Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-10
Selrttro gllisttlIanu,
OFF THE STAGE.
Adventures OF an Actress

twenty-five in that condition which Is tn
delight of French women-she was wild
ow. She had married at an early age, il
compliance with her father and tather-in
laws decree, and had been neither happ.
nor miserable during the two years tha
her union had lasted,
M. de FloIac had been so unimportant il
her'existence that after the hustle Incl
dent to his funeral, the reading of the will
and the weaSing Of mourning, she was yer!
often obliged to think twice, TO remembe
distinctly whether he was dead or alive.
Nine. de Florac was of O most affection
ate disposition, and was romantically in
clned, pretty and rich besides-which
though not romantic in ITSELF. lis not un
pleasant, and permits of romance being in
dulged in withou iany very fatal consequen
ces.
As soon as the year Of mourning had ex
pred, Nine, de Florac began at once to in
dulge her love for the amusements of th'
world, from which she had been debarreC
by her seclusion, and which she had hith
erto never enjoyed but in the tedious com
pany of her commonplace husband.
Scarcely however, did she reappear il
the Fauborg, before suitos presented them
selves for the hand of the young widow
and grave matrons, on propriety intent
limited that Nine. Florac was over younE
to 90 about the world alone. pan
But Clara de Florac had resolved thai
neither suitors nor gossips should force hel
into humdrum marriage like the one she
had experienced, which might have the dis.
agreeable difference of lasting for life, in
stead of for two years.
Clara had resolved, if she married again,
she would marry for love She had read q
great DEAL the sublime sentimentality OF
Lamartine's poetry; Balzac and Sand she
knew byheart; and she thought it very hard
if, whom these authors portrayed so many
ardent passions and neyer.ending attach
ments as pictures Of actual life, she could
not, with her youth, good looks and good
intentions, stumble upon some hero who
should invest life with charm which she
had dreamed, of but as yet knew nothing
In her own circles she waited and watch
ed, and allowed herself to be wooed; but
everything was done in such refined
matter-of-fact way, terminating by the ex
hibition Of rent-roll, and an offer of mar.
riage through her nearest of kim that Clara
Indignantly turned away from all with dis.
appointment and despair.
One evening, Clara, who had just had an
other illusion dispelled by q proposition Of
marriage from man she had seen but
twice, and who had dwelt upon the fitness
of fortune and position, and had never
mentioned hearts, in fit of weariness and
discomfort with herself and all the world,
determined suddenly not to go to the ball
for which she was preparing dress; and,
sick with the sameness of the great world,
decided on sending for box at the Vaud-
eville, where, she imagined, she would not
meet any Of those who appeared indirectly
to control her actions.
An aunt of her husband, who chaperon.
ed the young widow everywhere, was her
only escort; and, in the simplest toilet,
Clara reclined in one corner of the box, in
tent upon forgetting all in the enjoyment
of the play, particularly as, on looking
around, she could not discovera single face
that she had ever seen before.
At last the curtain rose. The play was
one of those modern pieces in which in
tense passion is woven into the common
place events of life and Clara's attention
was attracted towards it at once. From
the play her sympathies went to the hero;
and certainly no hero could have been bet
ter represented than by the actor whose
face, form and voice were all calculated to
arrest attention, and to iaseinate and
charm.
Clara looked for his name. 1t was o..
She had never heard it before, but she
repeated it to herself frequently, and or
her return home that evening, every word
and intonation, every look and every atti
tude, were recalled in the solitude of hei
boudoir.
The following eveningsClara de FlonC
went again TO the Vaudeville, and the next
till the placid and usually unmuImurine
aunt began to complain that it was very
tiresome to see the same place five times in
succession. -..
Luckily for Clara, the Baron de l.
the last suitor that had been refused, came
to'pay her a friendly visit, coolly ignoring
the little circumstance of his proposal anc
rejection. Clara accepted his escort to the
Vaudeville, and again lost herself in the
contemplation of her idol o. had ia
ken entire possession Of Clara's imagina
ton. BY dint Of thinking of him of even
ings, she had woven o romance OF her own
and resolved on seeing him, To accom-
plish this she wrote him such note o.
only the most virtuous or most perverted
could write--the one perfectly unconsciou
Of what she is doing, and the other full,
knowing the effect she will produce.
Clara appointed an hour when the grea
world was still in its first slumbers In
simple muslin dress and straw bonnet, ant
with beating heart, she walkedto the ap
pointed place. There was o. Sh
felt inclined TO turn back, but calling he
remembrance Of modern literature TO he
aid she advanced toward him and address
ed him. bisafs
After few words lladbeeninterchanged
Clara began her plan.
II am" said she, ga young widow from
the south Of France, in very Strengthened
circumstances, and being obliged to earI
my own living, have q desire TO become al
actress. have seen you act, and, being
stranger have thought Of no better mean
than Of addressing myself 10 you"
II is needless TO say that o. replied
by dissuading her from any such attempt
for every actor though he may love hii
art, has horror of the stage. However
Clara met argument with argument, and
other meetings were appointed.
II happened that o--1was gentleman
Of education, high breeding, and most no
BILE feeling. Therefore there was nothing
to dispel Claras illusion, but everything to
turn her passing fancy into real and sincere
passion. Fats 1.fa asHeaGa fHgHf
Clara was now in the enjoyment Of the
fevorish happiness she had desired. In
order to carry out her plans she hnd taken
into her confidence her foster sister, who
was married toa respectable tradesman,
and living in small apartment in the Rue