The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-09-16
THEY HER.
How Injured Self-Respect Brought Down
nishme on the Offender.

How Injured Self Respect Brought Down
Punishment on the Offender.
Dignity is associated with honest
poverty as often, beyond a doubt. as it
is with wealth; and it is not always
safe Or wise for those who are better
to-do to affront the self-respect Of the
poor. A story is told of the youth of a
woman who died in old age in Paris
lately which illustrates this fact.
When h was a poor girl, working for
her living, she took her dinner each
day in a restaurant kept by a woman
named Clemence-a well-known place
in Paris, where people of limited in
comes were in the habit of eating.
The young woman, whose name was
Theresa, received her salary monthly,
and it was so small that it was often
spent a day or two before payday
came around again. On such occasions
Madame Clemence generally gave
Theresa credit until payday, although
she regarded her with suspicion.
Theresa always paid her debt when
she received her salary.
But one day toward the end of the
month, when Theresa had been par
ticularly unfortunate in her affairs,
she presumed too far on Mime. Glenn
ence's generosity. The customary
patrons of the restaurant had gathered
preparatory to the meal. Theresa,
who had eaten but a scrap of bread
that day, was among them, and very
hungry. Nine. Clemence came up tc
her and said, roughly:
What do you want here?"
my dinner" Theresa answered,
meekly.
well, you can't have it here the
woman said. "You owe me nine francs
already, and that's quite enough for
you to owe"
The poor girl rose in burning hu-
initiation, and was about to go when
she heard a low and very kind voice
neal her:
PAY the woman right off" it said.
She felt a ten-franc piece slipped into
her hand, and saw that the person who
had spoken to her was M. Dumaine, a
gentleman whom she knew by sight.
She hesitated a moment; but some
generosities are not to be lightly re-
fused. even by persons of pride. She
paid Mime. Clemence her debt out of
the money. Then NJ. Dumaine rose and
said aloud to the people in the room:
MY friends, one of US here, a poor
girl, has been publicly insulted with
out good cause. Evidently Madame
Clemence needs a little admonition.
Let US leave her alone for a fortnight.
/ know a little restaurant in Belleville,
where we can do very we'll. Let us go
there"
Bravo, Dumaine!" the people called.
They all rose and followed Dumaine to
Belleville, leaving Madame Clemence
aghast.
The crowd dined merrily in the new
place-all except Theresa, who had
lost her appetite as the result Of the
extraordinary incident, and had grown
very pensive.
She did not repay NJ. Dumaine's ten
francs; she feared to offend him. But
she paid it back" as she called it.
with large interest, for through all her
long subsequent life-during which'she
often had considerable sums to dis
pense-she never hesitated to assist a
struggling artist or any necessitous
young person who presented himself.
st is NJ. Dumaine's ten francs" she
would say, as she assisted these needy
persons in their battle with the world.
Youths Companion.