The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-06-07

lOI 6uCu SGll-lluJlldIlOAs ASA~0 -
lay a wager; you did well in not &C
cepting it. After my second return
from the East Indies, I became &C
| quainted with Emile Harley, the most
perfect of ome l loved her most
pa~ssionately. Her wealth, her family
her favor; but | was influenced only
by her beauty and her noble heart. ]
joined the number of her admirers.
All! excellent Thevenet, l was so
fortunate as to gain her affections
She loved me above all-made NJ Sc
cret of it-but she still rejected me
| sought her hand in vain; in vain
implored her parents and her friends
to intercede for me. She was still inn.
movable. For a long time / 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 n leg; and, on
account of this inperfection, she feared
to become my wife, lest I should es-
TEEN her the less becauses of it. My
resolution was taken. I resolved to
become like her; thanks to you, l
became so. I 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 a fall from a horse l
had broken my leg, which was con-
s%equently taken off. 1t was much re
GREETED. Emile fell into a swoon the
first time she saw me. She was for
a long time inconsolate, but now she
is my wife. The first day after our
marriage / intrusted to her the Sc
cret of what a sacrifice had made in
consequence of my wish to obtain her
hand. She loves me now the more
af~fectionately. Oh, my brave Theve'
net! had l ten legs to lose, l would,
without a single c%ontortion of fea
ture, part with them all for my Emile.
So long as live I will be grateful
to you. Come to London-visit us
become acquainted with my wife, and
then say l was a fool.
CHARLES TEMPLE, Bart"
This was the answer of DR.. Theve
net:
"Sir: l thank you for your valuable
present; for SO l must call it, be.
cause I cannot consider it as reward
for the little trouble l was at. l con
graduate you on your marriage with
a so worthy of your affections.
1t is true, a leg is much to lose, even
for a beautiful, virtuous and affection.
ate wife-but not too much. To gain
possession of Eve, Adam was obliged
to part with a rib, and beautiful VIC
men have cost some men their heads
But, after all, permit me to adhere tc
my former judgment. Truly, for the
moment, you were correct, but with
this difference: The correctness oil
my judgment was founded on long ex
perience, as every truth should be
which we are not disposed to acknowl
edge. Sir, mind me, l lay a wager
that after two years you will repent
that your leg was taken off above the
knee. You will find that below the
knee had been enough. After three
years you will be convinced that the
loss of the foot had been sufficient
After four years, o will conclude thai
the sacrifice of the great toe, and af
ter five years, of the little toe had
been too much. After six years, you
will agree with me that the pairing OF
a nail had been enough. But l do
not say this in prejudice of the merits
of your charming wife. In my youth
1 devoted myself to love, but I have
never parted with a leg. Had 1 done
SO, 1 should, at this day, have said.
'Thevenet, thou vast a fool
Il have the honor to be, yours, etc.
LEWIS THEVENET."
Eleven years after, during the hor.
rors of the French Revolution, DR..
Thevenet, whom a person that en-
We'd his reputation caused to be sus.
pected of a%ristocracy, fed to London
to save himself from the guillotine.
He inquired after Sir Charles Tenn.
pie, and was shown his house. He
made himself known, and was re
ceived. In an armchair by the fire
surrounded by 20 newspapers, sat a
corpulent man, who could hardly
stand up, he was so %unwieldy.
"Ah, welcome, DOCTOR" cried the
corpulent man, who was no other thar
Sir Charles Temple; excuse me if !
do not rise. This cursed leg is q
hindrance to me in everything. You
have come to me to see if YOU judg
ment was correct"
81 come as a fugitive, and seek your
protection"
"You shall have it with pleasure
You must live with me from this day
for truly you are a wise man. 70,
must console me. Surely, Thevenet
probably l had been an admiral of the
blue, had not my wooden leg disquali
fed me from the service of my coun
try. When l read in the gazettes OF
the brave deeds done by the defenders
of my country, l became angry, be
cause I cannot take part in these glo
rious actions. Come, console me-"
Your wife a do that better thar
l."
"Say nothing of her. Her woode1
leg prevented her dancing, so she be
took herself to cards and to fashion
There is no such thing as living peace
ably with her"
What! was my judgment correct
them"
ooh. welcome beloved Thevennt