The Republican journal., 1875-10-14
A srorn or MEXICAN JrSrIcr

! W hen NafcIS-C lsldore Dupont, llrS'
! pupil Of Il distinguished coitleur of the
| Boulevard Montmarte, went to Mexico
! it was to make his fortune lit is nei-
ther by luck or the capriccs OF fortune
! That ! am to get along in the World,' he
| said TO himself ''lf ever | want to bC
master OF pretty little property at the
| Batignoles, it viii be due entirely to my
| possessing. with love of my art, as skill
| ful Il pair OF hands as can be found in all
| France, and my eurling-irons. Come,
| Narcjsse, pioche.N And pioche, OF pitch
into things with 4 Will, did Narcisse. Ac-
cident led him TO the good city OF Guiana
| juato, in MoNico, because he had heard
that once on time Il French barber had
made Il fortune there Possessed OF Il
Slight smattering Of Spanish, acquired
| during a years apprenticeship i'll de-
partmcntal town near the Pyrcnces, Mar
cisse had very little difficulty in master
| ING the language The coii1eur soon found
a place in the shop Of German barber,
and as Narcsse was polite, assiduous and
proficient, he made his way rapidly.
OF all the cities OF MEXICO, Guanajuato
/ holds the first rank. 1t has nothing pro-
vincial about it, All day long in the
streets OF Guanajuato there is found an
| ever shifting crowd Miners, clad in their
peculiar costume, .jostIe Indians laden
| with country produce, while arrieros with
troops OF pack mules, charcoal merchants,
water carriers and dulcc sellers are con-
stantly mngling i'll their traffic.
For four long years, Narcisse toilel and
saved his wages. One day his employer
died. and the shop ana good will of the
establishment were for sale. The whole
of Narcisse's fortune amounted to 800
pesos The price asked by the Mexican
wife Of his late master was 900 pesos
at was good chance and not much out
of the way thought Narcissc "Would
his Reverence the Padre Dominique" who,
as the widows man OF business, had the
shop for sale, would he take half cash
and the rest at six and twelve months,
holding the place at the mean time as
security ?n No decidedly he would not
They all had the utmost confidence. nay
esteem, SignOr Narcisse, but such things
as time bargains We're not to be thought
of III Mexico. They would, however, give
Sgnor Narcissc q fortnight to think over
it. If the bargain was not concluded then,
why, rather than a1atc their terms a rcale,
they would shut the shop up, and Signor
Nalcisse was at liberty to 90 and open Il
shop elsewhere.0
Nmcisse, in Il melancholy mood, was
rubbing his brushes together in the bar
ber's shop when a certain Don Miguel en-
tered Don Miguel was one OF the most
carefully dressed men in Guanaiuato The
gentleman took his place in one Of the two
chairs, requesting that his hair might be
refreshed Narcisse-who, As became his
calling. was voubiIity itsclt-spoke of the
death of the master, the price OF the shop,
what he would like to pay tor it, and his
regret at not becoming the purchaser.
"Ahw said Don Miguel. ''you have five
hundred pesos? Quite a nice little sum.
Now listen, would You double it?''
''Double it? OF course that is, BY hon
est means"
Nothing easier Bet on my black
game-cock; | have wagered no end OF
ounces on him He is sure to win. Don
Ramon's cock will run away before my
Cid.n
Thanks, Signore, Tor Your offer; but
cock-lighting is not in my line Sec you,
an accidental peck might carry away the
fruits of a great deal OF labor,' replied
NarclSse.
You have no heart, no coGrage?" con-
tinued Don Miguel. PRAY, as a capital
ist, do YOU keep your money ut the bank
er's? Bankers iail sometimes"
NO do not keep it at any banker's."
"You do not carry it about YOU, do you?'
inquired the gentleman. What Narcisse
might have answered, as he tapped inyol-
unfairly On his breeches pocket, was never
| heard, because Just then II slight accident
l,,,NY II Itn II
was AN Indian water-carrer who, every
day brought two large earthernware jars
| Of water to the shop, and poured their
| contents into a stone reservoir which stood
| on one side Of the room. Either Teycoco
had drank too much pulqie, or his foot
| slipped, tor he upset FULLY Il gallon of the
water on Don Miguel's snow-white panta-
looms, so that quite Il little cataract poured
down on his white silk stockings, and Del
uged his neat glazed leather pumps.
"Awkward beast. Lelt-handed scoun-
| drel Stupid lout Low hound of a peonen
shouted the man i'll the chair, rs, in :; ter
rible rage, he seized his cane, and struck
| the water r-calrier over the head. The In
dian cringed under the punishment like a
cur, and the blow was about being repeat
ed, when Narcisse interfered.
Come, come, signore; this poor devil
did not do it on purpose. lie is very sor-
ry for it. Ii might have been my ault !
ought to have told you to take the other
chair Pray, now, do not strike him any
more. In tact, | can't allow it,"
81 would have you know, my barber
friend" said the gentleman, with a snecr.
'that | administer punishment whenever
please, ana to whom l please, and no
man may say nay to me- Now, Narcisse
who was Us peaceful as lamb, had some
peculiar ideas of his own. lie would have
looked on indtlerently when two men were
fighting it out neatly with swords, but the
idea of striking any one with q stick wa:
| brutality, according to his notions. Ther
again, there was something about the tone
of Don Miguel which Narcisse did not
relish. Narcisse, though determined, wa
very respectful. "My dear sir, one blow
is sufficient and am quite decided that {
second one would be superfluous. Pray
put down your stick" But Don Miguel
with the wet trousers and damp stockings
was remorseless, and Whirling his sticl
in the air, was about bringing it down
second time on the Water carriers head
!. when Narcisse clutched a small brass ro'
} in which a curtain hung, threw the bit O
faded calico before TeXcoco, as il Teycoc
had been q bull at the Coridas de Toros
and by a neat turn OF the wrist disarme
Don Miguel whose stick flew to the othe
side of the room. Narcisse was hand,
: with the foil. having had many bout wit
the soldiers when he worked at Tarbo.
at takes no more than that said,
Narcisso, smiling, as he picked up DO
Miguel's stick and handed it back to hin
Now, sir, l beg of you to sit down agair
Your hair must commence over again
| will heat an iron, and am not too prou
to press out your trousers for you"
Il will never honor your shop with IN
presence again. You have insulted Mex
can," and Don Miguel stalked out OF tn
shop with a bitter scowl of hate on hi
f face.
"It is bad business, MASTER" said til
Indian.
. "Yes, Texcoco."
sit is MISUNDERSTANDING more no