Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-03-27
COR G EON.
Sketch from the French of Edmund About.

Having taken the second prize in tragedy
at the Conservatory" he soon made his II,
INT at the Olcon. 1t was, if | remember
Alright. in .Jauuary, ls46, when he appeared
aS "Oio>,nan, and was Missed hy every stu
dent from the left bank Of the Seine.
None Of lis friends were surprised; it is
50 difficult To succeed in tragedy. when "n :
name i G"rJ,on. He ought IT, have taken n
h"m @ Yrtrr. such a. Montrruil, or Thabor !;
but the poor fellow stuck to his name a his
sole nhcritancc However, his fall made hut
little noise, for hc had few friends, was only
twenty, and was pro'cg'd by none Of the
journals. Poor GnrgcOn
No director would engage him for tragedy.
hut an old comedian hirnd got him into the
Paiais ROYAL, and hc took his lot ph!o>ophi.
cally after all, thought he, comedy has
more of u future fore it than tragedy, for
IL, re viii probably lac no more RacncS, while
it is quite possible to write better vaudcvillvS
than Clair,il!r"
lie was >oon discovered to have talent in
lis new roh, Possessing a pleasant voice, a
Natural f'l;d Of wit and mmicry, and great
comrn.ud Of countcnancr; and the public
tr,k lin uio favor 81 that the maine of
Gc"r-con was passed from mouth to mouth,
a> that Of an actor with the combined merits
If Saiuvi,lr and Acidc IuusrZ.
This mctaIuoli hosts Of OroSman into doc
rissc occupied some eighteen months, and at
twenty two years Of age, Gorgeon was making
ten thousand francs q year, without counting
benefits His good fortune at this juncturc
turned his head little, it must be owned,
hut We don't know what WE might have done
in his place The sight Of pretty furniture in
his rooms, and loui>-dorS in his pockets, lift
al his chin to such height that he tancird
himself Il young man of fashion, and learned
I" play lan>qucnrt, which unfortunately is
not difficult fancy, indeed, that il every
game w,rc As complicated As chess, there
would he fewer ruined by play.
1919, therefore surprised him, surrounded
by a small regiment Of creditors to him, in
the mass, he was aStoundcd to discover that
he Ow, d twenty thousand francs "llow is
this: soiloquiScd he; "when made moth
ing, | owed nothing; now, the more ! make
the more owe: have lucrative engagements
then the virtue Of contracting debts for tn, ir
recip.cnt:" His creditors came every day to
see him, and he was very sorry to cause them
so much Inconvenience, and regretted sincere
y the happy days when the baker and milk
woman refused OroSman any credit
One day when he was sadly phioSophising
on the troubles of wealth, Happy are they"
cricu he, "whO have just the necessary means
Of lifSI If only made exactly enough for
my actual wants. should commit no extrav-
iganceS, contract no debts. 1t is this cursed
supertiuity that ruins me. have no use for
more than five hundred francs q month. If |
had aged parents to support, sisters to dover,
brothers to place at college--very good but |
am alone in the world-ah suppose marry"
And, for economy, he married the verieSt
coquette in the theater in Paris.
None Of my Partisan readers, | am sure,
can have forgotten that pretty little Pauline
Rivierc, whose wit and beauty were the sue
cess of many n vaudeville Her eyes, though
small, were so sparkling they seemed to flash
over her whole charming face, and
her hair, so black and so long, that the role of
Swiss girl was created purpOSely for her to
display it. Her figure was charming; and as
to her hands, they were absolute curiOSitieS
and JOuvin invented glove number for them
-53 At seventeen with no fortune but her
beauty, no ancestors save the chief Of the
cldque Of the Theater Palais Royal, she just
missed mGrQuiSe. A descendant of the
Round Table knights, indubitable marquis
and unmitigatcd Breton, took it into his head
to marry her. \ couple of dOwage~ aunts
were the only obstacles; but, alas "The an
ger of dowagers," saith Solomon, @ "iS ter.
ible, especially of Breton dOwagers. and
Pauline remained Pauline. At this crisis
came GOrgeOn to kneel at her shrine. She re-.
ceived him at tilst with that impartial grace
which she accorded to all her suitors alike, for
he was good looking, dressed well, and had
an agreeable voice and style.
He began the siege, then, under favorable
auspices, and at the end of the month Pauline
liked him. (This was in February, ls49.)-
In March she liked him better than oil the
others; in April she loved him and let him
discoverit He waited for her to dismiss his
rivals, but Pauline was in no hurry, and the
preparations for marriage went on amid a
crowd of amorous beSiegers whose attentions
gave GOrgeOn the shivers. lie was happy
neither at his rooms nor at Pauline'S, for at
his were his creditors. and at hers were her
beaux; and he finally asked her one day,
plainly, if these gentlemen could not find an.
other divinity to sigh to.
Bah said she, 'are you going to be ieal
Gus? You know | love Won for fell von cay