Connecticut western news., 1875-02-26
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 AN ANECDOTK OF, ADOPTION.
How 1t Is Done in France, and the Unfor-
 tunate Situation of One WiRgins.

AN AN1ODVAh V1 ADV1 AAVNe
 How 1t is DOne in France, and the Unfor-
 tunate Situation of One WiRsins.
 Says the French Civil Code: "A man may adopt as his child and constitute as his heir, with reserve of one-third of his property to the heirs-at-law, any person who shall have saved his life.." An incl dent has lately occurred which has at tracted attention. One day there ap- peared in the Paris papers an advertise ment offering 10,0 francs year for adoptionby dn a1ithentic dtike or prince: The advertisement was inserted by 6 Frenchman, who, liable to do military duty, had deserted, left France, made Q fortune abroad, and was anxious to spend it at home. He was liable at any moment to arrest for desertion. His name was Charles Gredon, but he ap- peared in France under the name of Wig gins. ,tAg,a ....... > ..vif. i5-f .-..-5i ..
 One day there appeared at Wiggins rooms 0 dilapidated little old man. You are the Due de Pontbrise 2" said Wiggins, motioning him civilly to a chair. "Yes; and Marquis de Vieuxcre- neaux; that would be the. title of my eldest son if had one, but I haven't" !" 'I should like to see your parchments. !" "I have them all in my pocket. Our family was ruined by the Revolution; we picked up again under Charles X., but unhappy speculations under the reigns of Louis Philippe and the late usurper stripped me of all I had recov- cred and brought me to my present plight, which is wretched enough" tAnd you would be ready to adopt me for 1O, GOO francs year2" Pardon me, I should like the capital of that income, 200, ,O00 francs. down" +..-. ....,..,..... a2
 The investigation being satisfactory, Wiggins gave the man 1000 francs to buy clothing to make him presentable and his note-of-hand for thirty days for 200, GOO francs, and arrangements for adoption were made. t..,. ..f,.....
 Some three weeks after the above in cidents pleasure party of five took a boat at St. Cloud to go and fish for gudgeon on the Seine. There was the Due de Pontbrise, fresh shaved, and clad in fine country suit of gray; our Wiggins in Panama; a brother Ameri- can, enriched by oils ; and Q brace of genuinely ennobled Frenchmen, whose acquaintance Wiggins had picked up at one of those Parisian clubs to which moneyed foreigners obtain such easy ac cess. The oily American and the two French nobles had frequently dined with Wiggins of late, and had always met at his table that venerable Due de Pont- prise, whose conversation, at once festive and polished, sparkled with those reel tals of the t' grand "siecle" which are only to be found iu the mouths of old nobles and in dictionaries of anecdotes.
 The duke appeared to have taken 8 great fancy to Wiggins, and it was touch ing to behold how Wiggins reciprocated that affection. Even as the party started now upon that boat trip Wiggins could not restrain the impulses of his heart, which led him to offer his arm to the old duke as the latter made his way to the seat in the stern, and then to cover up his grace's thin legs filially with a fur rug. But when the boat had glided into mid-stream, propelled by it's four oars, what should the valiant but imprudent duke do but stand up suddenly to admire the view of the forest on the heights above the river. 'ss Monsieur le Due, I beseech you not to stand up while the boat is moving" exclaimed Wiggins, in pathetic entreaty. tDo not fear for me, my young friend" answered the duke, paternally; "I cannot swim, but my feet are steady, and the scenery is really''- Heigho before the incautious nobl, could get out the adjective which was to qualify the scenery, sudden lurch of the boat caused him to founder headlong into the tide, the soles of his new boots swirling upwards like Q pair of corks. "Great heavens can any one swim2' shouted Wiggins, in horror "No,'' chorused the oily American and the two Frenchman. "Then l can't either, but I'll hazard my ife,'' yelled Wiggins, and he took heroic header. At this moment, however, 8 cry far out topping the dismay of the previous shout sprang from the throats of the three men in the boat, for at St. Cloud the river takes 0 bend, and round this bend was seen steamer from Paris bearing straight down upon the drown ing duke and the devoted Wiggins, who was clutching him by the hair. '' ."
 Another three weeks, and the scene is 8 room; the dransotis, aoersonoe, Wig gins in bed, with his head shaved, a sister of mercy, and two policemen. One of the policemen has painful communi- cation to make. "Monsieur Gredon, '' he says, sympathetically, "you are we'll enough now to be told that you are in custody for desertion. You let out the fact that that you were Charles Gredon while raving in fever, and the hotel people communicated with us." Wig gins sighs, "You have not yet told me how come to be here. jumped into the river, but I am 8 good swimmer enough" "Yes, but a steamer passed over you luckily without hurting your old friend in the gray suit, who swan away, and has never been heard of since. 6" Never been heard of since P bawls Wiggins, collecting his senses; but he had note-of-hand for 20G, 900 francs of mine, and he called himself a duke. "Ah, there are plenty of dukes of his sort in France" answered the policeman philosophically.