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208 LOUIS DESROULEAUX.

LOUIS DESROULEAUX.

THE anecdote of Louis Desrouleaux, a negro pastry-cook of Nantes, is little known. After he left Nantes, he lived at the Cape, where he had been a slave of Pinsum, of Bayoone, a captain in the slave trade, who came with great riches to France, where he lost it all, and returned to St. Domingo. Those who, when he was rich, called themselves his friends, now took very little notice of him. 
2. Louis, who had acquired a fortune by his industry and prudence, supplied their place. He learned the situation of his old master, hastened to find him, gave him lodging and nourishment, and also proposed that he should live in France, where his feelings would not be mortified by the sight of ungrateful men.
3. "But I cannot find a subsistence in France," said Pinsum. "Will an annual revenue of fifteen thousand francs be sufficient?" At this proposal, Pinsum wept for joy. The contract was signed, and the pension regularly paid, until the death of Louis Desrouleaux, which happened in 1774. 

THE GRATEFUL NEGRO. 209

THE GRATEFUL NEGRO.

SOME years since, a gentleman who was the possessor of considerable property, from various causes, became embarrassed in his circumstances and was arrested by his creditors, and confined in the king's bench prison; whence there was no probability of his being liberated, unless some law proceedings (upon his succeeding in which the recovery of a great part of his property depended) were decided in his favor.
2. Thus situated, he called a negro who had for many years served him with the greatest faithfulness, and said, "Robert, you have lived with me many years, but I am now unable to maintain you any longer; you must leave me, and endeavor to find another master."
3. The poor negro, well remembering his master's kindness, replied, "No, massa, me no leave you; you maintain me many years, me now try what I can do for you." Robert then went and procured employment as a day laborer, and regularly brought his earnings to his master; on which, although small, they managed to subsist for some time, until the law suit was decided in the master's favor, and he thereby regained possession of a very considerable property. 
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