Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-12-19
Anae5 A.atasr pecan,ps.

Many singular stories ore told of Decamps
the illustrIous French painter, and here is one
as odd as it is true
Among the h0Jttues of the little care In the
FauboUrg Saint Denis was an amateur of
painting. whom the painters osibat day have
not forgotten, NJ. Jacques Lefort
Lefort was man of forty years of age,
having an income of fifteen thousand francs,
fond of painting, and an excellent landscape
painter himself. He inhabited third story
apartment in the Rue de Provence, where De-
camps went very often to see him. and where
he felt quite at home He passed macy a
long evening there talking aud smoking be-
fore an open window, looking on the vast gar
dens of the Hotel La6tte and the Hotel Roth
schild.
One day Lefort came into the cafe with an
appearance of i'll humor.
What is the matter? asked Decamps, on
perceiviDg him
Well, am cory at leaving our room
DO you leave it Z
Yes. my landlord wished to raise my rent
resisted. He insisted. and gave him no.
tice that should leave. l am quite sorry
about il, for you were very fond of th at room
Well. withdraw your notice.
You are right. | will do SO.
The next day Lefort was in a still worse
bumor He had offered to withdraw his no.
tice, but the room had been let on lease of
uiue years.
Lefor. was to move in the month of Octo-
Der. His landlord ot!igingly notified HIM
that the person who was to occupy the room
would not return from the country till the
middle of November, and he therefore had
ample tune to seek another room 1t was on
ly necessary that Lefort should leave por-
tion of the room vacant, to place the furnl-
ture Of his successor. Lefort gladly consen-
ted to thar. ssd If vas brought to the house
Decamps. seeing him continually quite sad
at leaving his room, said to him one day:
There may be a means of arranging with
your successor
i do not know him, and do not care to risk
false step
Show me then. his furniture said De-
camps. that l may see what kind Of man
he is
Lefort conducted Decamps into the apart
meut and showed him the furniture.
Hum. hum unused Decamps. as his eye
glanced over it. ALI this is simple, eomforta-
Bile, and in good taste. The furniture de-
notes an income of twenty Thousand francs
recently acquired. 1t belongs to man OF
seuse-or rather it is a woman? Look at
these articles for furniture use-this toilet ia
bic, this work table,
But the husband 2
i don't see any signs of the husband here
mo Masculine furniture, so TO speak. The
bed is too small for two. We must 6nd out
now whether she is young lady, widow,
or an old maid
How to krow that? 2
Let us look
He opened the drawer of the toilet table.
aud found comb, between the teeth of the
comb was some long hair of 6ne gold color.
Good. This doesn't belong 10 an old wo-
man. Let us look further
He perceived portrait. with the face to
the wall. He turned it. aud took off the COW
ering. 1t was the portrait of the young lady,
a very pretty blonde, painted in 1925 by Her
seut.
1t is the portrait of the lady said Decamps.
1t is the likeness of a married woman-the
dress indicates it. This woman was about
twenty four years of age when 1t was painted. l..
aud she is now a widow of tbirty-four- She
must still be very handsome She is an intel
ligent woman. aud fond of the arts, Judge
by the choice of books in this bookcase, and
of this piano She is good woman. judge
by her face. Ny friend, you shall not leave
1T will be necessary then to ask this lady
to give it up to me-
No; only ask her to share it with you
you must marry her"
You are mad. You are laughing at me :
L speak very seriously. Your furniture
seems made to go with hers. The room Is
too large for one, aud quite right for two
But don't wish to marry
You are wrong, for you are forty years oi
! age This woman pleases me, will suit you,
aud want you to marry her. Leave me tc
arrange it
| When the lady returned from the country,
she was surprised to find her room occupied
| and her furniture doubled Decamps awai
ted her. He showed her the room arranged
by himself. aud the portrait of i-efort placed
opposite her own.
See, Madame said he, how marvelousll
this furniture harmopizes; what fine com
panion this portrait makes for your own;
is the portrait OF the husband you need.
The lady was good natured, and did no
get angry, but laughed. Lefort presented
himself, and as be was a man of means, OF 10
teIligence and good looks. he pleased her,
He married the widow, and did not leave tn
room.
He only quilted 1t last year at the death
HE wife whom he adored. and who made hir