News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-02-13

sugar. At that time France was rich
in colonies on the Mississippi, there
fore no one paid any heed to the dis
covery. Nor was it fully developed.
learned abroad in Prussia, new i'm
provements, expended my small pos
sessions to test it, and hope I have
succeeded"
ut is not poison, then?" cried
Marie Antoinette, meaningly. The
king for the first time understood what
had preceded, and discovered also that
the chemist was bound. At sign the
bond was cut and the guard left the
room without Dumonet.
Meanwhile the queen bravely took a
piece of sugar in her lovely mouth.
That was signal for the young court
iers to rush upon the before distrusted
sugar, vieing with each other to exhibit
their courage, their devotion through
this harmless poison.
Gently, my ladies, my lords" cried
Maurepas, every little piece OF that
sugar cost golden louis"
But the sugar is not one bit better
than our ordinary sugar." remonstrat-
ed the queen, land it is only curiosi-
ty leading to ruin"
''Your majesty is in a measure correct.
Experimenting in small way, at the
same expense as great trade, natural
ly makes this sample excessively dear;
but if your majesty will advance me
two millions for the development of
larger facilities for manufacture l shall
be able to furnish pound of sugar TO
10 sous instead of francs"
rTl,o lyipo raooi1al iny 70 Qrd
Marie Antoinette grasped her famous
necklace, which had cost two millions,
as If the plain man before her had been
a robber. Her disappearing glance
gave direction to the kings answer.
"Dr. Dumonet, l honor enterprise;
accept this snuff-box as a recognition
of it. But two millions the state can
not possibly lend you That is too
much money for the exhausted ex-
chequer."
DS..aaonet- received the gift respect
fully. tSire, sooner or later my en-
terprise will find the money"
The whole shallow, subservient
swarm Of courtierlings cried out an
excited echo to the royal words:
1.-Two millions for sugar! Two
millions! The man should be in q
mad-housei How can any one be so
shameless? Just as if it were not all
the same whether one pay 10 sous or
4 francs for pound of sugar: And If
any can't pay it let him take his food
unsweetened. What has the govern
ment to do with that?''
And so Dumonet was dismissed. He
had only need 1000, 900; the second
was the price demanded by the
minister for the introduction. This
evening Maurepas composed the only
good verse of his life, which, translat-
ed, runs somewhat thus:
"Altho' his life to sweeten
is all his royal care,
Two million francs fors sugar
The king finds rather dear"
The Juror which his wit created at
the court console1 him somewhat for
the lost l, 100000, and was it not all
the same whether at his death there
should be deficit OF one paltry million
more or less? He left, in fact. a.
round 10000. 900 in debts. 1t was a
noble sum; nine would not have sound
ed so impressive.
Dumonet migrated to Belgium,
where he found more appreciation,
and lived, safe and respected, while
the revolution storm swept over his
unhappy fatherland. "Who laughs
last" etc.
"And my queen would have died
with me?" asked Louis, as he accom-
panied her to their chamber that
night She was so beautiful, so dainty;
in her wonderful eyes beamed the
reflection of loving tears. The next
morning the king granted 8, 100000
out of the state Golfers to the .'un-
fortunate" duchess OF Polignac. From
the French.