Year: 1865




| The Paris correspondent of the Lon


don Times tells the following story of
the times of Louis XIV:


Chsrnace had been one of the Kings
pages and an officer in his body guard.
In early life he had played some very
strange pranks, but had always met with
favor and protection from the King. He
did many clever things, but one in par


ticular in which he was engaged made
everybody laugh He had a long and


handsome avenue to his chateau in An
jou, in which a peasant had little


house and garden which had stood in
the same spot long before the avenue


was planted, and which neither Charnace
nor his father could ever persuade the
rustic to sell on any terms. This, OBJ
serves Saint Simon, with proper disdain
for SO low person, is species of OBJ


stinacy which petty proprietors often
show expressly to annoy people Of
condition. Charnace pretended to let
the matter drop, and for long time said
no more about it. s re


At last, disg,lsted that a paltry cottage
should intercept the sweep of his fine
avenue, he conceived a scheme to get
rid of it. 1t CHANGED that the owner Of
the cottage was tailor, and worked at
his trade whenever an opportunity Of
fered He lived alone, having neither
wife nor children. One fine day, Char
mace sent for him, and said that he was
suddenly ordered up to court to fill ar
office of great importance, that he was
anxious to get there as soon as possible,
and as he had no liveries for his servants,
he wished them to be made forthwith.
The tailor agreed, and the bargain was
struck on the spot. Charnace stipulated,
however, to avoid unnecessary delay, he
should do the work at the chateau, and
that if he promised not to quit it until
it was finished he would pay him some
thing over and above, besides boarding
and lodging him. The tailor set to,
work on the spot. In the meantime
Charnace got an architect to make an
exact plan of the house and garden. the
rooms, the furniture, and even the kitch
en- utensils. He then sent workmen to
pull down the house, take away every
thing that was in it, and reconstruct it
exactly as it had been, internally and ex
ternally, at some distance from the ave-
nue.. with every article in its place, and
the garden exactly AS it had been.


They then cleared away all traces Of
it from the ground it had originally stood
upon, so that nobody could guess that it
had been there at all. This was COM
pleted before the tailor, who was care
fully watched, had finished his liveries.
When the liveries were completed, Char
mace paid his man well, kept him to
supper, and then dismissed him. The
tailor set out for his home at nightfaH--
He found the avenue unusually long,
thought he had gone too far, retraced
his steps, and looked about for the well
known trees near which his house stood.
The night was dark, and no CROPPED
his way through them as well as he could,
but was astonished to find his house no.
where. He passed the whole night in
this way When day broke he saw that
he had not gone astray; but that house
and garden had all disappeared, and he
came to the conclusion that he was the
sport of some evil spirit. After wander
ing about good deal he thought he per
ceived at a considerable distance from
the avenue a cottage which greatly resem
bled his own, though he knew :hat there
never had been one in the same place.


He approached it, examined it closer,
and the more he did SO the more he was
struck with the exact resemblance. He
was curious enough to try whether the
key he had in his pocket would fit the
lock. He opened the door, walked in,
and was thunderstruck on finding not
only that the rooms were the same but
that every single article of furniture was
the same, and precisely in the same spot
where he had left them. He was near
fainting with fright; he fell on his knees
and prayed, for he religiously believed
that the demon had played him this trick.
The following day, however, he learned
the truth from the mocking and laughing
of the villagers to whom he told his
story. He got furious, went with his
complaints to the intendant of the prov
ince, and insisted upon getting satisfac
ton; but he only got laughed at. The
King heard the story. and laughed more
than anybody. and Charnace had his ave-
nue. as he wished it,