Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-06-28
4 select Gale.
From Eliza Cooks" Journal.
THE PAINTERS SECRET.
BY PERCY D. ST. JOHN.

Charles Dupont dwelt in one of those
numerous small apartments which form the
summit of nearly all hotels or mansions in
Paris. He was young man about twenty,
and as he stood at his garret window in the
light Of the summers sun, smoking, as ar
lists are wont 10 smoke, a short pipe, he
looked handsome, and, for many women,
captivating. He was pale, thin, and in
teIectual-lookng, with long hair, musta-
chios, and beard. To ar Indifferent OBJ
server, he presented the aspect OF one who
was simply indulging in the pleasures of
tobacco smoke but such was not the case.
The house he occupied ran round three
sides of a square court, the fourth being
taken up by the wall of the next house.
On the opposite side of the court, on the
same floor as that occupied by himself,
was the apartment of a work-girl. This
young person was remarkably pretty, and
had been often remarked by the young ar
tiSt, with at first only the admring eye of
painter, but afterwards with more tender
interest.
She was a very industrious girl. She
rose early, almost with the sun, and went
to bed late, as the young artist knew, for
he often noticed her candles burning until
midnight. Almost alone in the world,
without friends, save a few students like
himself, Charles Dupont felt irresistibly
drawn towards that happy, smiling face,
which had so often formed the charm of
his garret-window. OF late, the young
man seemed unusually fond OF smoking
Every moment not taken up by his art
was occupied in inhaling the fragrance of
the Indian weed. He scarcely ever went
out now, his walks in search of scenery
were abandoned, and he never joined his
more noisy companions at those public
eStaminetS, where the young hopes of
France spend their hours in playing bill
lizards, cards, dominoes in drinking un-
numbered glasses of beer, and in blackening
short clay pipeS-a perfect science in the
| city Of Paris. But then Charles Dupont
was in love, and much as the cold-hearted
and worldly may sneer, the influence of
this passion, when sincere and pure, is al
ways beneficial to young man. The
change ii produced in Charles was that al
ways incident to elevated and superior
minds, generally the simplest He had no
care now for noisy pleasures. His dream
was to be near the unknown idol of his
heart, TO sit by her, to read to her, to tall,
to her, and as these could not be, he was
satisfied to gaze on her, from distance.
Plans upon plans We're laid by the young
man to make the acquaintance of his fair
mistress; but, like all sincere lovers, in the
outset, he was timid. He remarked with
pleasure, that she had very few visitors,
and those always OF her own sex. None
ever escaped hts jealous eye, who entered
that room, and he never saw man enter
it. Charles sighed, however, deeply, for
he too saw no chance of making his way to
the side of his beloved.
One day, it was in the month of Nav,
the young girl stood at her window, put
ting some pretty flowers in water. She
was dressed better than usual, and had got
up little later. Charles Dupont was
more struck than ever by the sweet smile
that sat upon her face, and by her really
singular beauty. An idea flashed acros:
his mind. He took of his working blouse