, 1859-07-29
GoRGEoN.
From the French of Edmund About
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
Having taken the second prize in tragedy at
the Conservatory" he soon made his debut at
the Odeon. It was, if remember Alright, in
January, lS46, when he appeared as /" 0rosman," J"
and was Missed by every student from the LETT
bank Of the Seine.
None Of his friends were surprised; It is 50
difficult to succeed in tragedy, when pne's name
is G0rgeOn. He ought to have taken nom Do
gusyTe, such as Montreui, or Thabor; but the
Door fellow stuck to his name as his sole inheri-
lance However, his fall made but little noise,
for he had few friends, was only twenty, and
was prO'egsd BY none Of the journals. Poor
Gorgeoni
No director would engage him for tragedy, but
an old comedian friend got him into the Palais
Royal, and he took his lot philosophically.
" After ALL" thought be- comedy has more Of
future before it than tragedy, for there will pro-
bably be no more Racines, while It is quite
possible to write better vaudevillcs than Clair
Vile"
He was soon discovered to have talent in his
new role, possessing pleasant voice, a natural
fund Of wi: and mimicry, and great command Of
countenance; and the public took him into "a.
vor SO that the name Of Gorgeon was passed
from mouth to mouth, as that Of an actor with
the combined merits Of Sainyiile and Alcide
TouseZ.
The metamorphosis Of 0rosman into Jocrisse
occupied some eighteen months, and at twenty
two years Of age GOrgeon was making ten thou
sand francs year, without counting benefits.
His good fortune at this juncture turned his
head little, il must be owned, but we don't
know what we might have done in his place.
The sight Of pretty furniture in his room, and
louis dors in his pockets, lifted his chin to such
q height that he fancied himself . young man Of
fashion, and learned to play lansquenet which
unfortunately is not difficult; fancy, indeed,
that II every game were as complicated as chess,
there would be fewer ruined by play.
He was surprised, in ls49, by being surround
cd by small regiment Of creditors, to whom, in
the mass, be was astounded to discover that he
owed twenty thousand francs. "How Is this 2"
soliloquized be; "when made nothing, owed
nothing; now, the more make the more owe !;
have lucrative engagements; then the virtue Of
contracting debts for their recipientw His cred
itors came every day to see him, and he was
very sorry to cause them 10 much Inconvenience,
and regretted sincerely the unhappy day when
the baker and milkwoman refused Orosman any
credit
One day, when he was sadly philOsophizing on
the troubles Of wealth, Happy are they, cried
he, "who have just the necessary means Of lifel
wants, should commit no extFavagances, con-
tract no debts. Il is this cursed superfuity that
ruins me. have no use for more than five hun
dred francs q month. II had aged parents to
support, sisters to dover, brothers to place at
eollege-very good, but | am alone in the world
-ahl suppose ] marry"
And, for economy, he married the veriest CO.
quette in the theatre-and in Paris.
None Of my Partisan readers, I am sure, can
have forgotten that pretty little Pauline Riviere,
whose wit and beauty were the success OF many
q vaudeville. Her eyes, though small, were 80
sparkling that they seemed to flash over her
whole face, and her hair, so black and 80 long,
that the role Of Swiss girl was created pur-
posely for her to display Il Her figure was
charming; and as to her hands, they were abso-
lutte curiosities, and JOuvin invented . glove
number for them--5i At seventeen, with no
fortune but her beauty, no ancestors save the
chief Of the eIaquS Of the Theatre Palais Royal,
she Just missed being Marquise A descend
ant Of the Round Table Knights, indubtable
Marquis, and unmitigated Breton, took Il into
his head to marry her. A couple Of dowager
aunts were the only obstacles; but alasl "The
anger Of dowagers," saith Solomon q "is terri
bic, especially Of Breton dOwagersi" and Pau
line remained Pauline At this crisis came Cor
geon to kneel at her shrine. She received him
corded 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 aus
pices, and at the end Of the month Pauline liked
him. CThis was in February, 1s49) In March
she liked him better than al the others; In April
she loved him and let him discover It He
waited for her to dismiss hls rivals, but Pauline
was in no hurry; and the preparations for mar
riage went on amid crowd Of amorous besiegers,
whose attentions gave Gorgeon the shivers. He
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, Il these gentlemen could not find another
divinity 10 sigh to-
"Bahl" said she, "are you going to be jeal-
ousP You know love you, for tell you 30 |;
and, to prove Il, I am going to marry you. Be-
sides, jealousy Is somewhat ridiculous, always;
but IN our profession II is absurdi"
The marriage came of the last Of April Two
benefits paid Gorgeous debts and the wedding
expenses; the first at the 0deon, the second at
the italian. Indeed, all the theatres in Paris
wanted to take part, for GOrgeon and Pauline
were liked everywhere. They were united at tSt.
Roch, gave grand dejeUner at Pestel's, and left
for Fontainbleu in the evening.
The first quarter Of their honeymoon was
shedding It's radiance over the Old forest when
they arrived, Gorgeon as proud as the son Of an
emperor, and Pauline as gay as humming. bird.
The next morning, the 1st Of May, was the Jsts
des Sa6koRs which is kept up until the ensuing
dawn, under the giant beech trees, and all the
youth Of the neighborhood were there; all ad-
mired Pauline, and took her for the lady Bounti-
fnl Of the neighboring chateau, coming to pa
tronize their festivities in which she joined hear
tily, and danced away till three o'clock in the
morning, in spite Of the gravel getting in her
Paris boots
GOrgeon was not jealous. When they re.
remarks about his fellow actors tUtoyiRg his
wife, as they had always done. She was al
most their adopted daughter; they had known