New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-03-04
An Unborn Boy.

What shall we do with our boys? is a
problem as pcrplexing for French as
for English parents. A case has just
been before the Paris correctional
tribunal which will show what great
Importance some French parents at
tach to the future trade or profession
of their offspring. M. and Me. Pane
ton, during the fifteen years they have
been married, have had but one quar-
rel, or rather the same quarrel, for the
motive of it, is always the same. Here
is how it usually begins: Paneton, a
journeyman mason, comes home at Z
for dinner, as they say here; in England
we should say supper. Paneton's brow
is clouded. He throws himself into a
chair and says: What dirty trade!
How can parents be so stupid as to
make masons of their sons? My son
shall not be mason. O, no, not if
know it, 20, you're right there" re-
piled Nine. Paneton, while cutting
bread into the soup. ale shall be a
cabinet-maker,' continues Paneton.
"Never while live,'' replies madame,
che shall be wood-turner!' "a wood
turner!" retorts monsieur; 'catch mo
making wood-turner of my boy! I
know ten of my ,chums who made
wood-turncrs of their sons, and every
one of those lads turned bad charac-
tcrs.' "Rubbish! Our boy shall be q
wood-turner. II tell you he shall be
a cabinet-maker. my son paste
pot! I would rather strangle him with
these hands" ''You are not mother
to the boy; you are a step-mother. - 1T
is you, rather, who are a step-father."
At that Paneton seizes the first thing
that comes to hand and hurls it at
madame's head. She returns the fire,
and the row is renewed regularly every
night.
The circumstances in the case are
that they have no children, though they
have been fifteen years married. To be
brief, cries of murder are heard.
The neighbors rush in, restore peace
and 60 away, knowing they will keep
quiet for the next twenty-four hours.
! he nuisance, however, has become so
intolcrable that we find them at length
summoned before the correctional tri-
bunal. The first witness, NJ. Blanchard,
deposcth: ''Pancton and his missus are
the incest people you can wish to see
but they arc always going ON with the
same quarrel, and sometimes they
spend the whole night fighting. just
imagine, your worship, they are not
very young, and they can have no fam
lily, which embitters their moral quail
tiles; but that is not the fault of the
neighborhood, which has often said to
them: II you keep on this racket we
will go and complain to the police COM
missary, al tho more, your worship,
because the older they get the less hope
they have of a posterity' To that
Nine. Paneton replied: cit is you who
make mistake, NJ. Blanchard; you
must not talk of what you don't under.
stand"
Here the judge interfcred and said.
''You disturb the tranquility of your
neighbors by daily scandal, and that
apropos of the trade to which YOU will
put a son who is not yet born. He
then sentenced, each spouse to fine
of five francs for nocturnal disturb
ances. ''I'llpay it when you like, y
cried Paneton; ''but he shall be a cab
inet-maker. = ..He shall be awood-
tnIner, I tell YOU retorted Nine r.
Turn them out, usher. Are they go
ing to begin again here?" exclaimed
1.-THE judge in amazement. It's evident
that the future child will be either a
cabinet-maker or wood-turner, if it is
. boyi but supposing it is girl! Lon
! don Ne,ue