THE LIBERALITY OF "HEROES."

Temuka Leader, Issue 1625, 25 August 1887, Page 3

THE LIBERALITY OF "HEROES."

“ You are fond of novel reading ? ” said a Parisian novelist the other day, as he saw the cabman he engaged stow away a formidable volume of romances beneath the seat. “ Yes, sir, I have read a great many novels, and I am disguised to observe the uniform ignorance of their authors as to the commonest affairs of every-day life; For instance, here is a story in which I read, “ The Prince appeared agitated on heating these words, and, hailing a carriage, flung himself into it, cast his purse to the driver, and cried, ‘ Drive me to the Faubourg St. Honor e! ’ ” Then a few lines farther on I see this; “Valentine resolved once for all to solve the mystery, and hurrying to the stand sprang into the first vehicle that presented itself, and, flinging his pocket-book to the coachman, said, * Follow that carriage! ’ ” Now, sir, I have been driving a hack in Paris for forty years, and I’ve driven thousands of people-all sorts of people, under all imaginable conditions—eloping lovers, jealous wives, levanting and so on; and never in the course of my long professional career has a fare thrown me his or her pocket-book. No, sir, they have just given me thirty-five sous ; sometimes it was the round two francs, but very rarely.