St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-12-31
:::DOMINIC's FEE.

Among the persons who were in the
habit Of regularly frequenting the we'll
known Cafe de Foy in the Palais Royal,
in the year 49,, was a little old man,
very carefully dressed, although his cos
tune constituted real anachronism. His
head was enveloped in a warm Welsh
wig, with long, thick queue depending
from it. which appeared, when viewed
from behind, to resemble a full grown
cabbage, with the s,em still dangling
from its circumference. His pantaoons
were of black cloth, and were met mid
way down his stumpy legs by long Hes
sian boots, garnished with tassels, and
bright as hesurface of polished mirror
long green waistcoat fell downward in
folds so as to cover in part round and
well-developed paunch; loose and capa-
cious coat, of deep maroon color, dec
Grated with large bright metal buttons,
and forcibly reminding one of the era of
the republic, hung over the shoulders :;
and hat, beveled off into a sugar loaf
form, surnlounted the wig, and completed
his equipment.
. After all, however, this costume was
nothing very extraordinary, or indeed
very different from that of the hun
dreds of Anticipated men who about
this epoch were to be seen swarming
forth in fine weather, like host of
innocent green frogs basking in the sun
after spring shower. The little old
man in question visited the Cafe de
Foy every morning precisely at one
o'clock, called for cup of coffee with
cream, and roll of bread, which he
always divided into the same number of
circular slices. 1t was necessary, how
ever, that this bread should be stale, and
as they knew the particular fancy of the
old gentleman in this respect, a roll was
carefully reserved for each days con-
sumption, and put aside for his break fast
the following morning. From this prac-
tice the old man became known among
the different walters by the sobriquet of
"the man who always ate stale bread"
The old gentleman's state of existence
was so uniform, and his movements so
regular, us to resemble in no small de-
gree, those of an automation. He en-
tered the cafe every morning without
looking to the right or the left, and pro-
ceeded directly to little round table,
isolated and small, and for these reasons,
nearly always unoccupied. After being
served with his breakfast, he invariably
distracted two out of the five pieces of
sugar which lay beside his cup, and con-
veyed them into the dexter pocket of bis
green ,waistcoat; he next proceeded to
butter in succession each Of the numer.
Gus morsels Of bread, adding, if / mis-.
take not" precisely the same number. of
grains. Of salt to each, . and then oate Els
breakfast cautiously .abstaining from
looking at any Of the Journals or periodi-
cafs..Ss 81 : 80 70.
Some Of the ardent politicians who Ere.
quented fireplace expressed establishment
and contempt at this last habit, and re-
garded the little. old man as very van.
dial, careless Of the honor and interests of
his, country The mora judicious, and
among them myself, were Of a different
opinions we considered him, for pre-
eisely the same reasons, very paragon
Of prudence and wisdom. lnattentive to
both parties, s'the man who always ate
stale bgead". pursued: the quiet tenor Of
his way without change. -. ~
:. One day, toward. the Close of the year
1s---, the old man quilted the cafe with
out paying ::for@his, breakfast: but as he
made mo observation in. $50 doing: it was
supposed that he had : forgotten it, and
would remember it !o,the next morning.
The eoffee.house55 keeper, however, ,eck~
oned without his. host In this. .su pposi..
tor forthe next: day: and the next day
and the next; st'the man who always ate
stale bread" regularly pocketed his tive
Jumps Of sugar beat his accustomed
march, pulled up his. Hessian boots. and
did all that he had been accustomed to
DE- d. With 70 exception Of paying his
: This change 10 his usual practice eons
tinued 0 fog a week, and at the end of
which time the proprietor Of, the coffee:
house. ignorant Of, the name or residence
OF his debtor determined upon present.
ing him with DILL, the more especially
as the little man gave moo explanation of
his conduct or made any allusion to this
remarkable change in his ancient habits,
< Dominic the chief saiteso Of ,the:s:esss
tablishment, had become accustomed to
the old mag in consequence of the little
trouble he gave. and his quiet and gentle
demeanerSa DOMINIC imagined, from the
circumstances of hfs not diminishing the
expense of his breakfast, that the good
mans was; merely laboring' under some
temporary embarrassment, so that, partly