The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-02-04
VERDAVIN'S
CANDIDACY
How the Representative of
His Wife Was Elected

IL is SAFE D6CtlnS that YOUR IuIeIlOCu-
tor, no matter who he may be, will
exclaim:
''Verdavin! Well, of all the ambi.
tious, intriguing men I ever met, Yer
DAWN was the worst"
However, now that the voX populi
has pronounced upon my old friend,
permit me to have the honor of intro.
ducing to you the real Verdavin, that
you may compare him with Verdavin
the legendary.
Born of honest, but poor, parents,
Amedee-such was his name-had,
from his childhood up, one single care
Ito live quietly and cozily on the 3d.
900 francs a year bequeathed to him
by his pa and ma. He had CHEEKY
little town residence, love of coun'
try house. In spring he made little
trip to Paris; in summer he fished; In
autumn he shot; in winter there was
the club. Nothing could have been
pleasanter.
Nevertheless, Amedee perceived that
something still was lacking in his life.
He wanted some one to keep his &C
counts and oversee his expenditures.
How was he to get rid of this business
which threatened his idleness and
placidity? He made up his mind to
take a wife.
She whom he had chosen was q
young girl of candid k7ow, but full OF
resolution-a fact which had guided
Verdavin in his selection. He had said
to himself: "She will have will enough
to see after all my business affairs,
and I shall be saved any trouble in
such matters"
The moon that shone above-round
as the crown of his hat-had not yet
filed her horn six times after their
marriage, when, one fine morning, my
lady summoned her husband, who
fastened to her apartments, bearing
IN his hand package of books, to
which he was attaching new lengths
of line and gut.
What is it, my darling?"
"Amedee, be SO good as to listen to
me. During the six months Of our
married life have been studying your
character and scrutinizing your apti-
tudes, for you know well that man
of your age and position cannot rust
in inglorious idleness."
"Why, bless me, Emmie, I thought
my time was sufficiently occupied. For
instance, just at this very moment,
was setting off for the brook, where
expected to get you mess of fish for
dinner that"
"Amedee, be serious, beg of you,
if you can. 1 have been canvassing
the whole subject thoroughly in my
mind, and have found the one pur.
suit"
"But, my dear, when I say that"
THAT one pursuit in which, now
adays, a man can rise to power and
honor, is politics.
Politics! Heaven be praised,
never have gone in for politics; and,
heaven helping me, madame, 1 never
will"
'In three weeks there will be an
election in this department. will,
that is to- cay, you will, come forward
as a candidate"
"But, dearest, you have not
thought"
Eyes, dear, l have thought it over in
its every aspect. Indeed, have pre-
pared your address to the electors"
"The deuce you have!"
Don't swear, Amedee; swearing Of
tends the scrupulous voters. Do you
think it is very agreeable for WON
an to spend all her lifetime shut up in
this poky old hole, absolutely un-
known? The provinces do not make
regulations, but they elect deputies.
What would I not give to hear people
say, as passed: You see that pretty
little woman in brown? She's the wife
Of our representative
"Emmie, you are only jesting!"
"This, then, is the address you are
to issue to the electors" and she read
as follows:
Fellow-Citizens: At time when the
the very eXistence-de-
mands the harmonious union of all patri-
otto men, I feel it my duty to desire an
opportunity of combating on the parlia-
mentary field of battle for she regener-
alton of our beloved country. What de-
sire-what you must all desires order
in liberty with liberty in order.
There were nearly three columns Of
this.
The next morning there began for
the unhappy verdavin life the hor-
rors of which it would be difficult 20
retrace. He, the friend Of repose, the
enemy of emotion!
For instance, one day madame said:
"Amedee, / have drawn up list of
the leading residents of each parish
in the constituency. We will call on
the most prominent; you will write to
the Others"
Seventeen hundred letters-I never
could"
"You can easily hire secretaries. In
half an hour we will set off on this in
dispensable journey"
For 15 days the only man one
seemed to meet on the roads, the
the cars, was the unhappy
Verdavin, the candidate in spite Of
himself. In the pelting rain, in the
broiling sun, everywhere went he.
Every morning his wife drew up the
program for his days journey; every
night he had to bring home to her
good and sufficient evidence that hs
had been at each place he claimed to
have visited.
Grand outcome-the bronchitis.
three mild sunstrokes an incurabls