The St. Mary banner., 1906-07-14

The Englishman calmly laid by the
pistol, and all was made ready for
the operation AS soon as the sur
geon began to cut, the Englishman
lighted his pipe. and swore it should
not go out. He kept his word The
leg lay upon the floor, and the Eng
lishman was still smoking
Thevenet did his work like a mas.
ter; the wound, by his skill, and the
patients own good nature, was healed
at a fixed time. He rewarded the sur
geon like a king, and thanked him
with tears of Joy for the loss of his
leg and sailed over the streets with a
wooden one.
About eight weeks after his de-
parture, Thevenet received a letter
from England with the following con-
tents: .5..
You will receive inclosed, as a
proof of my most heartfelt gratitude,
an order for two hundred and fifty
guineas upon Mons Panchard, in Pa
ris. You have made me the happiest
my leg, for it was the only hindrance
to my earthly felicity Brave man.
you may now know the cause of my
foolish humor, as you called it.
You concluded, at the time, that
there could be no reasonable ground
for such self-mutilation. | offered to
lay a wager; you did well in not ac-
cepting it. After my second return
from the East Indies, | became ac-
quainted with Emile Harley, the most
perfect of women. | loved her most
passionately. Her wealth, her family
her favor; but l was Influenced only
by her beauty and her noble heart.
joined the number of her admirers.
All! excellent Thevenet, I was so
fortunate as to gain her affections.
She loved me above all-made no Sc
cret of it-but she still rejected me-
l sought her hand in vain; in vain
implored her parents and her friends
to intercede for me- She was still i'm
For long time l was un-
able to conjecture the cause of her
refusing me; since, as she confessed
herself, she loved me almost to dis
traction. One of her visitors at length
betrayed to me the secret.
Miss Harley was a wonder of beau
ty, but she had only one leg; and, on
account of this inperfecuon, she feared
to be .ome my wife, lest l should es-
nf
resolution was taken. resolved to
become like her; thanks to you, l
became so. l came with my wooden
leg to London, and in the first place
visited Miss Harley. 1t had been re-
ported, and l myself had written to
England, that by fall from a horse /
lad broken my leg, which was con-
taken off, 1t was much re-
sretted. Emile fell into a swoon the
first time she saw me- She was for
l long time inconsolate, but now she
S my wife. The first day after our
I intrusted to her the Sc
,ret of what a sacrifice had made in
of my wish to obtain her |
land. She loves me now the more |
Oh, my brave Theve-
without a single contortion of fea-
ure, part with them all for my Emile.
So long as l live l will be grateful |
o you. Come to London-visit us
'ecome acquainted with my wife, and /
hen say I was a fool.
CHARLES TEMPLE, Bart"
This was the answer of DR.. Theve-
let:
"Sir: thank you for your valuable
resent; for SO l must call it, be-
ause l cannot consider it as reward
or the little trouble l was at l con-
,ratulate you on your marriage with
woman SO worthy of your affections.
t is true, leg is much to lose. even
or a beautiful, virtuous and affection
tie wife-but not too much. To gain
ossession of Eve, Adam was obliged
0 part with a rib, and beautiful wO-
1en have cost some men their heads.
'ut, after all, permit me to adhere to
ny former judgment. Truly, for the
you were correct, but with
his difference: The correctness of
ny judgment was founded on long ex-
erience, as every truth should be,
yhich we are not disposed to acknowl-
dge. Sir, mind me, | lay wager.
hat after two years you will repent
hat your leg was taken off above the
nee. You will find that below the
nee had been enough After three
ears you will be convinced that the
)ss of the foot had been sufficient
fter four years. you will conclude that
he sacrifice of the great toe, and af-
ar five years, of the little toe had
cen too much. After six years, you
ill agree with me that the pairing of