The daily gazette., 1879-10-24
Prizes of Rare Quality.

Prizes Of Rare quality.
The Institute Of France is an assocIa-
ton of men of letters, OF science and of
art, divided into five academies, repre-
senting the various branches of these
several pursuits, and meeting at stated
periods for rea ling and discussing sub
jects specially interesting to their men,
bers. Nearly q hund, ed years ago M.
Montyon left handsame legacy to the
French Academy, the literary soriety
that stands foremost In this representa-
tive French body, and directed that out
Of part of the income there should be
prizes a arded to the best literary work,
and out OF the rest to those who had
performed virtuous actions that might
otherwise 20 unnoticed and unrewarded.
Crowned by the Academy" is OF Itself
the highest need of praise TO the young
author, and many writers afterwards,
of great fame and merit, have contend
ded for this distinction. But the prize
of virtue lis given to those who do
MT se X for it, who have given their
lives tn good works, and whose devotion
has been made known by some third
pers n to the officers af the Academy.
his year, the highest prize, a medal
valued At four hundred dollars, was
given to . sea captain who had distin-
guished himself over and over again,
during f,rty years of hard life, by saw
ing numerous lives in all sorts of heroic
ways. THREE medals, each worth two
hundred dollars, were given TO reward a
very different sort of virtue. One of
tn S. went to two sisters who, having a
blind mother and an infirm father to
support, devoted their lives to the care Of
orphan {, beginning with thirty-tbree lit
tie girls, som- only two years Of age,
some sick and crippled, Tor thirty years
carried on their work, and with such
success that now it Is permanently es-
tablished. Another Of the prizes was
given to lady who, beginning with the
care of twenty-five children between
eight in the morning and eight at night,
ended with Home for Girls, in which
they are taught household duties, cook.
ing, sewing, care of the sick, and fifty
girls, from five to ten up to their TWEEN.
tleth year, aie cared for at cost O
three tn jusand dollars year and The
earnings of the inmates-public assist
ance has been refused, lest the self hell
Of the house and the friendly aid of tht
neig ibors should be sacrificed. Th'
third prize was given to "a woman WHIT
had voluntarily become o nurse at al
Insane Hospital, that she might be nea
her mother, one of the unfortunate in
mates.
| A prize WAS q YER to a man, who, be
ginning with the care of father, mothe
and brother, and sister-in-law, all infiru
and ailing, distinguished himself by hi
bravery In nursing smallpox patient
during terrible outbreak of that devasl
ating disease, saved drowning men, help
ed to put out fires and save the lives risk
ed by accidents. A dozen prizes, Of
hundred dollars each, were given, som
to women who had cared for all sorts {
distress, to Others who provided for bin
and deaf and dumb children, to stone
cutter who had devoted all his earning
TO caring for the willow and children {
his employer, to five servants who ha
spent their lives In the service of the
mas ers, and even after the latter ha
lost their ali, these devoted. humb
friends had used their. own earnings
smooth the last days of their helple
employers-te women who were distil
guished for their activity in outbreaks
disc ease, and for their care of the sic
and the orphan victims Of the devast
tug German war and the siege Of PaI
and 10 . French priest, an army cha
lain, whose comrades asked the Acad
my, by their prize, to set the sealsOn |
devotion to his duties in camp, on q
: march, in the field, 10 battle and In p
son. The Academy has funds fro
other sources than the Montyon legac
for similar re ard of virtue, and OIL
prize was given to woman who
health was sacrificed In serving as Il
ter carrier between the authorities
Paris aud those at Versailles duriCg Il
trying days of the Commune; and otbe
r to women and mel, working for the
bread from day to day, and sharing
with sick aid infrm relatives aud po
2 aud helpless children, without even t
:. claim Of kinship. In making this dist
= button, the Director Of the Academy,
Jules Simon, one of the foremost men
France Is orator, statesman. and histt
;. ian, pointed to the recipients as the re
II resentatives of those who save Fran
and Paris from the reproach Of lig
heartv dness aud selfish wickedness, wi
Ivy their daily practice of the highest v
tues, enforce the lesson that's that c
aoue make q people happy, a natl
prosperous, and . country sale in
well-being of its citizens.-Led0er.