The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-09
The FAMILY NAME.

One afternoon M. Sauvallier received
from his younger soma lieutenant in
garrison at Versailles the following let
ter:
VERSAILLES May rs, 1883.
MY DEAR FATHER-A terrible catastrophe
has befallen me, one which will be a blow tc
you also. l am writing about it because dare
not face you. I deserve never to see you again
Led astray by a companion, l have beer
gambling on the Bourse and am involved in
yesterdays crash, fin which SO many fortunes
have been suddenly swamped.
scarcely dare to tell you how much have
lost. Yet l must do SO, for the honor of the
Sauvalliers is concerned. Alas, you will be all
but ruined!
owe the sum of 10000 francs. Oh. what q
miserable wretch | am!
When found that the smash was inevitable,
went mad and entered my room with the in
tention Of putting an end to my wretched ex-
istence. But more sober thoughts prevailed.
I changed my mind. Ishad heard that officers
were being recruited for Tonquin, and deter
mined to volunteer for this service. My suicide
would not have bettered matters. 1t would
rather have left an added blot upon our family
name. Out there, at all events, my death may
be of use. 1t will cause you no shame and may
perhaps move you to little compassion for
your guilty but most unhappy and despalrlng
son, who suffers agonies at thought of the trou-
BILE he has brought upon you, and who now bids
you an eternal farewell.
CAMILLE SAUvALLIER.
M. Sauvallier, who had been widower
for several years past, was one OF the most
respected business men of Parasitic own
er of foundry, a judge of the tribunal OF
commerce and an officer of the Legion OF
Honor. He had two sons-Camille, the
lieutenant, and Auguste, an artist OF some
originality, who was the husband of a
charming wife and the father of little
6-year-old maiden named Andree. M. Sau-
WALLER had always deferred his sons from
EN- barking in trade. He had shrunk from
exposing them to the ups and downs OF
business life, its trying fluctuations, its
frequent cruel mischances. He had ar
ranged that at his death his estate should
be realized; he did not wish the business
to be sold outright, in case it should pas;
into the hands of strangers, who might
sully the hitherto unblemished name OF
Sauvallier.
And now, in spite of all his precautions,
a disaster greater than any he had dream
ed of had overwhelmed him.
Leaning back YEARLY in his armchair,
with haggard eyes he reread his sons let
ter, in order to assure himself that he was
not dreaming. Yes, it was too trueI Ca
mile had ruined, perhaps dishonored, him
1t seemed as though the objects that sur
rounded him-the very walls and furnl-
ture-were no longer the same. AS one
staggering beneath>a too heavy burden, he
rose with difficulty, his limbs stiff, yet his
whole frame agitated. Then he sank hack
into his chair. with two big tears flowing
down his cheeks.
By hook or by crook he must procure
the sum, and the debt should be paid to-
morrow 1t would be difficult task. The
wealth of the manufacturer consists OF
material and merchandise. Would so hur-
ried realization yield the necessary
amount? He could not tell. Again, when
this debt was paid, would he be able to
fulfill his engagements? Bankruptcy star
ed him in the face A Sauvallier bank
rupt? An officer of the Legion of Honor,
a Judge of the tribunal of commerce, in
solvent? Neverl He would die firstl
But before it came to that he would try
every experiment; he would strain every
nerve.
So all night long the poor man planned
and calculated, and in the morning, with
heavy heart, proceeded to put his plans
into effect.
He visited his numerous friends and told
them of his trouble, which elected much
sympathy In order to help, some made
large purchases of him, paying ready mon
ey; others advanced or lent him money.
All day until the evening he was running
about Paris collecting checks, bank notes
and orders.
In the evening, as he sat down to ascer-
tain the result of the days efforts, Au-
guste came in with his wife and Andree.
To help his father the artist had parted
with some of his pictures at sacrifice,
and he now brought the sum thus gained.
Andree, unconscious of the trouble of
her elders, began to play with her jean
ME, doll nearly as big as herself, which
her grandfather had given her some time
previously, and which she loved, she said,
"as her own daughter.
But the child soon observed the sadness
of her parents and her dear grandfather,
and she looked with earnest, inquiring
gaze from one to the other, trying to dis
cover what was amiss. She saw her father
lay down his pocketbook; she watched her
mother place upon the table her bracelets,
necklaces, earrings and rings, while M.
Sauvallier thanked them with tears in his
eyes. With very thoughtful, serious ex-
preston on her little face, the child turn
ed toward her doll, embraced it with the
emotional fervor of a last adieu, then car
ried it to her grandfather, saying in sweet,
resigned tones: "Take it, grandpapal You
can sell her too.o
M. Sauvallier wept upon the neck of his
little granddaughter, murmuring: You
also, my angel? Oh, that miserable boyF"
Thus Camille's debt was paid, and the
honor of the Sauvalliers was saved. But
the fathers fortune had gonel
He was able, however, to retain his bust
ness He said to himself that he must
work still, in spite of his threescore
years: that he must labor necessarily,
with the anxious ardor of those beginning
life with nothing to rely upon save their
own exertions.