St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-04-26
THE QUEEN WINS.
Il Was q Question of Bad Debts
or Beet Sugar.

tOcracy still danced through the.sa looms
Of the royal castles. Maurepas still
reigned Prime Minister-that same
friend of humanity who made the com
passionate decision concerning the
peoples welfare: 'Why build hos
pitals. Can not the people die OH the
roads if they lile?"
This evening Maurepas had the honor
of heing permitted to lead the beauti.
full Marie Antoinetue to the card-table,
but complaining of q severe headache rs
they passed through the saloon, the
Queen excused him from further at
tendance that the pain might not be
increased. As he was Fastening back
through the antc-chamber to the dancing
hall, where the King was taking his
coffee, he perceived beneath the gobe-
lin tapestry of the famous LouvOis
window man in citizens dress, who
regarded him expectan,ly and bowed
low before him.
1T is all right Dumonet." whispered
the asthmatic old man; This evening
His Maiestyswill taste of it" And he
forthwith thrilled one of his hundred
madrigals, which, in truth, were tame
enough, but which his fiatterers found
very witty. In. the royal apartment he
saw just then Louis XVI. take from =
sugar basin two delicately-broken Jumps
of sugar and sweeten his coffee with
them. As the King took a mouthfui Of
the coffee the ministerial friend Of the
people approached and asked respect
fully: ...-.... -.-
How does your Majesty find the cof-
fee this evening" .s-. .... .
''As usual, excellent"
s.The best mocha is always upon your
Majesty's table: but does the sugar suf-
ficicnAy moderate the bitterness Of the
coffee?" f.
Louis XvL,w was sensitive to mockery
and irony even to timidity; therefore he
said. inquiringly:
what do you mean by that?"
Maurepas laughed. 'Your Majesty,
permit me one question How much,
sire, do you think these two pieces Of
sugar cost?" The King looked uneasy.
do you wish to test my mathematical
ability?'' Maurepas continued to laugh.
.Well, then, I will answer your prob
lem: Sugar costs the people about
eighty sous . pound Ii fIrcckon eighty
pieces to the pound it makes one sou for
each piece; but since to me as King
every thing is quadrupfed. have this
evening consumed eight sous worth Of
sugar"
This sugar is the gift of one Of your
subjects, who counts himself happy that
it is considered worthy of . place on
your Maiesty's table; therefore it costs
you nothing. sire. but the giver values
every piece at full Louis dor" .--..
"You::are beside yourself NJ. de Maure-
pas. Eighty Louis dor for pound OF
sugar.. At tisas rate should be COM
peeled to sell Rambosllet y supply my
brother with sugar for a year, for. you
know he fakes a handful to every cup.
But explaiA 70 me yo1 jest.af - -,
In moment your Majesty" And he
took the sugar-basiu and epptied the
contents upon the marble table ,aad-
counted the pieces. ''FOrty-three. with
the ones used forty-five, worth l,OS0
francs, but look your Majesty, what
dazzling whiteness and how light it is
and how sweet without any bitter aft
er-taste."
''Come. now, said Louis, interrupting
his babble, lis sugar ever bftter?"
And your Majesty will never guess
from what this sugar is made"
The King was not without some
knowledge of chemistry, therefore he
answered, hesitatingly:
Naturally from the sugar-cane."
Pardon me, your Majesty, it is beet
eoot sugar"
''Beet-root! What is beet-root?"
The Duchess of Chartreuse, who was
listening. drew near and said: ''Beets,
sire, are little red leaves. Of which my
make salad"
NJ. de Maurepas cut OF her explanA-
ton with a malicious laugh. ''Beets
are edible roots, which people Is we'll
rs cattle find palatable, and now they
have been found to yield sugar"
Respec: kept the brilliant company
out of hearing distance, and they
watched eagerly the strange proceed
ings. All this examination, weighing
and counting Of the sugar tossed up the
court gossip among theEs like bright
soap-bubble. Who first whispered it:
''The King has been poisoned by . cup
of coffee?"
Heaven forbid! And we have drunk
the same coffee.'
mo, not the coifee-it was the sugar"
''Some one 60 tell the Queeng'