The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-03-13
MONSIEUR MAYEUX.

Long. long ago TO SOME OF us It
seems almost a century since) there
was fierce fighting in the streets OF
Paris. Balls whizzed through the air,
cannon belchcd forth their murderous
vollcys, and men were falling on
every side.
The story of Cain and Abel is an
old and familiar one, but we have not
learned from it 10 avoid the curse OF
civil war. At the time of which l
speak the Swiss Guards and the Royal
Corps of footsoldiery were defending
themselves in the palace of the Louvre,
which was besieged by a mob OF insur-
gents However, it is not my purpose
10 recount the events of history in this
brief narration, but rather to tell you
a story. Let me introduce my hero.
You will doubtless say that l have
selected an unattractive parsonage for
hero. He is a diminutive man. de-
formed and ugly, hunchback-a
Quasimodo OF the streets. one might
term him. His name is M. Mayeux.
NJ. Mayeux was all alone In his room
during the eventful days of July. II
l mistake not, the house in which he
lived was in the Rue DIES Pretres, ad.
joining the church of st. German
fAuxerrois, which is equivalent to say
ing that he was unpleasantly near the
scene of conflict. He could hear the
cries of the wounded and the groans
of the dying. These woful sounds
moved him deeply. He paced rapidly
up and down the narrow chamber, his
head bent and his brows contracted
into an angry frown. Occasionally
he paused to calculate:
Miserable menl British creatures
Are they made Why is all this blood
shed2 these murderersa A curse on
revolutionsp
While NJ. Mayeux was thus giving
vent to his feelings, it occurred to hin
that by going down into the street be-
low he might perhaps render service
to some among the wounded. He was
a tender hearted and unselfish man
After a brief hesitation he hastily
quilted his room and was soon in the
heat of the melee, unarmed, and some
what dazed by the sights and sounds
that greeted him there. He heard the
excited populace shout Victory! vic
toryr He saw soldiers in scarlet uni
forms flying for their lives in every
direction. The mob had triumphed
over the Swiss Guard, and NJ. Mayeu,
arrived just in time to be present a
the taking OF the Louvre
He had hardly gone more than ter
steps beyond his own street when &
soldier of the Swiss Guard, hotly pur
sued by an infatuated throng of men
women and children, came rushing to
ward him in all the excitement of ter
ror. The poor fugitive was running
at full speed, when a random sho
struck him. NJ Mayeux saw hin
turn about and fall heavily to tn
ground, his face downward. His pur
suers were rushing up to put an enc
to him, but M. Mayeux planted him
self in front OF the PROSTATE form
perhaps already a corpse.
The hunchback, as / have said, wa
small, ugly and altogether repulsive il
appearance. He crossed his long arm
over his narrow chest, and exclaimed
Come, you would not strike
wounded manp
1t often happens that one daunties
spirit is able to overawe an angr
mob. The crowd drew back.
Leave this man here, my friends,
continued Mayeux. 'eWhat harm ca
he do9 All is over. You are the vic
tors now"
WHO is this little hunchback
asked young woman in the thrOne
"rll wager he's another of your az
cursed rOyalists."
Nor cried a child who stood b
her side. 1T is M. Mayeux." Ant
approaching the hunchback, he said
Don't you know met l am httl
Pichon, who lives on the floor ju.
above YOU" Then he added: Goo
morning, NJ. Mayeux!"
Peals of laughter burst from tt
mob, who only five minutes befol
had been yelling and shouting wit
the wild fury~of savages. Their crit
and threats were replaced by brut:
jests.
"Ahl NJ Mayeuxl This is NJ. Nj
yeux; the brave defender of falle
2 soldiers. Ha, ha, ha! NJ Mayeux =
5 But Mayeux was rejoiced. f
d. though. to himself: II have saved h
lifel Now that they are in good h,
| NOR, they will GO away soon."
And SO they did. They had enioye
their heartless sport, and they we
satisfied. NJ. Mayeux caused tt
> wounded soldier to be carried to h
= room, where he soon regsined CO
sciousness. The physician who WI
summoned pronounced the injury
Z rifling one, and assured the patie
1 That he would be we'll again in wee
: In eight days the Swiss guard W
e. up and able to leave the house. T
e thanked his protector in the warme
0 terms and repeated again and aga
: that his gratitude was beyond Il
h power of language 10 express. ''Oh
e he said, at parting, my generous d
! fender and friend, shall rememb
o you slwaysw
= NJ. Mayeux never saw him afte
ward. But he would sometimes sa
smiling sadly as he spoke:
Even the ungrateful are of use
: this world. They help us to do 60
from disinterested motives"
During a period of about TWEEN
! years BIZ. Mayeux had been employ
as clerk in the department of {
minister Of war. His salary was sma
but it sufiiced for his few wants.
was growing old and could not rease
o. ably anticipate many years of usef
> ness. The modest sum he had Il
, by, however, enabled him to look +
~ ward without fear of privation TO I
!. inevitable day when, as he express
4 it, he must make ready to go below
- NJ. MayeuX had neither relations n
friends. His family had all pass
away, one by one; and as for frien,
NJ. Maycux consoled himself with I
s. belief that he had 10 enemies.
n Recollections are the friends of Tia,
y who have no others. NJ. Maye
cherished his recollections. II
were all, for the most part, very {
Y or very bitter. But to the poor l
i luse even this bitterness seemed gre
. full, like the pungent flavor of a I
mt dicinal tonic.
- The hunchback's thoughts often c
ried him back to a certain occasion
q his past life when he had suffel
'N deeply. 1T is the only time dur