San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-01
A French "Fighting Editor"

in the C0rnhtH MdydStNt:
Barbelard, the sub-editor, was anoth.
err literary curiosity, for he could only
read with difficulty, and spelled no
word in our language correctly save his
own name. He had been appointed sub.
editor by reason of his gigantic stature
and his powers with all duelling weap.
ons. An old sergeant of the Cent
Gardes, who had been decorated for
carrying off two Austrian colonies pris.
oners Zone under each army in the Ital.
ian war, he stood six French feet in his
socks, and had pair of bristling red
mustaches, which, when he was angry,
looked as if they were ahame. 1t was
Barbelard who assumed the RESPONSE.
bility of all the unsigned articles in the
republican journal which employed him;
and if any stranger came to ask for ex,
plantations about personalities, this i'm.
posing sub-editor was there to answer
him in the correctest language of chiv.
airy. He rendered no apologies or ex.
plantations, but would forthwith be
ready to accept a challenged fight next
morning, early, with swords or pistols,
according as might be most convenient.
This often led to little dialogues, some.
what in the following fashion:
STRANGER bouncing in Jariously
with the offending journal in his hand-
Sir, want to see the man who wrote
this article.
BARBELARD (rssing aoith dignity from
the sub-editorial seat, a0ith a pipe in his
noutD-Young man, it's me as wrote
that article. If you want to objection
ize, name your friends, and We'll have
it out at daybreak.
STRANGER (growing civiD-Ah no.
......I have merely come to renew my
subscription to the paper. What a
warm day it is......Goo-o-d morning.
...... land exiD.
Sometimes, however, a duel would
arise, and then Barbelard always show
ed himself magnanimous in inf1icting
only flesh wounds-just mere tlea-bites,
as he called them, ripping up the arm
for 70 inches or so, or carving off an in
significant little piece from the ag-
gressor's calf. Barbelard had fought a
round dozen of duels; but he owed an
other duty to his newspaper besides
fighting, for he appeared in the correc.
tional courts to answer all charges OF
attacking the Government, and under
went the sentences of imprisonment to
which members of the staff were con-
demned. He had come to look upon
the jail of Ste. Pelagie much as second
home, and was never sorry to 60 there
for few months, for he got double pay,
unlimited allowance of tobacco, and ex.
cellent meals sent in daily from the
restaurant at the expense of his employ
ers so long as his incarceration lasted.
Madame Barbelard, a little black-haired
woman with despotic eyes, used atfec'
tionately to remark that she was always
more pleased to see her husband in
prison than out of it, for she knew then
that he was not in misunderstanding
his life in mortal combat, or drinking
more absinthe than was good for him
at the cafe. Prison-life was such saw
ing, too, for she could 60 every day TO
sit with Barbelard from 10 to 6, take
her meals with him, and economic
thereby the cost of marketing ana
kitchen fuel. She had no opinion Oh
liberal Governments, ascribing then
unwillingness in sending journalists 70
prison to sordid stinginess with the pup
lie purse.
1t turned out that on this Christmas
Day when he came to dine with u.s. nun,
est Barbelard had one of his perioa'e.l
scores of durance to wipe off, tor nh
first remark to us, when he had SHAKEN
hands with Noemie and kissed the Gnu
dren, was about going to Ste. felagl'
on the morrow. "Three months 10,
writing disrespectfully of the Senate,
he said in his dry bass voice, and Gas.
ing a sidelong glance of anticipation a.
the chiffonniere where the bottles sVoou'
"Yes, three whole months!"excialnI
ed little Madame Barbelard in glee'
had some hopes it might have been Sn'
for then we could have saved up ehousA
to buy that pretty villa at SuresneS' III
which l have set my heart" 49,,
"We'n make up for 1t by tahiu y
three more months in the SUMMER Il d
goes we'll, my DEAR" said Baroela ~,