Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-10-20
A BEAUTIFUL TRAIT OF AN ACTOR.

A most popular actor This name will
be known by and by, who had Just
played a series of characters with great
effect, had remarked every evening in
front of the curtain a young person of
extreme beauty, who had watched his
playing with an attention to which it
was difficult to believe the motive sim
gle one. Our actor knew well that he
had inspired profound passion, and he
did not hesitate to respond to it with a
full heart, although completely ignorant
who the young and charming lady was
that night after night cast on him her
burning looks.
In the meantime, wealthy person
age wished our actor to put himself to
the trouble of calling at his residence.
Monsieur" said the banker, 81 have
an immense service to ask you. 1t is
to name the sum that viii induce you
to leave the city for few years?"
To this strange proposition the artist
replied with loud laugh
"What do you think. Monsieur? l
am now at the climax of my reputation
and my glory, which are my fortune.
l would not leave for a million!"
"Well, l offer it to you'll Leave and l
will instantly count you out million
that will mortalize the fumes Of glory"
"But, Monsieur, can l know the
powerful motives that induce you to
make me such an offer2"
"Yes, Twill tell you. Ny daughter,
my only daughter, l wish to marry to
her cousin, young man destined 70
the highest office in the kingdom. Ny
daughter is foolishly enamored of you.
I cannot give her to you. 1t is neces-
sary, therefore, that you should leave!'
"Monsieurp' replied the actor, after
he had surmounted the first promptings
of his pride, "If that be all, make your
mind easy. l will not leave-you will
not spend million; and your daughter
shall marry her cousin"
"What do you mean?'
"Detain me for dinner to-day, and
place me near her."
At first the banker dared not to trust
him; but the actor insisted and the
other yielded. There were many of
the wealthy to partake of the dinner
among others, several bankers and their
wives. The guests had already ar
rived, and the young lady of the house
appeared at the same time.
But what was the surprise, the
chagrin, and regret of the actor, in re-
cognizing in this young lady the very
one of whom he had been so passion
ately enamored in front of the scenery
Of the theatrel
She, stupifed at seeing him at her
fathers, stammered out a few words,
and accepted his arm to go to the table,
for the actor was determined, let the
consequences be what they might, to
keep the promise which he had made to
the father of his love.
And, he did keep it, in truth; and so
well, that the young lady, on seeing
what kind of coarse, abject person of
a clown she had given her heart to, felt
as if it would break. In fact, the actor
had caused a thousand inconveniences,
and concluded by insulting the guests SO
grossly that most of them were anxious
to leave. In a word, the scene became
so stirring that as soon as dinner was
over, the young lady herself, indignant
and outraged, had the servants called
and the actor pushed outside the door:
But her cousin, her affianced, arrived
in the evening. He recognized the
celebrated actor. The latter related to
him how he had just broken his own
ties, annihilated himself by an odious
role, in an incredible comedy of the
bonton; he told him the whole AFFAIR."
The young lady discovered that she
had been duped by an admirable ruse
that the man she had loved, and who
loved her, had been inundated to the
exigencies of her father. She saw her
cousin no more with pleasure. She
detested him from that time forth, and
when pressed to determine on being
married to him, she would give way to
her feelings in reproaches and despair.
The whole of the next day was passed
in despair by the banker, and in uneasi-
ness and jealousy by the cousin. They
finally concluded that the young lady
had gone to join her lover, and they
hastened to take her from him. A fact
soon proved to them that their suspi
cions were well founded; then the JUS
tees were applied to, in order to have
the ravisher arrested.
But the artist had not accepted the
sacrifice of the young lady. He
avowed his courageous subterfuge of
the previous evening, and that he loved
his admirer to distraction; but he did
not wish that she should be lost, dis
honored. lie catechized her, persuaded
her, and brought her back to her father
at the very moment that the latter was
in search of him. The father under
stood the legal better than the passionate
expression Of this unexpected denoue-
ment, and gradually touched, moved,
it struck him he could do
nothing better than to give the actor his
he being the most honorable I
and honest man he had ever met.
"Well, who is the hero of this tale?" !
it will probably be asked. Bressante,
Brindeau, Latentains, or some elegant {
lover of Gymnasium, or of the ii
Comedie-Francsise?
I