The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-09-01

Doctor in despair; s'but have your own
way-I am ready to do as you wish.o
Every thing was ready for the opera
tion. As soon as the surgeon took up
his instruments the Englishman lighted
his cigar, and declared that he would
smoke until the operation was conclud-
ed. He kept his word. The liteless
leg re ted upon the floor, but the En-
/ glishman still smoked on. The opera
tion had been performed in most mas
terly manner, and, thanks to DIR. Le-
febvre's skill and attention, the patient
soon became perfectly recovered, al
though, of course, he had to be suppli-
ed with wooden leg. He rewarded
the surgeon, whom he had learned to
! esteem more and more every day
/ thanked him with tears in his eyes for
the great obligation under which he
had laid him; and in short time start
ed for England.
About two months after his patients
| departure the surgeon received the fol-
l3wing letter from England
Inclosed you will receive n token of
| my bo1ndless gratitude-a bill of ex-
| change on my banker III Paris for S.
| 500 francs. Y You have rendered me the
happiest of men by ridding me OF limb
winch was an obstacle in the way Of
| my Happiness. Learn, then, the reason
! OF what you termed my madness. You
| assured me there could be no justifiabie
| motive for so singular mu tllation. |
offered you wager, and | think you
were right i'll refusing it. After my
second return from the East Indies, |
became acquainted with Susan Black,
the most accomplished aud fascinating
of women. | sought her hand III
marriage. Her fortune and family were
such as met with the entire appro-
bation of my parents. As for me. |
thought only OF her charms was soon
happy enough to gain her affections
a fact which she did not attempt to de-
ny; btt she, at the same time, firmly re-
fused to become my wife. In vain did
| beseech her to do So; in vain did her
relations all second my desire. she
was intlcxible. For a long time could
not discover the reason of her opposition
to q marriage which she herself confess
ed would make her happy, until, at last,
one of her sisters revealed the fatal |
secret to me. Susan was marvel OF
to have lost leg, aud she had conse-
quently condemned herself to eternal ce-
libaey. My resolution was quickly
formed, aud | determined to become
like her. Thanks to you, my dear Le-
febvre, my wishes were soon accomplish /
ed. L returned with my wooden leg to /
London. | FASTENED to gain intorma- |
tlen OF Miss Black. The report had /
spread, and | myself lad taken care to
write to my friends in England to the
same effect, that had laa the msfor-
tnIle to fracture my leg, and t
that amputation become absolutely nee
esSary. Every one expressed the great
est concern at my misfortune. Susan
tainted on the first occasion OF my pre-
senting my>ef She was Tor long time
inconsolabIe, but at length she consented
to become my wife. 1t was only on the
morning after onr marriage that con-
tessed To her the sacrifice by means Of
which.I had at leugth been enabled to
gain her consent to be mine The
avowal increased her love oh ! my
excellent friend, bad | ten legs to lose,
| would give them all up for the sake
of my beloved Susan. So long as live,
rely on my gratitude. If ever you visit
England, do nos tail to come here, so
that may make you acquainted with
my wife; and then tell me whether or
not was out OF my senses. Yours,
faithfully, Arthur OXLEY.
Monsieur Lefebvre answered the let
ter OF his English friend in the follow
ing terms:
SIR: Accept my best thanks for
your very generous present-ior so
must term what you have sent me, hav-
ing been previously magnifcently re-
for my trouble, as you were
pleased to term it. | wish you, as well
as your charming wife, all imaginable
happiness. True it is that to give leg
III exchange for a beautiful, tender, and
virtuous wife is not TOO much, provided
tho happiness endures. Adam sacrific-
ed one OF his ribs to become posses ed of
our common mother Eve, and more
than one man has laid down his life tor
the sake OF his beloved. Notwithstand-
ing all this, allow me to adhere to my
former opinion. For the present you
are doubtless right, for you are now in
the honeymoon but at some future
time you will acknowledge the truth of
what | advanced. l beg your attention
to what | am about to say. / fear that
IL two years you will repent Of having
Lad your leg amputated above the ktee-
Joint You will think to 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 purposes; in
tour, that ofthe big toe; in five, the lit
tie one; and, at last, you will have con-
fessed that to have parted with a nail,
without necessity. would have been a
piece of egregipus folly. All this | as
sert without in the slightest degree i'm
pugning the merit Of your admirable
nelpmate. In my own youthful days |
would have, at any time, given my life
for my mistress, bnt never my leg, for |
should have feared repentance for the |
.est of my days. Had | really done 20.
should have every moment said to .
myself, sfLetebvre, you are madman.o