Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-06
Translated from the French for the Home Journal.
THE IDEAL AND THE ACTUAL.

Translated from the French for the Home Journal.
THE IDEAL AND THE ACTUAL"
At the epoch of the restoration of monarchy
in France, two young men from Paris were
passing their vacation in one Of the charming
villages of Morvan on the banks of the Loire
II was the end of October, and for two
months, with knapsacks on their backs and
guns in their hands, they had led the life
of American trappcrs; wandering. over the
mountains in pursuit of game, eating at cock
Growing in the morning the rye bread and
bean soup OF the farmers, and supping at
night in the hut of some wood-cutter upon
the hares or partridges which they had sue
ceeded in capturing.
One morning as they breakfasted at little
inn on the borders Of the lake Of Vary, one
of them saidto his companion, as he lighted
his cigar, Friend Conrad this hunting is
very pleasant but November is fastening ON,
and With it win come fogs, and with fog,
rain; and with rain, snow and ice. Our dear
MorYan-this old nest of wolves boars and
hares-will be no longer tenable, We must
return TO Paris" .N ... ri r
"Return to Paris resume our books, study,
labor-wear our brains out ~ replied Conrad,
with sigh 81 know that is our destiny,
Thus our families have decided; but, friend
Tancred If we had the least particle of sense
we should beg leave to remain in these
mountains Look at that group of houses
half covered by a thicket of oak and poplar.
How pleasant L would be to live, dream, and
die there our orchards full of fruits, pure
wine in our cellar, and good horses in our
table. Would it not be better than to ming
in the great ant-heap of Parisy
"Bravol Conrad" replied the first speaker,
ironically; ''you will be citing the famous
saying Of Julius Caesar next but, for myself
have no fancy for being first in a village;
prefer to be the last at Rome"
II know your modesty Tancred you
mean that you would not be sorry to be first
everywhere f
No matter; repeat that the village is not
for me. A fine prospect TO pass one S days in
the midst of peasarts coarse in language,
sentiments, costume and mannersl But let
MS suppose that we pass our days here. ou
shall be q country notary, and justice OF
the peace. In two years we shall each have
upon the arm strapping farmers daughter.
This excellent wife will bring US each, as
dowry, twenty thousand crowns-a great for
tune for the place Before ten years are over
our heads, / shall have at my table six sons,
arranged regularly according to hight, and
YOU six daughters, grouped in the same
manner; or If you like, you shall have the
six sons and the six daughters. No, no; /
will not fasten such a weight to my feet.
Remember that the long years of study we
have spent must not be thrown away. We
edge, but, hitherto, we have only tasted the
bitterness of it; the sweets are yet to come.
There is but one place where they can be
found. Say, then, with me-To Paris TO
Parish ...
TO Paris then, be it, replied Conrad; g.
do not object" Upon which they called
their dogs and descended into the valley.
The next morning they mounted the dill
gence-there were no railroads then-and in
three days they made their entree into Paris.
Each. had in his pocket the diploma author
izing him to practice the law, which is gen.
orally considered the sure road TO fortune.
Ifayoung man is provided with this, his rel
atives are apt TO fancy that he has only to
present himself before a tribunal, and to
plead there, TO become celebrated; but in re-
ality there is bitterand wearisome novitiate
to be passed. Conrad cast a long look upon
his situation, and determined 10 renounce
he honor of appearing at the bar.
''My dear friend he said to Tancred, ''you
NAV become, if you like, a renowned lawyer
and learned jurisconsult. will not COM
pete with you, throw my toga to the net
tles.n
aWhat do yo mean, then, to bccome?'
"a painter, an engrayer-an artist of some
"An artist You will die of hunger, my
poor fellow" 81.
"That is an obsolete Jest. Artists do not
20 to the poor-house nOw-a-days. Some have
houses and chatedur; and if Others reside in
garrets the garrets are very well furnished.
And what is better, the rich have ceased to
exhibit the disdain OF former times; milliOn-
aires, bankers, diplomatists, ministers, princes
even are happy TO associate with painters,
poets. musicians and sculptOrs. How many
times have modern journals given us such pas
sages as these: The fete was magnificent. NM.
Lamartine, Rossini, Eugene Delacroix, ETC.,
f|... r,fxr Iaa
of this ball Among the guests we remarked
Victor Hugo, Decamps, David, ETC. What
a figure would a dozen millionaires make
without single artistP And, moreover, a
stroke of the pencil, the pen, the grayer, is
often, II not fortune, at least independence
It is to this aspire"
"Just as you please. For myself | go to
the halls of justice. | shall enter there as a
conqueror, | foresee.
81 wish II with all my heart; but as, in en-
tering upon life we take different paths--you
that Of business, hustle and fortune; and
that Of quiet study, reyerie, the ideal and art
we shall stray far apart from each other
and fear will seldom meet. That the bond
of our fraternal friendship may not be broken,
let US agree to give each other one day each
aAgreed," replied the lawyer "but what
Let us take, if you like, the anniversary
Of our return. TO Paris-the thirty-frst o
October"
aWell, then, dear Conrad, in a year from
this day we will meet at place previously
agreed upon by letter. They pressed eael
others hands warmly, and parted. q" : VI
II was not without reason that the Greeks
our masters in everything, gave wings 4
time. A year flies quickly---in Paris, es
pecially; hours, days weeks, months, sun
shine and rain, pass by imperceptibly, and
when the sun has completed his tour Of tn
zodiac, we are astonished at the rapidity o
its revolution.
0nthe thirty-hrst of October, the two friend
met as they had promised; the place Of rem
dssgons was . restaurant Of the Palais Roysl
ITO the table," cried Conrad, Hand let u