Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-07-21


Obstacles. So this officer, mutilated
during the war, had again found, after
the campaign, the young girl who was
pledged to him, and keeping her en-
gagement, she had married him.
considered that to be beautiful, but
simple, just as We Judge to be simple
all the heroic actions in books and at
the theatre. When we read or listen
at these schools of magnanimity, we
always feel that we should have sacri-
feed ourselves with an enthusiastic
pleasure and magnificent impulse.
But We are always in bad humor on
the following day, when wretched
friend comes to borrow money.
Suddenly. another superstition, less
poetic and more realistic, replaced the
first one. Perhaps this officer had been
married before the war, before this
frightful accident had cut off his feet,
and his wife had been obliged, grieved
and resigned, to receive, care for, con
sole and sustain this husband who had
started off strong and handsome. but
who now returned, after having lest
his feet, frightful wreck. condemned
to immobility, impotent anger and
fatal Obesity.
Was he happy or tortured2 / was
seized with an irresistible desire to
knox his history. or at least the princi-
pal points Of it, which would permit
me T. divine. what he could not or
,-.te,tsl, 1 -.-4-4-aI----- --' --a.-- .-aa
TTalked with him while thinking at
the same time We had exchanged
few commonplace remarks, and as l
raised my eye to the rack, 1 thought
to myself So he has three children
the sweetmeats are for his wife, the doll
for his little girl, the drum and gun
for his sons, and the pates dc fore gras
for himself. "
Suddenly, I asked him You are a
father?'
No, he replied
felt confused, as though | had com
mitted an improperly, and continued
81 beg your pardon. [ thought
you were, in hearing your servant
speak of playthings We often hear
without listening, and draw conclu-
sions, in spite Of ourselves.
He smiled and murmured: ono, l
am not even married. l stopped at
the preliminaries
| pretended to remember all at once.
q All, that's true; you were engaged
when 1 knew you, to Mile. de Mandal,
I believe.
Yes, Monsieur, your memory is
excellent.
was excessively audacious, and
added q also have Il vague idea of
having heard that Mile. de Mandal
married Monsieur-M Monsieur
Monsieur de Fleurel,' he inter
rupted in calm tone,
Yes, that's it, / remember even,
to have heard about your wound.
I looked at him intently, and he
blushed. His full, puffy face, already
purple from the constant afflux Of
blood became still more highly colored.
He replied with the animation and
sudden ardor of man who pleads a
case lost in advance in his mind and
heart, but who wishes to win it before
public opinion.
people are wrong in pronouncing
Nine. de Fleurels name with mine.
When l returned from the war
without my feet, alas Il should new
er have accepted her offer to become
my wife. Was such thing possible {:
When a woman marries, it is not to
make a parade OF generosity, it is to
live every day, every hour, every min
ute and every second by the side Of
a man, and if this man is deformed,
as | am, she condemns herself in mar
rying him. to suffering that will last
unto death. Oh, ] comprehend and
admire all the sacrifices and all the de
votions, when they have a limit But |
do not admit that woman should re
nollnce an existence which she hopes
will prove happy and abandon all
her JOYS and dreams, for the sake of
satisfying the admiration of the gal
lery Do you believe that a man can
induce a woman to tolerate what he
himself cannot support? And, be
sides, do you think that my wooden
feet are attractive?
NJ. Reyalere became silent What
could say to him. I felt that he
was right Could l blame her, scorn
her or even admit that che was wrong =?
No. However, the denouement which
eonformed to the rule, to the aver
age, to truth and probability, did not