Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-02-19
MY FRIEND MEURTRIER.

was at one time employed in a gov
ernment office. Every day from 10 until
O'Clock became voluntary prisoner
in depressing Office, adorned with
yellow pastebOard boxes and filled with
the musty odor of old papers. There |
breakfasted on Italian cheese and apples
which | roasted at the CRATE read the
morning papers, even to the advertise
mentS; | rhymed verses, and | attended
to the affairs of state to the extent of
drawing, at the end of each month. a
salary which barely kept me from starry
ing.
recall to-day one of my companions
III captivity at that epoch. lie was
called Achille Meurtrier. and certainly
his fierce look and his tall form seemed
to warrant that name. He was great,
big fellow, about forty years old, with
out too much chest or shoulders, but who
wore felt hats with wide brims, short,
but ample coats, large plaid trousers, and
red neckties under rolling collars. He
wore full beard, long hair, and was
very proud of his hairy hands. The
chief boast of Meurtrier, otherwise the best
and most amiable of companions, was to
trifie with an athletic constitution. to
possess the biceps of a prize fighter, and,
as he said himself, not to know his own
strength. He never made ges-
ture even in the exercise of his peaceable
profession that did not have for its object
to convince the spectators of his pro-
digious vigor. Did he have to take from
Its case an empty pastcboard box, he ad-
vanced toward the shelf with the heavy
step of Il street porter, grasped the box
solidly with tight hand, and carriedsit
with stiff arm as far as the next table
with Struggling of shoulders and frown-
ing of brow worthy of Milo of Crotona.
He carried this manner 50 far that he
never used less apparent effort even to
lift the lightest objects, and one day
when he held in his right hand basket
of old papers l saw him extend his left
arm horizontally as if to make counter
poise to the tremendous weight.
| ought to say that this robust creature
inspired me with profound respect, for
was then, even more than to-day, phys
ically weak and delicate, and in conse-
quence filled with admiration for that
energetic physique which | lacked.
The conversations of Meurtrier were
not of nature to diminish the admiration
with which he inspired me. Above all,
in the summer, on Monday mornings,
when he had returned to the office after
our holiday, he had an inexhaustible fund
of stories concerning his adventures and
feats of strength. After having taken
off his felt hat, his coat, and his vest, and
having wiped the perspiration from his
forehead with the sleeve of the shirt to
indicate his sanguine and ardent temper
ament, he would thrust his hands decp in
the pockets of his trousers, and, stand
ing near me in an attitude of pcrpcndcu-
lar solidity, begin monologue some
thing follows:
"What day, my boy! Positively no
fatigue can lay M up. Think of it.
Yesterday was the re gatta at Joinvile-le-
Pont, AT 6 O'Clock in the morning the
rendezvous at Bercy for the crew of the
Marsouin; the sun is up; we jump into
our rowing suits, and seize the oar and
give way-one-two, one-twO-as far as
Joinville; then overheard for swim be
fore breakfast; strip to swimming draw
ers, jump overheard, and lookout for
squalls After my bath | have the appe-
tite Of tiger Good. | seize the boat
by one hand, and call out, Charpentier,
pass me small ham, Three motions in
one time, and have finished it to the
bone, 'Charpentier, pass me the flask.
Three swallows, and it is empty"
So the description would continue.
dazzling IIomerc.
''The hour for the regatta--noon, the
sun just overhead. The boats draw up in
line on theriver before tent gaudv with
streamers. On the bank of the mavor.
with his $ ,arf of office, gendarmcs in vel
low shoulder belts, and II swarm of sum
mer dress s, open paiaSols and straw hats.
Bang! The signal gun is fired, the Mar
souin shoots forward of her competitors
and gains the first prize, and no fatigue.
We dine at Creteil. How cool the even
ing in the dusky arbor; pipes glow in the
darkness, and moths singe their wings in
the flame of the omelette au kirsch At
the end of dessert served on decorated
plates we hear from the ballroom the call
of the cornet. Take places for the quad
rille! But already rival crew, beaten
that same morning, has monopolized the
prettiest girls. A fight! teeth broken,
eyes blackened,~ ugly falls and whacks
below the belt; in a word, poem of phys
ical enthusiasm, of noisy hilarity, of ami
nal spirits; without speaking of the re-
turn at midnight on crowded platforms
with girls whom we lift into the cars
friends separated, calling from one end of
train to the other, and fellows playing a
horn upon the roof"
And the evenings of my astonishing
companion were not less full of adventure
than his holidays. Collar-and-elbow
wrestling in tent under the red
light of torches, between him, simple
amateur, and Dubois, the iron-man in
person---rat chases neal the mouth of
sewers with dogs as fierce as tigers--san-
culinary encounters at night in the most
dangerous quarters with ruffians and
nose-eaters--we the most insignificant
episodes of his nightly career. Nor do |
dare relate other adventures of more
intimate character, from which, as the
writers of an earlier day would say in
noble style, pen the least timorous
would recoil with horror.
However painful it may be to confess
an unworthy sentiment | am obliged TO
cav fbot M \, al m irotion for Ma,,,tn; -. -