Girard

“ Girard says—by the way, I never asked you if you knew Girard, Bailey Girard; I met him to-night getting off the train. I didn’t know he was on it till then. Mrs. Alexander, this rabbit’s more’n good. I haven’t had one like it since I was with Girard last year.”
“No, I do not know anyone by that name,” said Lois a little wearily.
“Then you’d ought to; Miss Dosia, here, she’d ought to. He’s a man. Young, too, just the kind she’d like. He’s related to the Wilmots, Judge Wilmot’s family; they lived down our way, Miss Dosia, before you came. ”

“ The man most talked about in Philadelphia, when Isaiah Williamson first came to town, was Stephen Girard—the merchant and mariner, who stood first on the roll of its eminent citizens. Girard's vast wealth and business successes were constantly referred to with wonder and praise. He had begun in poverty, peddled oranges on the streets of Philadelphia, and advanced slowly, step by step, to the first place in its business world. ”

“ Remember I am not a rich man; I can't lose like some of you golden bucks."
"I never play for big stakes," said Girard.
The men entered the house and Girard said:
"My gambling box is on the top floor. There I don't annoy my neighbors."
"All right," said Oscar. Our hero was seemingly in a very complaisant mood. The men ascended to the top floor. Girard ushered his guests into a room which contained a full equipment for a game of draw. ”

“ My comrades hold their sides with laughter, Jules chuckles with pride and vanity as he asks—
"Next one?"
The lieutenant sends for me—
[Pg 102]
"Guess who's here?"
"A civilian?"
"Come down and see."
Girard! Maxime Girard of the Figaro. I press his hands with mingled affection and violence. After repeating a dozen times: "How small the world is, after all! To think of seeing you here!" we plunge at once into intimate conversation.
Girard is even dirtier than I am. His face is entirely covered with a thick layer of dust. Nose and trousers are of the same greyish tint. ”

“ The historical Girard, son of Leuthard and Grimildis, was a Burgundian chief who was count of Paris in 837, and embraced the cause of Lothair against Charles the Bald. He fought at Fontenay in 841, and doubtless followed Lothair to Aix. ”

“ Though he traded with the British, Girard considered himself a true patriot, as indeed he was. On the 27th of October, 1778, he took the oath of allegiance required by the State of Pennsylvania, and renewed it the year following. The war almost annihilated the commerce of the country, which was slow in recovering its former prosperity; but, in spite of this discouraging circumstance, Girard worked on steadily, scorning no employment, however humble, that would yield a profit. ”

“ GIRARD, STEPHEN (1750-1831) , American financier and philanthropist, founder of Girard College in Philadelphia, was born in a suburb of Bordeaux, France, on the 20th of May 1750. He lost the sight of his right eye at the age of eight and had little education. His father was a sea captain, and the son cruised to the West Indies and back during 1764-1773, was licensed captain in 1773, visited New York in 1774, and thence with the assistance of a New York merchant began to trade to and from New Orleans and Port au Prince. ”

“ He seemed conscious of his inability to please, but bore the derision of his neighbors with stoical equanimity, and plodded on.
War favors the skilful and enterprising business-man. Girard had a genius for business. He was not less bold in his operations than prudent; and his judgment as a man of business was well-nigh infallible. Destitute of all false pride, he bought whatever he thought he could sell to advantage, from a lot of damaged cordage to a pipe of old port; and he labored incessantly with his own hands. He was a thriving man during the first year of his residence in Philadelphia ”

“ Change ran riot in the ordering of the world, and its aspect was utterly transformed when Casper Girard, no longer bearing the guidon of Dovinger's Rangers, came out of the war with a captain's shoulder-straps, won by personal fitness often proved, the habit of command, and a great and growing opinion of himself. ”

“ With Stephen Girard nothing came by chance. He was a self-taught man, having but little education so far as books go; but in the great school of actual business he received a diploma, and to this was afterwards added several complimentary degrees earned after his graduation. He never ceased to be a progressive man. A large range of stores were for sale in the city of Philadelphia at a great sacrifice; these Girard would have been glad to buy but he lacked sufficient funds; seeing it beyond his means to buy safely, he leased them for a term of years and then sublet them at an immense profit. ”

“ Girard was devoted to business. "When death comes for me," he said, "he will find me busy, unless I am asleep in bed. If I thought I was going to die to-morrow, I should plant a tree, nevertheless, to-day."
His only recreation from business was going daily to his farm of nearly six hundred acres, in Passyunk Township, where he set out choice plants and fruit-trees, and raised the best produce for the Philadelphia market. His yellow-bodied gig and stout horse were familiar objects to the townspeople, though he always preferred walking to riding. ”

“ One who extended the theory of equations somewhat further than Vieta, was Albert Girard (1590–1634) , a Flemish mathematician. Like Vieta, this ingenious author applied algebra to geometry, and was the first who understood the use of negative roots in the solution of geometric problems. He spoke of imaginary quantities; inferred by induction that every equation has as many roots as there are units in the number expressing its degree; and first showed how to express the sums of their powers in terms of the coefficients. ”

“ Some thought it would be a great mistake to locate such a school out in the country, and that it should be in the city at the very center of industrial enterprises. Others hailed the quiet, shy, reticent little man as one of the greatest philanthropists and benefactors of the race, to be named with such men as Astor, Cooper, Girard, and Peabody. ”

“ In 1836 he became the first president of Girard college. The college building had not been finished, and Mr. Bache was sent to Europe to investigate the best educational methods of the old world. On his return, two years later, he published a large volume reporting the results of his study. "This report," says Joseph Henry, "has done more, perhaps, to improve the theory and art of education in this country than any other work ever published." ”

“ Williamson's vast gift. It surpasses in magnitude the aggregate benefactions of Peabody; it exceeds the magnificent Girard bequest; at its lowest figures it is larger than the entire endowment of Harvard, Yale or Columbia; and at its largest limit it equals the combined wealth of these three great universities. Yet, with characteristic modesty, the donor calls his institution a School. Such figures stagger the imagination. Only two gifts in human history stand in the same rank. One is the application by Senator Leland Stanford of $22,000,000 of his fabulous wealth to found a university ”

“ Some of the Trades Union people were at first inclined to criticize the apprenticeship features, as was to be expected. One editorial writer asked indignantly why Isaiah Williamson proposed "to spend all his money upon big, strapping boys, and let the poor delicate girls take care of themselves"; suggested that it was questionable whether Girard College had really been a benefit to those raised and educated in it; and predicted that "Williamson's institution" would become "a great pauper factory instead of a place where boys could be taught to fight the battle of life successfully." ”

“ Williamson's heart, and what he fully meant to do;—that being the simple fact, the desire to know how completely his wishes are to be carried out is entirely natural. A short time probably will settle all uncertainty, but in the meanwhile Philadelphians can unite in a feeling commemoration of one of their most generous citizens. Nor will the reputation of his great undertaking be only local. As the name of Girard is national, so will the name of Isaiah V. Williamson be familiar all over the land as one who loved his fellowmen, and who held exceptional wealth only in trust for the general good. ”

“ To do good was the occupation of his life; his favourite recreation was the study of animated nature. Girardi became a proficient in natural history; and as God is greatest in the least of his works, entomology chiefly engaged his attention. It was this interest in the organization and habits of insects, which had obtained for him from Ludovico, in the earlier stages of his imprisonment, the appellation of “The Fly-catcher.” ”

“ In December of the same year the same couple appears within Hungerford French Church, bringing their son, Jean Etienne, for baptism, the godmother being Madame Marie Girardot de Préfond. The Sieur Du Perron is styled Capitaine de chariott du Roi. Among the subscribers to “Laval’s History” there is “De Vermenoux, Esq.”; he lived at Hackney, and was evidently not so well known by his patronymic, Girardot, as by his distinctive title. There was a very influential gentleman of the family, styled De Tillieux. ”

“ With a swift movement Partab Singh bent forward, and lightly touched the ground at Gerrard's feet. "O my friend, what have I done, that you would bring the guilt of your death upon me?"
"Maharaj-ji," protested Gerrard indignantly, "I am not a griffin, to try to penetrate into mosques or zenanas. I would but walk about—of course with a servant or two."
"Has my friend not perceived yet that this city is in the eyes of its inhabitants sacred even as a mosque or a zenana? He sees only eyes beaming with affection as he rides through the streets?" ”

“ He and the boar charged simultaneously for the prostrate child, but before the cruel tusks could reach him, the spear had passed under the stiff golden folds and swung Kharrak Singh ignominiously into the air and across Gerrard's saddle. The astonished horse, accustomed to pig-sticking, but not to having the prey placed on his back, took the bit between his teeth and dashed furiously away, with the boar in full pursuit—so Gerrard gathered from the chorus of yells and shrieks that arose. ”

“ Cheer up, old boy. Who would think it was you that gave Sher Singh the lie to his face, and started calmly to march to certain death? Here, let me mix you a peg. I looks towards you, sir."
"I likewise bows," said Gerrard, with a perfunctory smile. "You don't think me altogether a coward, Bob? There is something evil about the atmosphere of this place. I felt it as I rode in at the gateway."
"I should recommend the estimable Moraes and a blue-pill," said Charteris, yawning. "Coward? nonsense! an overworked conscience sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought is more your number. ”

“ A brief halt to arrange loads, inspect girths and snatch a mouthful of food, and Gerrard and his men were in the saddle, and riding steadily into the gathering darkness. The men would have ridden at top speed in their eagerness to carry the news and hasten the vengeance, but Gerrard held them back. They had a long way to go, and hard work to do, and the life of every horse, as well as of every trained man, might be of inestimable value in the days to come. ”

“ Gerrard mounted his horse and galloped back to where Charteris, sword in hand, was riding slowly up and down in front of the ranks of the eager Habshiabadis, pressing back with the flat any man who pushed forward. He turned sharply to Gerrard.
"Look here, Hal; the Rani is going for vengeance, not victory—thinking of nothing but cutting through to Sher Singh's elephant. Her men will be swallowed up, unless you can make a diversion. ”

“ Partab Singh turned to his guards. "Bring hither the heads of the liars who spake evil of my friend Jirad Sahib, and lay them before him." Then to Gerrard, "My face is black, O my friend. When justice has been done, I shall be less abashed, and able to speak to you."
"I entreat your Highness to pardon the men. Their eyes deceived them, and they thought they spoke the truth. If I am indeed your friend——"
"They shall live. Their eyes alone shall pay the forfeit, for I have no use for eyes that deceive their owners." ”

“ Gerrard uttered an exclamation of astonishment as he saw by the moonlight that one of them was a European, and rode back to meet him.
"Bob!" he exclaimed, in utter surprise, as Charteris slipped from his exhausted horse. "What is it?"
"Bad news. No use going on."
"What! They are not dead?"
"Murdered—both of 'em. Tomb was shelled, but they held out. Then Sher Singh sent messengers to the escort—promised 'em double pay to join him—pair of gold bracelets to Nihal Singh. They accepted and went over—left Nisbet and Cowper all alone, except for a few faithful servants. ”

“ I only heard to-day that you--I presume on the part of the Baroness, but it is the same thing--had lent the Count the half million with which he----"
Giraldi's brows met together like a thundercloud.
"Had the Count been talking--against his word of honour?"
"The Count! the Count!" cried the Councillor. "As if he troubled himself about anything. He throws his shares into the market, depreciates their value, and in short amuses himself. I regret, by every hair on my head, that we ever had anything to do with a fine gentleman! Lübbener----"
"Ah!" said Giraldi. ”

“ If you fought a duel about me I should die. There is no need. I will promise never to marry any one—ever. I will do it willingly, gladly. Isn't that enough? What more can I do? Only tell me, and don't do such a wicked, unchristian thing."
"For pity's sake, Hal—you have the gift of the gab," growled Charteris in Gerrard's ear, as she turned agonized eyes upon them.
"Play up to me, then," muttered Gerrard in response, and spoke aloud and cheerfully. "My dear Miss Cinnamond, pray don't distress yourself. My friend Charteris and I have no intention whatever of fighting a duel. ”