New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-05

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THE ACTRESS and rHE ENeLIsHMLN.
| Once upon time, sehaunardIfound himselfin in
possession of two hundred francs. which ertra.
ordinary sum he had thus acquired - -
| He went one day to d musical editor. who hal
promised to procure him among his custorasrs
either pupils or something TO do. s5-
. BY jovet" said the editor, on seeing him
| enter the shop, "you are just in time a gen.
tleman has been here, who wants a pianist be
is an Englishman, and will probably pay well.
Are you really a good one ~
| Schaunard reflected that modest air might
| injnre him in the editors estimation indeed 4
modest musician, and especially a modest pianist
| boldly: &5@ go
8, i am a first rate one !. if 4 only had lung
gone, long hair, and a black coat, I should be
famous as the sun in heaven; and instead OF
asking me eight hundred francs to eneraye NV
composition, The Death of the Damsel you
would come to your knees to offer me three thou
sand for it on silver plate. 2 80
The person whose address Schaunarl toos
was an Englishman named Brine The musi.
cIan was first received by a servant in blue, who
handed him over to servant in green, who pass
ed him on to q servant in black, who introduced
him INTO q drawing room, where he found him.
self face to face with q Briton eoiled up in NJ,
attitude watch made him resemble Hamlet meli
tating on human nothingness, Sehaunard was
about to explain the reason of his presence when
sudden volley Of shrill cries cut short his
speech. These horrid and ear piercing sounds
proceeded from q parrot hung out on the balco-
ny of the story below N
!" oh that beast! that beastt" exclaimed the
Englishman, with bound on his arm chair
1t will kill me. Z" IS.
Thereupon the bird began to retort its vocab
ularly much more extensive than that of ordi
nary Pollles; and Schaunard stood stupefed
when he heard the animal, prompted by fe,
male voice. declaring the speech Of Tharamenes
with all the professional intonations y
This parrot was a fayorite of an actress who
was then o great favorite herself, and yery
much the rage-in her boudoir She was one OF
those women who, no one knows why or hew,
are quoted at fancy prices on the change Of dis
slpatlon and whose names are inscribed on the
bills Of fare OF young noblemet's suppers where
they form the live dessert 1t gives & Christian
standing now-a days to be seen with one Of these
Pagans. who often have nothing of antiouity
about them except their age When they are
handsome, there is no such great harm after all;
the worst one risks is to sleep on straw in return
for making them sleep on rosewood. But when
their beauty is bought by the ounce at the per-
tuners and will not stand three drops of water
on the rag when their wit consists In eonplet
of farce, and their talent lies iii the hand OF
the claquer, it is hard indeed to understand how
respectable men with good names, ordinary
sense, and decent coats, can let themselves be
carried away by a common place passion for
these most mercenary creatures. 5000 -ls
The actress IN question was one of these bellies
Of the day. She called herself Dolores, andpro-
tessed to be Spaniard. although she was born
IA that Partisan AndaluSia, known as the Rue.
Coqucnard- From there to the Rlfs. de pnsve.cr
is about ten minutes walk. but it had cost her
ten years to make the transit. Her prosperity
had begun with the decline of her personal
charms She had horse the day when her first
false tooth was inserted, and o pair the day OF
her second. Now she was living at a great rate.
lodging in palace, driving four horses on hol.
days, and giving balls to which allParis came
The all Paris of these ladies-that is to say that
collection Of lazy seekers after jokes and scan
dai the all Paris that plays lansquenet; the
pluggards of head and hand, who Kill their own
time and other peopie's, the writers who turn
Literary men to get somesuse out of the feather
which nature placed on their back, the bullies
of the revel the clipped and sweated gentlemen
the chevaliers of doubtful orders, all the yaqa-
= -
knows where, and go back thithersome day all
the marked and remarked notorieties; all those
daughters Of Eve who retail what they once sold
wholesale; all that race of beings corrupt from
their cradle to their coffin, whom one sees on
first nights at the theatre, with Golconda On
their fofeheads and Thibet on their shoulders,
and for whom, notwithstanding, bloom the first
yiolets OF Spring and the first passions of youth,
all his world which the chronieIers of gossip call
at Paris, was received by Dolores who owned the
parrot aforesaid.
This bird, celebrated for its oratorical talents
among all the neighbors, had gradually become
the terror of the nearest. Hung out on the balco-
ny lit made pulpit of its perch and kept out in
terminable harangues from morning might 1t
had learned certain parliamentary topics from
some editorial friends of its mistress, and was
very strong on the sugar question. 1t knew all
the actress repertory by heart, and declaimed it
well enough to have been her substitute in case
of indisposition, Moreover, as she was rather
polygot in her firtations, and received visitors
from all parts of the world, the parrot spoke all
languages, and would sometimes let out a lingua
Franco Of oaths enough to shock the sailors to
whom Vert Vert owed his profitable education
The company Of this bird, which might be instruc-
tive and amusing for ten minutes, became d posi-
tive torture when prolonged. The heneighbors had
often complained; the auctioneer insolently dis
missed their complaints. Two or three other ten
ants of the house, respectable fathers of families
indignant at the scandalous state of morals into
which they were initiated by the indiscretions Of
the parrot, had given warning to the landlord.
But the actress had got on his weak side; who
ever might 60, she staid.
The Englishman whose parlor Sehaunard now
entered, had endured with patience for three
months. One day he concealed his fury, which
was ready to explode, under full dress suite,
and sent in his card to Mademoiseile Dolores
When she beheld him enter, arrayed almost
as he would have been to present himself before
Queen Victoria, she at first thought it must be |
Hoffman,, in his partof Lord Spleen; and wish
ing to be civil to fellow artist, she offered him
some breakfast.
The Englishman understood French he had
learned it in twenty five lessons of a Spanish
refugee. Accordingly he replied
"l accept your invitation on condition Of our |
eating this disagreeable bird,' and he pointed |
to the cage of the parrot, who, having already |
smelt an Englishman, saluted him by whistling
God save the King.
Dolores thought her neighbor was quizzing
her, and was beginning to get angry, when Mr..
Brine added
Sc AS am very rich, will buy the animal;
put your price on it"
Dolores answered that she valued the bird, |
and liked it, and would not wish to see it pass
into the hands of another.
sob it's not in my hands ] want to put it,
replied the Enghshman, g under my feet-so
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