Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-01-03
FRENCH GOSSIP. .
RnEhfng Arguments straight Into
ths PeopIe-NII Well thas E1ds

RnEhfng Arguments atratght Into
ths PeOpie-AIi Well thas E1ds
We'll With Very Nice YO1ng Man.
New York Hsrald's Paris Letter.l
Apropos of the revolution, an
amusing story, which dates from
the era of the Commune, is Just
now in circulation. A soldier of
the Versailles army was badly
wounded in a skirmish before Fort
Vanves. A fragment of the shell,
however, was extracted from his
body, and it was thought he would
soon be well. To the surprise of
the surgeon he continued to suffer
an unusual length Of time, and
seemed to grow worse rather than
better A large tumor began to
form on his breast, and it was at
length decided that the soldier
must submit to another operation
in search of the foreign substance
which was presumed TO be still en-
5edded in his flesh. And, sure
enough, a piece Of paper, tightly
rolled up, was found buried deep
beneath the surface Of the skin.
Having been withdrawn, it was un-
folded, and proved to be brief ex-
hortation to this effect:
Soldiers of the army OF Versailes
Do not forget that we are your brothers y
Whether the gentleman Who de-
vised this singular method Of prop
agandism thought that there was
no better way of driving arguments
home than to push them straight
into the people he wanted to con-
vince, is a question difficult OF
solution after this lapse Of time.
Perhaps the humors of different
pations can seldom be better stu
died than in the law courts; and a
case which was to have been tried
this week, but suddenly developed
into a romance and made trial i'm
possible, is worth a brief notice fol
the pleasant light in which it caus.
ed nearly every one concerned tC
appear. A young Italian artisan
Moltrasio by name, was brought
before the Assize Court on a charge
OF outrage. The principal witness
for the prosecution was pretty
work-woman who seemed to be
about twenty years of age. Once
before the tribunal, however, the
young lady refused to speak. The
Judge insisted, while the jury and
the spectators wondered.
At last, "NTon Dieul Monsieur
broke out the witness in a loud
voice, and, as if speaking to her
self, 81 think Moltrasio is a very
nice young man. ! have been to
see him with my mother since he
has been in prison. He loves me,
l am sure, and-if he could be ac-
quitted-why-I think we should
get married" 1t will be readily
understood that Moltrasio, who, in
conformity to French law, was also
examined, said nothing to contra
dict this evidence, which astoniShed
as much as it pleased him. The
Judge remanded the accused till
next term, by which time the
parties will have been married, and
the proceedings will then be
quashed. But this was not all.
The jury determined that the hero.
inc Of the drama must have a
dowery, forthwith raised a sub
scription of twenty dollars for her.
Two of the number added each a
check for the same amount, paya-
BILE on the wedding day. Sixty
dollars is not a magnificent portion,
but it will go far to help a young
French couple Of the humber
classes to set up their household
goods. Moreover, one gentleman,
who was on the jury, happened to
be a wealthy manufacturer, and
has promised to find employment
for Moltrasio, who has the reputa-
ton Of being skillful craftsman.
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