The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-03-25
VILLETTE'S VIVACITIES.

VILLETTE'S VIVACITIES.
Fabrics of Fact and Fancy Fashioned by
the Facile Faber of a Fair Felicianian.
WEST FEL1CIASA March 6, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF:
| Once upon u time, to commence III the
orthodox style, there lived all Eastern
King who, rich and powerful, dispensed
| justice in the primitive mode suited to
| those early days. An officer high in au-
| thority-Inspector Of the Kings stew
pans, or Guardian of the pet poodles,
may -be-had forfeited his position and
! life by malfeasance (no unusual derelic-
/; ton, I lave heard, among officials even
at the present epoch); he was therefore
brought before lis outraged sovereign
who combined III his person the several
characters of judge, jury, witnesses and
advocates, which, to say the least, was
commendable plan Oh tie scoreof econ
omy and dispatch-to receive his
sentence and the quickly following pun
isLnlent. The cxecutioner, ak i'll hand,
stood by Waiting for the signal, I" the nod
of fate" At view Of this inspiring per-
sonage aud his insignia Of Office, the
trembling offender threw himself before
his august judge and begged for his life;
his infant children joining their prayers
and tears to their fathers surplications.
Never had his majesty been so beset with
importantly. "Away." cried he at
length, moving his kingiy right hand,
"Away, vile slave, thy sentence is re
prleved. In a years time present thy
self before this throne, and if thou then
canst tell what is the most wonderful
thing Oh earth, thou mayst receive thy
life and treasures also from our roysl
clemency; if not, thou shalt surely die
| the death which to-day our mercy hath
ayerted from thee. The king hath
| spoken; away" 1t is needless to say
! that the officer awaited no second bid
ding to depart tradition assures Us that
he allowed no grass to grow beneath his
| tagging feet, but sped away as If on the
| wings of the wind For twelve months
| he Travelled by land and by sea, il eager
| quest Of the most wonderful thing on
| earth, tie price Of his life. At the ap-
| pointed time he again appeared before
the throne, and after striking his head
Oh the floor five and twenty times, and
bestowing fourteen kisses on the royal
footstool, which was the correct court
etiquette in those days, the culprit spake
as follows: Light of tie Sun, Dew Of
| the Night, Blessing of the Earth! hath
the meanest and least of thy servants
! permission to speak before thee !? +" Say
on" the King was gracious enough to
reply, but beckouing the hea.lsman
nearer, who, rs Il necessary adjunct
/ to tile court, stood behind the throne on
levee days, and who accordingly poised
his AK in the air ready to give the fateful
stroke if SO required. Il have searched
tue wide world over, from thy palace
gates to the iurthest limit of thy mighty
possessions. even where the rule Of the
barbarian begins" stammered the poor
| man, his teeth cllattering with fear at
the grim figure beside him, "And be-
hold, o King! it was told thy servant
that the most wonderful thing on earth
is-death." "By the beard Of my father,
happy answer" quoth tho ruler, mo-
tioning the eAecutioner to stand back.
/" Hold, hold!' cried the Kings jester,
who, it may be supert1uous to state, was
another Indispensable auSiliary.of roy
atty. "Thy servant there, most mighty
! lord, speaks without wisdom; hath he
!! taken counsel with the graybeards OF
thy kingdom! Verify, 0 Delight of
mems eyes, there is one thing more Won
derful still than death, and that is-life
Yonder ak can quench the spark of life
| i'll death. but WHO can rclisht it again : .
BY the tomb of my graEdiather's son,
exclaimed the King, a better answer
still. Headsman, do thy duty, ard &c
thou. Chamberlain, see that the treas
ures Of this criminal be given to the
Jester; it is meet and right to reward /;
good aud faithful servant" So ends
the tale.
! Methinks the jester ras right is there
can there be . more wonderful thing OF
earth than life, whether we see it in the
animal or vegetable form !! 1t seems te
me but yesterday that looked forth
from my window upon a myrtle tsee
whose branches are so close to my case