The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-03-30

Il :
til you tell me your name, place of resi-
dence, position and family
"You shall be made acquainted with
all these particulars at some future time,
but not at present. | beg you to consider
me man Of honor"
| ga man of honor does not utter un-
iustiiabie threats against his doctor. /
have TO perform aduty even toward you,
who are stranger to me. Ny reasons
for refusing to accede to your absurd
request are, as you must admit, sound
and Just. Do you wish to be the mur-
derer of an innocent father of large
| family ?"
Well, Monsieur Lefebvre," replied
the Englishman, taking up the pistol, " |
will not fire upon you, and yet will
compel you to cut off this leg. What
you refuse to do to oblige me, through
love of gain or fear of a bullet, you shall
do through humanity"
How 20, sir 7"
81 intend to shatter my leg with this
pistol, and that, too, before your eyes" !"
answered the Englishman, who accord
ingly seated himself, cooked the pistol
and then took deliberate aim at his
knee-joint.
| Lefebyre rushed forward to prevent
him, but. the Englishman coolly ex-
claimed: .s iestsr ilt
"De not come near; if you do / fire.
Now only answer me this question: Do
you wish to prolong my suffering need
iessIy % z''...s ~ =
"Sir, you are mad, answered the doc
tor, in despair; Shut have your own
| way-I am ready to do as you WISH"
Everything was ready for the opera
tion. As soon as the surgeon took up
his instruments the Englishman lighted
his cigar and declared he would smoke
until the operation was concluded. He
kept his word. The lifeless leg rested
upon the floor, but the Englishman still
smoked on. The operation had been
| performed in most masterly manner,
and, thanks to DR.. I.efebyre's skill and
attention, the patient soon became per-
fectly recovered, although, of course, he
had to be supplied with wooden leg.
He rewarded the surgeon, whom he had
learned to esteem more and more every
| day thanked him with tears in hiseyes
| for the great obligation under which he
had laid him, and in q short time started
for England.
About two months after his patients
departure the surgeon received the fol-
lowing letter from England:
IncIosed you will receive token of
my boundless gratitude--a bill of ex-
change on my banker in Paris for six
thousand five hundred francs. You have
rendered me the happiest of men by rid
ding me of limb which was an obstacle
in the way. of my happiness. Learn,
then, the reason of what you termed my
madness. You assured me that there
could be no justifable motive for so sin
! gular mutilation. 1 offered you a
wager and think you were right in
refusing it. After my second return
from the East Indies / became acquainted
with Susan Black, the most accomplished
and fascinating of women. sought her
hand in marriage. Her fortune and
family we're such as met with the entire
appreciation of my parents. As for me,
l thought only of her charms. was
soon happy enough to gain her affections
"a fact which she did not attempt to
deny; but she, at the same time, firmly
refused to become my wife. In vain did
beseech her to do SO; in vain did all
her relations second my desire. She was
infexible. For long time l could not
discover the reason of her opposition to
a marriage which she herself confessed
would make her happy; until, at last
one of her sisters revealed the fatal secret
to me. Susan was a marvel of beauty,
but she was SO unfortunate as to have
lost leg, and she had consequently con-
demned herself to eternal celibacy. My
resolution was quickly formed, and /
determined to become like her. Thanks
to you, my dear Lefebyre, my wishes
were soon accomplished. l returned
with my wooden leg to London. has
tened to gain information of Miss Black.
4 The report had been spread, and myself
had taken care to write to my friends in
England to the same effect, that / had
had the misfortune to fracture my leg
and amputation had been found abso-
lutely necessary. Every one expressed
the greatest concern at my misfortune.
Susan tainted on the first occasion of my
presenting myself. She was for long
! time inconsolable, but at length she con-
sented to become my wife. 1t was only
\ on the morning after our marriage that
confessed to her the sacrifice by means
of which i had at length been enabled to
I gain her consent to be mine. The avow-
alincreased her love. Oh my excellent
\ friend, had / ten legs to lose, would
give them all up for the sake of my be-
loved Susan. So long as live, rely on
my gratitude. fever you visit England
do not fail to come here, so that / may
make you acquainted with my wife,
and then tell me whether or not I was
out of my senses. Yours faithfully,
ARTHUR OxLEY
Monsieur Lefebvre answered the letter
of his English friend in the following
terms: -. -
Sir, accept my best thanks for your
I very generous present, for so must term
what you have sent me, having been
! previously magnifcently remunerated
for nay trouble as you were pleased to
term it. 1 wish you as well as your
charming wife all imaginable happiness.
True it is, that to give a leg in exchange
! for beautiful, tender and virtuous wife
is not too much, provided the happiness
endures. Adam sacrificed one of his
ribs to become possessed of our common
mother, Eve, and more than one man
has laid down his life for the sake of his
beloved. Notwithstanding all this, al.
low me to adhere to my former opinion
For the present you are doubtless right
for you are now in the honeymoon; bui
at some future time you will acknowledge
: the truth of what | advanced. ] beg
your attention to what am about to say,
| fear that in two years you will repent
of having had your leg amputated above
the kneejoint. You will think that tc
have it cut off lower down would have
been quite sufficient. In three years
you will be persuaded that the sacrifice
+ of a foot would have answered all pur
poses; in four that of the big toe; il
, i've that of the little one; and, at last
you will have confessed, that to hayt
, parted with nail, without necessity
would have been piece of eggregioul
folly. All this assert, without in tn,
i slightest degree impugning the merit o
3 your admirable helpmate. In my owl
u