Year: 1876

and, thanks 10 Dr- IeIeOVre skill ant
attention, the patient soon became per
fectly recovered, although. of course, hs
had to be supplied with wooden leg
He rewarded the surgeon, whom he had
learned to esteem more and more every
dag; thanked him with tears in his eye,
for the great obligation under which he
had lain him, and in short time started
for England.


About two months after his patient :
departure the surgeon received the fol.
lowing letter from England:


Inclosed you will receive token Of
my boundless gratitude bill of ex-
change on my banker IN Paris for six
rendered me the happieSt of men by rid
ding me of limb which was an obstacle
in the way of my happiness. Learn
then, the reason Of what you termed my
madness. You assured me that there
could be no unsuitable motive for so sin
gular a mutil4tion. | offered you a
wager and think you were right in re
fusing it, After my second return from
the East Indies ] became acquainted
with Susan Black, the most accomplish
ed and fascinating of women. soIgl
her hand in marriage. Her fortune al d
family were such aa met with the entire
appreciation of nv parents A for me-
I -, g oh
soon happy enough to gain her a fec Ions
"a fact winch she did not attempt u
denv; hnt she, at the same time, firmly
refused to become my wife. In vain dif
! beseech her to do so; in vain did al.
her relations second my desire. She wa
inhexibie. For a long time I could nor
discover the reason of her opposition I,
q marriage which she herself confessed
would maze her happy; until, at last
one of her sisters reyealed the fatal
secret to me. Susan was a marvel OF
beauty, hut she was so unfortunate as to
have lost leg, and she had consequent
" condemned herself TO eternal ceiiba-
cy. My resolution was quickly formed
and determined TO become like her
Thanks to you, my dear Lefebvre, my
wishes were soon accomplished. re
turned with my wooden leg to London
| hastened to gain information of Nil.
Black. The report had been spread, an'
/ myself had taken care to write to m3
friends in England to the same effect.
that | had had the misfortune to frac,-
ure my leg and ampntatIon had been
found absolutely necessary. Every on
expressed the greatest concern at m.
misfortune. Susan tainted on the frs
occasion of my presenting myself. She
was for long time inconsolable, but al
length she consented to become my wife
II was only on the morning after onI
marriage that ] confessed to her the sac
riice by means Of which had at length
been enabled to gain her consent to be
mine. The avowal increased her love.
OH my excellent friend, had ! ten legs
to lose, ! would give them all up for the
sake of my beloved Susan. So long as ]
live, rely on my gratitude. If ever you
visit England do not fail to come here,
so that | may make you acquainted
with my wife, and then tell me whether
or not ] was out of my senses. Yours
faithfully, ARTHUR OxLEY.


Monsieur Lefebvre answered the letter
of his English friend in the following
terms:


Sir, accept my best thanks for your
very generous present, for so must term
what you have sent me, having been
previously magnifcently remunerated
term it. ] wish you as well as yonr
charming wife all imaginable happiness
True it is, that to give leg in exchange
for heantifnl, tender and virtuous wife
is not too much. provided the happiness
endures. Adam sacrificed one of hi,
ribs to become possessed of our common
mother, Eve, and more than one mar
has laid down his life for the sake of HI,
beloved Notwithstanding all this, al
low me TO adhere to my former opinion
For the present you are doubtless right
for you are now in the honeymoon; bu
at some future time you will acknowledge
the truth of what I advanced. ! beg
your attention to what am abont to say
fear that in two years you will repen
of having had your leg amputated above
the knee joint. You will think that tC
have il cut off lower down would have
been quite sufficient. In three year
you wall be persuaded that the sacrifice
of foot would have answered all pnr
6ve that of the little one; and, at last
you will have confessed that to hav,
parted with a nail, without necessity
would have been a piece of eggregiou
folly. All this 1 assert, without in tn
slightest degree impugning the merit o
your admirable belpmate. In my owl
youthful days ! would have, at any time
given my life for my mistress. but neve
my leg, for should have feared repent
ance for the rest of my days. Had


really done so l should have every mo
ment said to myself, "Lefebvre, you ar
a madman."


With highest consideration, your


very obediently, ETIENNE LEFEBvRE.
In the year 1898, during the reign c


terror, the surgeon of Boulogne havin


been accused of being an aristocrat b


one Of his younger professional brethre


who envied him his practice, was oblie


ed to take refuge in London, in order I


save his neck from the guillotine. Be


ing without employment or acquain


ances, he inquired for the residence {


his former patient, Mr.. Oxley. lie wa


directed to it, and on arriving at tn


house he sent up his name and was i'm


mediately admitted. In huge arr


chair seated before the fire with a bottl