Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-10-12

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A Frieus Aetina as R1asrfAiunlaf Brss
kor-ExtrnordtnarJ Mnrriags of - Are
fist.
The Paris correspondent Of the ncw Or
leans Pieayuue relates this anecdote Of De-
camps, the late famous French artist:
Among Decampss most intimate friends
was gentleman named Jacques Lefort, who
was fond Of paintings, and tolerably good
landscape painter. He was about forty years
old when this incident occurred, and Ia the
possession Of an estate which Yielded him
some three OF four thousand dollars year.
de lived in the Rue de Provence where he
had suite of rooms on the third fioor, which
overlooked the large gardens Of Iiaftte's and
the de Rothschilds mansions. Decamps was
fond OF the rooms and of Lefort and spent
many an evening there, smoking and talking
The window opens upon the admirable gar
dens in the heart Of Paris where flowers
cost at least three times their weight In gold,
so valuable is the land on which they grow.
One day Lefort came to the cafe with very
long face and evident ili-humor. eWhat Is
the matter 2" exclaimed Decamps. "Why--
why-the matter is am sorry TO DO obliged
to leave our rooms" "Are you going to
leave them2 ?" ayes my landlord has raised
the rent refused to pay il; be would make
no reduction; got into bad humOr, aud
gave him notice to quit | am sorry for il
now, you like those rooms so much t"Why
don't you withdraw your notice2pl 81 never
thought of that-I should do sop
The next evening Lefort came as usual to
| the cafe with the same long face he wore the
preceding evening. He had tried to with
draw his notice. It was too late; the suite of
rooms had been leased for nine years. Le-
| fort was to move in October, but his landlord
| kindly informed him that as the new tenant
would not come up from the country before
the month Of November, he might stay in
,ls fl.,A I,1
he would surrender one room for the .furni-
| ture of his successor. He gladly consented,
and the furniture of the new tenant was
brought there. Nevertheless, Decamps, see
ing how sad he was at the Thought of quit-
ting his old rooms, said to him one day: Isn't
there some way by which you can enter into
an arrangement with your success0rY's "t
| don't know him, and don't wish to ask any
| fayors of him." "Show me his furniture"
| said Decamps "and let me guess what sort
| of fellow he is" Lefort carried Decamps
| into the room where the furniture was housed.
"Huml huml" grunted Decamps, running
| his eye over the furniture. "Simple-cOm-
| fortable-good taste-he's worth at least
| $4,000 a year-it is new, too-the furniture
| of q gentleman--a gentle 2--am ! not speak,
| ing too fast t?-isn't that n workable 2--isn't
| that a rag-basket? "But what sort of
man is the husband2" "Husband ques-
tion where there be husband-there's. no
| masculine furniture 10 De been--tuefeS DuJ
| one bed, and that's too narrow for two
there is no writing-desk--butis is she widow,
| young lady or an old maidW "Ahl there's
| the rubP' "Let US find out" Decamps
| opened drawer itcontained tortoise-shel
comb, and he found in the comb two mag
nifcent hairs of golden color. "She is not
| an old woman, that's pozl-let's hunt on"
He hunted on until he came to the portrait
turned against the wall, and which proved
to be the likeness of beautiful woman, q
blonde, painted in 1925. "That is her por-
trait she was a married woman when the
portrait was. painted, that is evident from
the costume; she was about twentF-four
when the portrait was painted and as weare
now in the year of grace '35, she must be
widow of four and thirty-she must be still
handsome. She is an intelligent woman;
fond of art that's evident by the books she
has on these shelves-by the music on this
piano. She is awoman of kind heart and
good temper that is evident by her portrait.
My good fellow, you must not leave these
rooms" "What! l must ask this lady to
sell me her lease ~ "No; you must ask her
to share it with you; you must marry her,
my boyp ''The deucel You are crazy I
| You are making fun of meW II pledge you
my word ] am speaking most seriously.
Your furniture seems made on purpose to go
with this lady's. The rooms are too nuuoer-
Gus for one of you alone; it is but fair you
get marriedp' "There you are wrong, Le-
fort. You are forty years old, my boy.
This lady suits with you in every respect
like her extremely already, and by JoYe you
must marry her-there's no two ways about
it," Decamps was so positive, and Lefort
had such implicit confidence in Decamps he
left the matter in Decamps's hands.
When the lady returned from the country,
you may believe she was surprised TO fsIi
her suite of rooms occupied and her hirni-
ture mixed with another persons furniture,
, and all in place, Decamps was there when
she came. He showed her through the rooms
and pointed out Lefort's portrait placed op-
posite hers. "Just see, Madame said he,
1.-THE admirable harmony that exists between
these two sets of furniture; look at that por-
trait is it not the very pendant 70 yours, Il
it not the portrait of the husband after your
own heartP The lady was intelligent and
| good-natured; she received Decamps and his
explanations with hearty laughter. De-
camps carried Lefort to see her, and as he
was an intelligent agreeable, fne-looking
fellow, with a complete Independence Of for
tune, she accepted him, they were married,
and he did not quit the suite of rooms until
r last year, when his wife died. The marriage
was great deal happier than most marriages
y are. Decamps remained their friend, and
whenever they saw him they thanked him
for having undertaken this matrimonial ne
gotiation.