HIS LAST SAVINGS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1249, 9 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIS LAST SAVINGS.

: ' Mi'de Vandille, who flourished, or rather who e'xpired.in the first half of the last century ,' was one of the most remarkable men in ' Paris.—remarkable for his wealth and for his avarik ' He had in early.life been a magis« trate in Boulogne. He seemed to live < upon the theory that the possession of gold is life -that tho los 3of it would bo death, In 1705 Mvde Vandille possessed very nearly a million pounds sterling, whiclv had been his' ' - all at the age of 16, He was now aged 72. - .On a summer's day he had overheated himself by carrying home a heavy burden, from i whioh a furious fever ensued, and for the r first time in his life he sent for a surgeon to • come and bleed him. The surgeon came ', and Vandille demanded to know what he j would charge. The surgeon told him, and he would not employ him. The price, he . said, was exorbitant, Then he sent for a k common'barber, who had % diploma as a ; 'bloocUetter, and asked him for his terms, i' The barber said he would bleed him for a frano each time; and he should be bled }■ three times, certainly,' "Bleed me three i times!" cried the old miser. "And what J quantity of : blood do you propose to take J" 3 The barber told him. " From six to eight - ounoes at a time." "So you will get three 5 francs for taking away a score of ounoes of i blood, more or less, That is absurd. It is a too much, You would rob me. I will have i it done my own way. I will give you a e franc, and you shall take away the full t amount at one time." The barber remonj stated j but the patient insisted j and in the i. end he had his own way. He lost twenty n odd ounces of blood; and on the next day n his vast wealtlv had become the inheritance of the king, whom old Vandille had named sr his bolo heir.—r/«