Year: 1865

A REMNIscExcE OF oLDES TINES.


Clearance was one Of the pages Of
King Louis XIV, and officer in hs
body guard. In early life be bad
played some very strange pranks, but
had always met with favor and pro-
tection from the King He did many
clever things, but one in particular in
which he was engaged made every
body laugh. He had long and
handsome avenue TO his chateau in
in Apjou, in which peasant had
little house and garden which bad
stood in The same avenue long before


the avenue was planted, aud which
neither Clearance nor his father could
persuade the peasant TO sell on any


terms. This. observes Saint Simon,


with proper di>dain for SO low a per-


son. is a species OF oustinacy which


petty proprietors often show express


ly to annoy people Of condition.
Clearance pretended 10 let the matter
drop, and for long time said no more
about il. Al last. disgusted that a
paltry cottage should intercept the
sweep oi bi, fine avenue, he concsiv-


ed scheme 10 get rid OF It. IL
CHANGED that the owner of The cottage
was tailor, and worked at his trade
whenever an opportunity offered. lie
lived alone; having neither wife nor
children. One fine day Charauce


sent Tor him, and said that he was
suddenly ordered up 10 Court TO hll
on office OF great Importance, that he


was anxious TO get there as soon as
possible. and. as he had no liveres tor
/ his servants he wished him to make
them forthwith. The tailor agreed,
and the bargain was struck on the spot.
/ Clearance stipulated, however, that
to avoid unnecessary delay he should
do the work at the chateau and that,lf
he promised not 10 quit the work
until il was finished, he would pay
| him something over and above, be-
sides board and lodging him. The
tailor set to work on the spot, III
the meantime Clearance got an archi-
tpct to make an exac, plan OF the house
and garden, the rooms, the furniture,
and even the kitchen utensils. He
I then sent workmen to pull down the,
house, take away everything that was
in it, and reconstruct it exactly as 1t
had been, internally, at some distance
from the avenue, with every article III
It's accustomed place, and the garden
exactly as it had been. They then
cleared away all traces OF it from the
ground it originally stood upon, so
that nobody could guess that it had
ever been there at all. This was
completed before the tailor, who was
carefully watched, had finished his


lIveries. When the liveries were
completed Clearance pald bis man
well, kept him TO supper, and then
dismissed him. The tailor set out for
1 his home at uighttall. He found the
avenue unusually long, thought he
had gone too far, retraced his steps,
and looked about for the the we'll
known trees near which his house
stood. The night was dark, and he
groped his way through them as well
as he could; but was astonished to
find house nowhere. He passed the
whole of the long night in this way.
When day broke he saw that he had
not gore aslray, but that house and
garden and all had disappeared, and
lie came to the conclusion that he was
the spor. OF some evil spirit. Alter
wandering about good deal, he
thought lie perceived at considera-
bic distance from the avenue cottage
which resembled his own, though he
knew that there never lad been one
in the same place. He approached it,
examined it closer, and ile more he
did so, the more he WAS struck with
The exact resemblance. He was Gu
rious TO try whether the key he had
in hls pocket would fit the lock. 1t
did fit The lock. He opened the door,
walked in, and was lhunderstruck on
finding not only that the rooms were
the same, but that every single article
Of furniture was the same, and pre-
cisely in the spot where he had left
them. lie was near tanning with
fright he fell on his knees and pray
ed, for hp religiously believed that the
demon had played him this trick.--
The following day, however, be learnt
the truth from the mocking and laugh
ing OF he villagers to whom he told
his story. He got furious, went with
his complaint 10 the lntendant of the
province, and insisted upon getting
satisfaction but he only got laughed
al. The King beard the story and
{ laughed more than anybody and Char
ance had his avenue as he wish d il.
"Ahl" concludes st. Simon, had Char
ance never done worse than what he
did 10 the tailor, be would have pre-
served his reputation and his liberty"


Now that the fate Of the chief rebel
/ is in grrai measure in The hands Of