TRAGIC JOKING.

Bush Advocate, Volume VII, Issue 650, 16 July 1892, Page 5

TRAGIC JOKING.

A remarkable story of practical joking is related of a young Frenchman in me " Souvenirs dun Vieux Libraire." The old fable of the boy who cried "wolf" too often has had tew such tragic illustrations in fact. Oswald, a witty and original Paribian, had a mania for practical joking. Ho was very amusing to his frienda, Imt when his talents were exerted to avenge some wrong there was more bitterness than fun in his wit. One evening when a man who had not treated him politely gave a reception he revenged himself cruelly. The man was slightly deformed. All the hunchbacks of Paris, - five hundred in number, presented themselves at hisreception. They had received notices from Oswald that if they would go to this address on I this evening they would loam, of a legacy ' which had boon left them. When a play, written by a man who had roused his anger by reading a newspaper at tho wedding of one of his friends, was produced, ho prevented its success by inducing two hundred and fifty of h's frienda to attend it carrying great books. Theßo young men, who occupied prominent ' seats, read their books while the performance was goingon, and when- ' ever there was any applause each one of them, as if moved by clockwork, turned over a leaf. The rustling of the leaves and the spectacle of the men absorbed in reading made the performance a complete failure. Odwald's friends were always on the look out for aomo ruse. lie oaco notified them that on New Year's Day he should get the best of them all in some .loke, and Now "Veir'a morning each received thisnolice: "Remember." Thoywero on their guard. As they were leaving a house where they had breakfasted Oswald suddenly Elipped en the steps, nnd fell on Ins back on "tho sidewalk. His friends rushed to his assistance, but paused bofore thny reached him. " This is his ruse," eomo one said. Clearly, the man who was so proud of his talent for mimicry was bent on deceiving them all into thinking him a dying man, for he lay there nioaniug pitifully, ills face drawn and twisted as if with terrible pain. Hia frionda stood arouud, and made jokes and puns and hummed lines of.comic^ongs, assuring him all the while that they were not deceived by his acting. At Inst he gave a bourse, mournful cry, looked at. them sadly, and then ceased to moan or writhe. In a never-to-be-forgotten moment of horror and sorrow his friends realised that Oiwald was dead.