Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-26
-.-- GORG EON. -r-
a sketch from the French Of Edmund About.
BY cHARLEs d. GARDEIrE.

Having taken the second prize in tragedy at
the Conservatory" he coon made his debut
at the 0deon 1t was, if remember Alright, in
January, lS45, when he appeared as "0ros-
man, and was blessed by every student from
the left bank Of the Seine.
None OF his friends were surprised; it is so
dimcult TO succeed in tragedy, when ones
name is GOrgeon. lie ought to have taken a
nom de gGsrTs, such as Montreuil, or Thabor.
but the poor fellow stuck to his name as his
soie Inheritance. However, his fall made but
little noise, for he had few friends, was only
twenty and was pr0tsgsed by none of the jour.
mails. Poor Gorgeon?
No director would engage him for tragedy,
but an old comedian friend got him into the
Palais Royal, and he took his lot philosophi-
cally latter all, " thought he, Z" comedy has
more OF future before it than tragedy, for
there will probably be no more Racines while
1t Is quite possible to write better vaudeviIIes
than Clairville.
He was soon discovered to have talent in his
new role, possessing pleasant voice. natural
iund OF wit and mimicry, and great command
OF countenance; and the public took him into
favor; so that the name of Gorgeon was passed
from mouth to mouth, as that Of an actor with
TouseI
This metamorphosis Of 0rosman into Jocrisse
occupied some eighteen months and Mt twenty
Two years OF age, GorgeOn was making ten
seousand francs year. without counting bene-
ats. HIS good fortune at this iuncture turned
MS mead little, 1t must be owned, but we
don know what We might have done in his
place The sight of pretty furniture in his
rooms, and louis-d ors in his pockets lifted his
cnln TO such height that he fanced himself
young man of fashion, and learned to play
Iansquenet, which unfortunately is not diff
cult; L fancy, indeed, that If every game were
as complicated as chess, there would be fewer
ruined by play
lois, therefore, surprised him, surrounded
oy small regiment of creditors to whom in
the mass, he was astounded to discover that he
owed twenty thousand francs. How is thiso'
soliloquized he; when 1 made nothing owed
nothinS now, the more make the more owe;
nave lucrative engagements then the virtue of
contracting debts for their recipient His
creditors came every day to see him. and he was
very sorry to cause them so much inconveni-
ence, and regretted sincerely the happy days
when the baker and the milkwoman refused
Orosman any credit.
One day when he was sadly philosophizing
on the troubles of wealth, 50 Happy are they
cried he, . who have just the necessary means
et NE. III only made exactly enough for my
actual wants, L should commit no e.trava
ganees, contract no debts. tits this cursed SUI
perhuity that ruins me. ] have no use for
more than i've hundred francs a month. If
mad aged parents to support, sisters to DOVER
brothers to place at college-very good but L
am alone IN the world-ah suppose marry"
And, for economy, he married the yeriest CO.
quette in the theatre-and in Paris
None OF Parisian readers, am sure, can
have forgotten that pretty little Pauline Ri
Were, whose wit and beauty were the success of
many vaudeville. Her eyes, though small,
were 50 sparkling they seemed to fash over ner
whole face, and her hair, 30 black and 80 long.
that the role of Swiss girl was created puP-
Poseiy for her to display it. Her figure was
charming; and a. to her hands, they were alb
solutely curiosities, and Jouvin invented a
glove number for them ) 1-2. At seventeen
with no fortune but her beauty, no ancestors
save the chiof OF tho clagne of the Theatre
Palais Royal, she just missed being Mar
3ass A descendant of the Round Table
Knights, indubitable Marquis, and unmiti-
gated Breton, took it into his head to marry
her. couple of dowager aunts were the only
OBSTACLES; but, alas The anger of dowagers,
saith Solomon ~ sis terrible especially of
Bret0s dowagers ?" and Pauline remained
Pauline. At this crisis came Gorgeon to kneel
at her shrine. She received him at first with
that impartial grace which she accorded to all
her suitOrs alike, for he was good looking,
dressed we'll, and had an agreeable voice aud
style.
He began the seige, then, under favorable
auspices and at the end of the month Pauline
liked him. This was in February, I849 In
March she liked him better than all the others;
In April she loved him and let him discover it,
He waited for her to dismiss his rivals but
Pauline was in no hurry, and the preparations
tor marriage went on amid crowd of amorous
beslegers, whose attentions gave Gorgeon the
shiysrs He was happy neither ut his room nor
at Pauline 9, Tor at his were his creditors and
at hers her beaux; and he finally asked her,
one day, plainly, if these gentlemen could not
hnd another divinity to sigh to.
" Bah '" said she, " are you going to be jeal-
Gus You know love you, for tell you so
and TO prove 1t, am going to marry you Be-
sides, Jealousy is somewhat ridiculous, always;
but In our profession it is absurd.'
The marriage came off the last of April. Two
benefits paid Gorgeous debts and the wedding
expenses; the 6rst at the Odeon, the second at
Italian. Indeed, all the theatres in Paris
wanted to take part, for Gorgeon and Pauline
were likc everywhere. They were united at
saint Rvch, gave grand dejeuner at Pestel's
and lett for Fontainbleau in the evening
The first quarter Of their honeymoon was
shedding its radiance over the old forest when
thy arrived-Gorgeon rs proud as the son of
An emperor, and Pauline gay as a humming
bird. The next morning. the 1st of May, was
the tets dss Sablons, which is kept up till the
ensuing dawn, under the giant beech trees, and
all the youth Of the neighborhood were there:
all admired Pauline, and took her for the lady
Bountiful Of the neighboring chateau coming
10 patronise their festivities, in which she
Joined heartily, and danced away till three
O'Clock in the morning, in spite of the gravel
getting in her little Paris boots.
GorgeOn was not jealous. When they re-
turned to the Palais Royal, he made no ILL
natured remarks about his fellow actors tutoy-
'"g his wife, as they had always done She
was almost their adopted daughter-they had
known her an infant behind the scenes, and
abe remembered being handled on their knees.
But what did worry Gorgeon slightly was, to
notice Famine quondam admirers ogling her
through their opera glasses, and this nearly
caused him to forget his cue on two occasions
for which he was laughed at by his comrades,
who discovered the cause, and one Joker told
him be was going down hill to the third roles"
They call the third roles'' the villains Jealous
husbands and splenetic old men, He took the
jokes in good part, however, though he couldn't
digest the gentlemen of the opera glasses, and
he read with an emotion Of pleasure the notice
on the grecn-room door fOrbidding alloKt,,ders
entrance into the mysteries Of the couitsses