Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-08-06
M. VERDAvIN'S CANDIDACY.
How the Representative of His Wife Was
Elected to the Assembly.

M. VERDAvIN'S CANDIDACY.
How the Representative of His Wife Was
Elected to the Assembly.
I.
SHOULD you ever happen to visit the
Department of Trois-Etoiles and men,
ton the name of M. Verdavin, it is safe
betting that your interlocutor, no mat
ter who he may be, will exclaim;
Verdavin! Well of all ambitious,
intriguing men ever met, Verdavin
was the worst!"
However, now that the Uor popuh has
pronounced upon my old friend, permit |
me to have the honor of introducing to |
you the real Verdavin, that you may
compare him with Verdavin the legen-
dairy.
Born of honest out not poor parents, |
Amedee-such was his name-had from |
his childhood up one single care, to live |
quietly and costly on the 10000 francs |
year bequeathed him by his pa and ma.
He had CHEEKY little town residence,
love of country house; in spring he |
made little trip to Paris, in summer |
he fisbed, in autumn he shot, in winter |
there was the club. Nothing could |
have been pleasanter.
Nevertheless Amadee perceived that
something still was lacking in his life
He wanted some one to keep his ac-
counts and oversee his expenditures.
How was he to get rid of this business
which threatened his idleness and pla-
cidityP He made up his mind to take a
wife.
She whom he had chosen was a Young
girl of candid brow but full of resolu-
ton, fact which had guided Verdavin
in his selection. He had said to him
self, "She will have will enough to see
after all my business affairs, and shall
be saved any trouble in such matters"
III.
Yon moon that shone above, round as
the crown of his hat, had not yet filled
her horn six times after their marriage
when one fine morning my lady sum-
moned her husband, who hastened to
her apartments, bearing in his hand a
package of hooks to which he was at
taching new lengths of line and gut.
"What is it, my darlingP"
"Amedee, be so good as to listen to
me. During the six months of our mar
ried life have been studying your char
acter and scrutinizing your aptitudes,
for you know well that man of your
age and position can not rust in inglori-
Gus idleness.h
"Why, bless me, Emmie, 1 thought
my time was sufficiently occupied. For
instance, just at this very moment,
was setting off for the brook, where /
expected to get you mess of fish for
dinner that"
"Amedee, be serious, beg of you, if
you can. | have been canvassing the
whole subject thoroughly in my mind,
and have found the one pursuit.
But, my dear, when l say that"
"That one pursuit in which nowadays
man can rise to power and honor is
politics."
"Politics! Heaven be praised,
never have gone in for politics, and,
Heaven helping me, madame, 1 never
will.n
SIN three weeks there will be bye
election in this department. will, that
is to say, you will, come forward as a
candidate"
"But, dearest, you have not
thought"
:" Yes, dear, have thought it over in
its every aspect. Indeed, | have pre-
pared your address to the electors"
" The deuce you have!"
"Don't swear, Amedee; swearing of
fends the scrupulous voters. Do you
think it is very agreeable for woman
to spend all her lifetime shut up in this
poky old hole, absolutely unknownp
The provinces do not make regulations,
but they elect Deputies. What would
not give to hear people say as passed,
you see that pretty little woman in
brownp She's the wife of our repre-
sentative"
".
"Emmie, you are only iestingl"
"This, then, is the address you are TO
issue to the electors" and she read as
follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS; At a time when the well
being-nay, the very existenee-demands the
it my duty TO desire an opportunity OF com.
batting on the parliamentary field of battle
for the regeneration of our beloved country.
What desire-what You must all desire-is
Order in Liberty with Liberty in Orderl
There were nearly three columns of
this!
Next morning there began for the un-
happy Verdavin a life the horrors of
which it would be difficult to retrace.
He, the friend of repose, the enemy of
emotionl
For instance, one day madame said,
"Amedee, have drawn up list of the
leading residents of each parish in the
constituency. We will call on the most
prominent; You will write to the
others.n
"Seventeen hundred letters-I never
could"
a" You can easily hire secretaries. In
half an hour we will set off on this in
dispensable Journey"
For fifteen days the only man one
seemed to meet ON the roads, the steam
boats, the cars, was the unhappy YER
DAWN, the candidate in spite of himself.
In the pelting rain, in the broiling sun,
everywhere went he. Every morning
his wife drew up the programme for his
days Journeys every night he had to
bring home to her good and sufficient
evidence that he had been at each place
he claimed TO have visited.
Grand outcome-the bronchitis, three
mild sunstrokes, an incurable rheum-
ahsm and a confirmed gastric disease
contracted through drinking prosperity
10 France with SAG electors daily.
v.
"Emmie," he at last gasped, like one
about TO faint, al feel that my
strength"