Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-08-06
M. vFRDAVIN's CANDmACY.
How the Representative OF His wife Was
Elected to the Assembly.

M. VFRDAVIN'S CANDIDACY.
How the Representative Of His wife Was
Elected to the Assembly.
1.
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:
g Verdavinl Well of ali ambitious,
intriguing men 1 ever met, Yerdavin
was the worstl" '... @
However, now that the Uor popuK 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 Yerdayin 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 $4,000 francs a
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 tished, 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
wife.
She whom he had chosen was young
girl of candid brow but full of resolu-
ton, a 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.n
III.
Yon moon that shone above, round as
the crown of his hat, had not vet 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." f-t.
"Why, bless me, Emmie, thought
my time was sufficiently occupied. For
instance, Just at this very moment, l
was setting off for the brook, where l
expected to get you mess of fish for
dinner that I..... ..a4 ....
"Amedee, be serious, beg of you, if
you can. l 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, I
never have gone in for politics, and,
Heaven helping me, madame, l never
will"
In three weeks there will be a bye
election in this department. 1 will, that
is to say, you will, come forward as a
candidate" ..
"But, dearest, you have not
thought" ...
I" Yes, dear, have thought it over in
its every aspect. Indeed, L have pre-
pared your address to the electors"
"The deuce you have!"
"Dont swear, Amedee; swearing Of
fends the scrupulous voters. Do you
think it is very agreeable for a woman
to spend all her lifetime shut up in this
poky old hole, absolutely unknown
The provinces do not make regulations,
but they elect Deputies. What would 1
not give to hear people say as passed,
you see that pretty little woman in
brownP She's the wife of our repre-
sentative l..I
".
"Emmie, you are only jestingi"
"This, then, is the address you are TO
issue to the electors" and she read as
follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS; At time when che wen.
beinR-nay, the very existenee--demands the
harmonious union of all patriotic men, 1 feel
batting on the parliamentary field of battle
for the regeneration of our beloved country.
What desire-wbnt you must all desire-is
Order in Liberty with Liberty in Orderr
There were nearly three columns of
this! .... .a.I
Next morning there began for the un-
happy Verdavin a life the horrors of
which it would be difficult to Tetrace.
He, the friend of repose, the enemy of
emotion a4 .Il H.-
For instance, one day madame said,
"Amedee, have drawn up list of the
leading residents of each parish in the
constituency. We viii call on the most
prominent; you will write TO the
others.''
"Seventeen hundred letters--I never
could"
" You can easily hire secretaries. In
half an hour we will set off on this in
dispensable journey" u I.
For fifteen. dRya the only man one
seemed to meet on the roads, the steam
boats, the cars, was the unhappy Yer