The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-26
acknowledgement
\. RsautifuI Story of La Roche.

.b;lo,opher, whose Wotka nave SLICE peeH
Pa,iC aUG admired by all Europe, resided
's'' Tit,Ie town in France. Some disap.
y ].imsn,, in his native country had first
Po as" him abroad, and he was after.
u,,i. induced to remain there, from
t.Sinc found, in this retreat, where the
ha a'nss,ions even OF nation and Language
avoided, n perfect ~seclusion and re.
Hs. a,srt highly favorable TO the deyel.
asmcnt Of abstract subjects, in which he
o,sIi.J MI the writer's Of his time.
perbap. in the structure OF such a
.;oJ n, Mr.. -, the lner and more
p pTa",tc srnsibiIities are seldom known to
s ssr nlacr; or, il originally implanted
mae are in u great measure extinguish.
Ie' i, the exer,ions OF intense study
vi 3roionnd investigation. Hence the
a lIst Of philosophy aud unfeelingneSs be-
i ins united has become proverbial, and In
Ivy Sn,on language the former word Is
sGsn U.ed to express the latter. Our
ot has been cenSured by some
%sfcient in warmth and feeling; but
,Ls mildne.s OF his manners has been al
I"veJ BY all; and it is certain thai! II he
%,. no, easily melted into compassion, It
w., nj iea., not difficult to awaken his
hreyolence.
ho 0 REGULATIONS which afterwards as
,"Ui.hcd the world, an old female domes-
h" Who served him for a h%ousekeeper,
~ sd,yht him word that an elderly gentle.
,"," and his daughter had arrived in the
riIl,,e The preceding evening on their
, , ia sone distant country, and that
,%s father had been suddenly seized in the
.;sbt with a dangerous disorder, which
,%s nponIe Of the inn where they lodged
is,,rJ would prove mortal; that she had
I.sn .eDt for ~ having some knowledge
in medicine, the village surgeon being
Then absent; and that it was truly pite,,
"r, 10 nee the good old man, who seemed
Uot 81 much afflicted by his own distress,
=, by that which 1t caused to his dangh-
IA, Her master laid aside the volume
IN III. hand, and broke of the chain OF
iJsw il had inspired. His nightgown
wa exchanged for coat, and he followed
nj. qouternante to the sick mans apart.
ment.
they Law, but a paltry one notwithstand-
;nS, Nj. - was Obliged 10 stOOp "a
he entered il. 1t was lloored with earth,
and above we're the joists, not plastered,
md hung with cobwebs. On u loCk-bed,
=, onp end Law the old man he came TO
Viii; al the foot Of it sat his daughter.
She was dressed in II clean white bed.
gown; her dark locks hung loosely over
/, a, sIe bert forward, watching the Ian,
ynid looks of her father. Mr. and
Iis honsekeeper had stood some moments
in the room without the young lady's be.
inc sensible Of their entering it.
Mademoiselle = said the old woman at
last in a soft tone.
She turned, and showed n OF the
finest face. in the world. II vas touched,
not spoiled, with sorrow; and when she
perceived q stranger, whom the old
woman now introduced to her, a blush at
frat, and then the gentle ceremonial Of
native poIiteness which the ailiction OF
the time tempered, but did not extin:
vIiLi. crossed il for a moment, and
Changed its expression. Twas sweetness
ali, however, and our philosopher felt 1t
strongly. 1t was not a time Tor words;
he offered his services in a few sincere
ones, Monsieur lies miSerably i'll here"
slil The gouvernante; "li he could pronpt'
lv Ls moved anywhere" II he could be
moved to our house," said her master.
lie had Il spare bed for u friend, and
there was n garrett room unoccupied, next
to the gouyernante's. II was contrived ac-
cordingly. The sCruples Of the stranger,
who could look scruples though he could
mol speak them, were overcome, and the
bl.hinl reluctance OF his daughter gave
way to her belief Of ils use to her father:
The sirk man was wrapped in blankets and
carried across the street TO the English
ren,leman'4. The old woman helped his
laughter TO nurse him there. The sur.
geon, who arrived soon after, prescribed
4 little, and nature did much for him; in
a week he was able 10 thank his bene.
factor.
By this time his host had learned the
name and character Of his guest. He
wa II Protestant clergyman oil Switzer-
land, called In Roche, u widower, who
had lately buried his wife after a long
and lingering illness, for which travelling
had been prescribed, and was now re-
turning home, after an ineffective and
mechanically journey. with his only child,
the daughter we have mentioned.
lie was a devout man, as became his
ptoiession. He possessed devotion In all
ia warmth, but with none Of its asperity ;
| mean that asperity which men, called
deyont, sometimes indulge in. Mr.. -,
though he felt no devotion, never quar-
relied with II in others. His gouver-
mantle Joined the old man and his daugh.
ter in the prayers and th~anksgiVings
which they put up on his recovery Tor
she, too, was a hereto in the phrase OF
the village. The philosopher walked
out, with his long staff and his dog, and
left them to their prayers and thanksgiv-
inrs. "My master" said the old woman,
"aia.! he il not a Christian, but he Ia the
beat Of unbelieyers." "Not a Christian ~
exclaimed Mademoiselle LIS Roche; yet
he saved my fatheri Heaven bless him
for il, | would he were u Christian J"
There is pride in human knowledge, my
rhild,p said her father, (which often
blind men 10 the sublime truths Of reve-
lation; hence oppo,ers Of Christianity are
found among men Of virtuous lives,
. well as among those OF dissi-
Nted and ~licentious characters. Nay,
sometimes | have known the latter more
easily converted to the faith than the
former, because the iume Of passion Ia
more easily dissipated than the mist oil
f,se theory and deluslye speculation:
"Bat, Mr.-,"said his daughter, "alas !
my father, he shall be n Christian before
he lies." She was interrupted by the
arrival Of their landlord. lie took her
hand with an air Of kindness; she drew
it away in silence, threw down her eyes
TO the ground, and left the room. "
have been thanking God" said the good
In Roche, "tor my recovery" "Th"t is
right" replied his landlord. ~ would
no, wish" continued the old man, hest.
tatlngly, "to think otherwise; did | not
look up with gratitude to that Being, ]
should barely be satisfied with my recov.
cry rs n continuation Of life, which, 1t
msy be, Is not a real good. AlGl may
live 10 wish | had died, that you had lett
NE to die, sir, instead Of kindly relieving
me ,be eIasped Mr.. - hand); but
when | look on this renovated being as
the gilt Of the Almighty, l feel a FAR dill
itrent sentiment; my heart dilates with
gratitude and love 10 Him; it Is prepared