, 1877-08-19
A LOST LIFE.


4 lew weeks ago there was found dead in hi!
house at Dion, fraucc Paul Legrand, man O
Il, and well known character OF the city. Ev
licences Of suicide, in the presence of a half
emptied laudanum bottle and tumb]cr witt
the dregs Of dose Of poison in the bottom
| were at hand, and Oh the table beside them was
the following most curious memoir,-a menoi,
which will take its place in the collection Of lit
! erary curiostles Of the century, ind by which
| the author seems to have proved, very conclu-
| sivcly Tor himself at least, that, dying ut tho
] age Of Il, be had not really lived at all:
"-All suffering, pain, ennui, despair, aot1ow,
lives" he writes, and then proceeds to deduct
] those experiences from his own score Of years,
and to foot up the loss.
The whole memoir may perhaps be explained
| BY one Of its opening clauses:
"At the age OF 3 ytars WIS weaned,' y It says.
AT U spoke, but badly; at q years cracked
MT skull, ana ut was cured therefore de-
duct these ntae years from ny existence-for
it cannot be called life to drink the sour mllk Of
the nurse, to speak incoherently, to crack ono's
skull.
SAT 0 years I began my studies; but hay-
i Ing hard head, in consequence of my cracked
SKULL was slow Of Instruction. At the end OF
two years knew my alphabet, but at what
with ruler, and the twenty-three others mnr-
tyred me. At u years could read, it lFas true,
but my body was wealcd with those alphabetical
scars,
s.They now cndearored tn teach ,4e Latin
and forgot my French. At Is years knew
absolutely nothing at all, aud III consequence Of
bread dand water diet was mere skeleton. |
therefore deduct for my schooldays, six years
more from my miserable life.
A. Is my father apprenticed me as clerk to
a Notary. Now commenced new species Of
lnartyrdom.. rose at 4, swept the Office, built
the FIRE, and was kicked by the head clerks,
while my father, in consequence Of the COM
plants made against me, deprived me Of my
duct of what IS left oi my lie. ~ ~ 49,
y At 70 years nd father, disgusted with me.
shipped me on vessel at Cherbourx. wash
ed the forecasrle, coiled the cables, climbed the
nasts, reefed the sails, and received at least
thirty blows on the back with marlin-spike
each day. This lasted for iour years, aud at the
end bad no back left at all
At ~ years my father made me mercer,
and married nc to the daughter OF turner
On the plight OF the wedding discovered that
father. The poor woman made INC thousand
excuses, and pardoned her in consideration OF
her dowry Of 1000 francs, invested in mort
gage on Guadaloupe sugar plantatton.. But |
burned nv dowry. Nothing was left me but |
the wooden leg. |
tsAt 80 years lost my wife Of q tunor On |
her good les. I had passed the six years Of my
married lite repeating every minute, Whao
fore deduct these st1 years from life.
{" Having, like all the world, spent third Of |
my life in sleep, deduct twcnty-four years
moF::, which is less than just estinate, as |
an 4 great sleeper.
"0nc year I lost, minute for minute, in iluut-
Ing for the key Of my secretary, which always
mislaid. Three years vanished By rny making
such remarks as What rime is it" 1T is bad
Weather to-day I'm tircd,' Mon dieu! Sion
T$n+xN $Ar t. L.