an ole
man as he was passing by. AT this tho
boys all began to follow the example ol
their leader. Some threw sticks; somC
sand and dirt; and one or two sent stones
whizZing through the air.
He's an old mserm exclaimed one OF
the lads. mamma says he is"
" He is too mean and stingy to live
said one boy, better dressed than the
others. MY grandmother says Inc
starved his mother fifty years ago, anC
has hated everybody ever since"
A crowd of urchins had now gathered
around the old man, and some of then
had picked up long sticks, with which
they annoyed him. One lad knocked of
his hat; and, as the man stopped to pick
it up, the well-dressed boy struck his
cane and knocked il into the gutter. Sew.
eral dogs were in the crowd; and the
boys set them on the old man. At this
juncture a carriage came up; and in il
there were two young ladies, a man in
prime of life, and an old lady
Papa" said one of the girls, can't
| you make those rude boys let the poor
man alone?n The gentleman looked out
of the window, and said; " For shame,
lads, to trouble a helpless old manw
Hes an old miserw " He robs the
poorr "He lives in garretm He
hates everybodyw shouted many eager
voices. The old lady looked out and ex-
claimed:
Poor Jacques for he it is, l am sure
how changed! But the boys are right =;
he is miser, and never speaks to any
one, if he can avoid it,"
"Do you know him, grandma?" said
one of the young ladies.
Yes my dear" replied Annette; for it
was she. ave were playmates when we
were children. But Jacques had fever,
and after that grew very odd and melan-
choly. AT last he began to grow penu-
rious; and for mSny years he has been
known as the miser.' have not spoken
With SiSM hin hRs since iI my marriage-which you
and have only seer him occasionally on
the street.
Two days later a crowd of persons
men, women and children-might have
been seen in front of the little dwelling
house where we first introduced our
readers to Jacques Guyot and his mother.
Il live next door there" said car
penter, in his shirt-sleeves and without a
hat on his head; land my wife has seen
no one about the house these two days"
He promised to call at my store yes
terday," said "A grocer, to pay me some
money, and he is always prompt in such
matters"
"And he said he would call at my
store to collect the rent" remarked a
tailor; and he hasn't been near since"
"That's not like him." added another.
Something's wrong when Jacques Guyot
isn't on hand to receive the money"
An officer had arrived; and they pro-
ceeded to force the lock of the front
door There was strong iron bolt in
side; and the entrance was effected with
some difficulty. Nothing was found in
the first room but a parrot, which seemed
to be delighted to see the newcomers.
Poor Jacques!" it said, "poor Jacques!"
Then, on seeing two or three boys in the
crowd, the bird screamed, bad boys
poor Jacques! Bad boys; poor Jacques"
For minute or two there was a pro-
found silence; not stir or whisper broke
the stiffness. The officers then ap-
preached the chamber, the door of which
was slightly ajar. 1t was pushed open,
and eagerly the crowd gazed into the
room. There was the old man kneeling
in front of great iron chest, his head
bent forward and one hand on the edge
of the box, while the other grasped an
old, brown-looking piece of paper. Then
the authorities were sent for, an investi-
CATION made, and prOces-UerbdL drawn up
to the effect that the defunct had come
to his death by heart-disease.
The paper he held was very old doc
ument and so faded that it was scarcely
legible. The deceased had, apparently
taken it out to examine it; and he had
written down at the close of the will
! for such il was-the amount of his prop
erty, and the manner in which it was in
! vested.
The officer who directed the proceed
! ings was man far advanced in years.
| He had been comrade of Jacques in
their boyhood, but had lost sight of him
! for many years There were tears in the
old mans eyes as he held up the instru-
ment and said, in a shrill and broken
voice, to the motley group which had as
semblcd: My friends and townsmen
here lies the body of man whom the
city ridiculed and despised as heartless
mser. The boys hooted at him in the
streets, and pelted him with dirt and
stones. People taught their very dogs tO
bark at him as he passed. The poor up,
braided him, and the rich sneered and
pointed the finger of scOrn at him as they
rode by in their coaches. Let me read
you his will"
He paused to wipe his spectacles, and
then began in "A measured tone
"MARsEILLEs, Aug. /, l775.
"When was a child, fell III OF a fever, and dur
| ing my recovery suffered intensely from thirst
There had been severe drought for months
/ and the water, always poor In quality was almos
| wholly exhausted. Al that time my mother tol'
me that many hundreds Of the poorer class suffered
| In the same way, She also told me that my hthe
chiefly because there was am insufficient supply O
water to eXtingush the flames. For these reason
bequeath all my property of every kind aiter IN
penses to my native city Of Marselles, for the pnr
pose ofproviding wateT-wOrks which shall suppl
the entire community free OF expense o,,,o,, ,
After slight pause, the officer con
tinued "This is the original document
and is much faded. What | shall nov
read was apparently written on the da,
of his death, and is very brief;
'AUG. /, 1925.
fortune Of more than four million francs; and
above named. JACQUES GuroT."
Such is the pathetic story of Jacque
Guyot, the miser of Marseilles.-J II
Temple, IN Old and Ne,O for June.
. aa -
The census just taken shows the pol
ulation of Providence, II. l., 10 be 90 ,59S
The Drolonped suspension of work at th