The national leader., 1889-04-06
AN OBEDIENT HUSBAND.

AN OBEDlENI HUSBAND.
The first time l met my old chum
Vital Herbelot, after leaving school,
was at banquet attended by all the
old pupils of our provincial lycee.
was not little surprised to find the
Vital Herbelot of mature years quite a
different looking person from the youth
I remembered, and not at all resemb-
aing the man | had supposed my friend
would grow into. When | knew him
he was slender and tinted, painfully
neat in bis dress, scrupulously correct in
his manners and somewhat reserved,
combining, in short, all the good quail
ties of young lad determined TO make
his way in the position his relatives
had obtained for him. l now saw a
compactly built, large limbed man,
much sunburned, with a bright eye and
the loud, clear, decided way of speak
ing of one unaccustomed to weigh his
words. There was free and easy and
not ungraceful manner about him as
different as possible from that usually
assumed by the building officials in
whose ranks 1 supposed him still to be.
''What has happened to youp" said
20 him. ''Are you no longer in govern
ment employ?"
mo. old fellow; l am nothing more
nor less than a stupid old farmer. l
have little place half league from
here at Chauteraine, where l raise
wheat and black Burgundy grapes, the
wine from which you shall taste when
you come to see me-"
"You don't mean to tell me that you,
the son and grandson OF government
official. who was always held up as
model employee at the bureau, and for
whom the most brilliant future was
predicted-you don't mean to say that
you have thrown away all your chances
of Distinguishing yourself in your
chosen career?"
Eyes, that's the simple truth"
''How did it happen?"
~sMy dear fellow" he replied, laugh
ing, "great effects are often produced
by very trivial causes. In this case 1T
was couple of peaches that compelled
me to offer my resignation" :"
"a couple of peachesp"
~'Precisely so, and if you will drive
with me back to Chauteraine after we
nave Ddu our COne0 L VIII CClA JOu "a
actly how it came about"
After coffee had been served we left
the banoueters, and while discussing
over cigars my friend began his story
rs we skirted the banks of the canal.
1t was warm afternoon toward the
end of August.
"You know" he said, ''that was
born in the profession, and that my
father, himself an old employe of the
bureau, thought there was nothing to
be compared to the career OF govern
,nent official. So as soon as l had re-
ceived my degree, and as nothing more
brilliant offered, l was installed as a
clerk in my fathers office.
LAS was an industrious lad of reg
ular habits and had been taught from
the cradle to respect my Superlors and
20 pay them the Difference that was
their due, was in great favor with the
heads of the bureau. When l was 70
the director, who had conceived quite
a liking for me, took me into hio office,
and was an object of envy to my tel-
low clerks. l was, in fact, already
spoken of as in the way Of speedy pro-
motion.
cit was at that period l married.
Ny wife was an exceedingly pretty
young girl, but who, though as good as
she was pretty and very affectionate,
had no fortune. This was considered
a grave mistake on my part in the little
world of employees in which l lived,
many going so far as to assert that l
had made a stupid blunder, and IRE
parably compromised my future. New
ertheless, as my wife was attractive
and amlable, and as we managed by
economy to make both ends meet, peo-
pie after while stopped talking of my
want OF prudence and the society of the
provincial town in which we lived con-
descended to receive US.
s.My official superior, the director,
was wealthy. He gave frequent recep-
tions, generous dinners, and now and
then dancing party, to which his EN-
ployes and the celebrities of the town
were invited. At the end of the year,
nv wife, who was in delicate health
was compelled to remain at home when
invited on these occasions, and although
I should have preferred keeping hel
company was obliged to go alone, fol
nv host could not permit his invita-
tions to be refused.
sit so happened that just when my
wife was little more indIsposed thar
Loua. ..-.s sAll4e SUAMoaS 10 &c