The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-04
RI translated for the Press,
Translated for the Pressl
Too Late; a Visit to the
Arsenal.
BY ALPHONSE KARI.

the contents of the two miSSlVeS he has sent
me before. The first contained, of course,
reproaches and threats, -the second probably
reproaches and advice. 1t is not impossible,
however, that may find in this one draft.
Ah," added he, after opening it and running
over the first line, 81 am not mistaken; my
correspondent sends me hundred francs"
'Hundred francsv' cried the other, -four
ishing his brush in the air. Scene, now, /
liket hail Fathers are better than their repu-
tation. As for me, poor devil that 1 am, l
shall only have my daily bread when l can
say, Our father who art in Heaven In the
mean inc mine makes me an. important recon-
mendation. Ny uncle at the arsenal is sick.
He importunes me to go and see him. It is
an uncle with an inheritance, and have not
been near him but once in three years.
"You were wrong thereP'
SIT is not difficult TO be wise for other peo-
pie; l will try to 90 10 see him tomorrow
but then,-I do not know the way there"
81 will make you map OF the Streets
"That will do very WELL"
The next day came.
81 cannot set out without breakfast"
ssNo l should not advise that, certainly"
'sWho will go to look for our breakfast
then?'
Not I, am in slippers"
ssNor l. do not wish to soil my boots be-
fore starting"
"Eugene, truly you not very obligingp
Sand you are not very just, for yesterday
Ibid all the odd jobs, and today it is your
turn" ~
"Listen, let us take the foils, and the first
one touched shall go out for the breakfast"
Down came the foils, they fenced, Arthur
is touched first, SO it is decided that he must
breakfast, but, since they had taken so much
trouble to unhook the foils, take down their
masks and gloves it was pity to stop at the
first bout. They fenced during the hour and
stopped at last quite out OF breath and ex-
hausted.
"There must be water heated for my
beard"
Eyes, and you've let the fire go out"
SIT can be very soon re-kinded, but then,
we have on water!'
''What? is the reservoir already empty?'
''Yes, l forgot to turn the cock yesterday
evening aud the water all escaped"
"The kitchen is flooded then ?"
SIT is only too true, but am lucky to have
perceived it before l stepped down into it.''
They dined and put the water on the fire.
While it heated Eugene placed himself before
bis picture. Arthur took his pipe and spread
himself out on the sofa.
''Look here Eugene, how much time I've
lost to-day! l ought to be half way there.
Decidedly lounging is a bad thing: one could
hardly believe how much harm mine has al
ready done me. Some philosopher was quite
right to say do what you wish to have done,
rather than what you wish to do"
"That's true enough IN your case" said
Eugene, taking pipe and seating himself
near his comrade, "for what you want above
everything is TO do nothing at ALL" +
cit is true that I do despise this restless
spirit that makes certain people move about
for tho saka Of rnnviuU Draw do sompthinU
that is worth more than repose or keep quiet"
cat this moment it would be worth more
for you to dress yourself than to keep quiet"
"My water is not ho:."
The two friends pulled out clouds of smoke,
then Arthur said, SIT is not that l defend
procrastination, for the exordium of my dis
course was, ii you remember, quite agains! it,"
81 will speak no more i'll of it, for idleness
is gift that comes from the gods" The
two friends had a certain number of questions
which they arranged in the style of aphorisms
'sbut," added he, sin order that idleness be
sweet, it should be without fear and without
remorse, sans peur ct sans Tepr0che,~ one
must have gained the right to yield soul and
body TO it, for it is not true, veritable, sloth
when the body is alone abandoned to it while
the mind is curbed."
He rose slowly and began his toilette. For
SO infrequent and important visit as that he
had in view he must lay aside the black era
vat that he had not varied for several years.
He set himself about folding white one
which he placed carefully at the back of a
chair, but when he had washed his hands he
dried them TRANQUILITY upon his cravat. never
dreamiIg that this bit of white linen could be
anything except napkin; when he perceived
his mistake it was too late, the cravat was
hopelessly mussed and soiled He must look
out another; he seated himself TO fold it on
his knees, but he was so comfortable on che
lounge! He took up his pipe again and be-
gan to smoke. his head reposed so softly on
the cushions delicious state oil inertia
which permits queer, light thoughts to fly
about ones brain; ideas which the least
breath dssipates or changes into the clouds
of smoke, and releases the bride of the i'm
agination, which, wandering away, leave the
giddy body. without strength either to follow
or to hold it, as the bird which escapes from
his cage flies heedlessly here and there and
seems to defy the blrd-catcher, stupefied by
his flight. Delightful condition, where the
~ disappears and one looks on at his own
life, his sensations, his joys. his gres, as at a
play with the calm Incidence of a well seated
spectator where you hardly upearth sad
thought before in spite of your efforts to re-
tain it, it escapes you as water between the
lUScIS dhu CDdugtS lutO d IuOChlUS uSulc
which dancing in the tobacco smoke laughs ia
your face and forces you to laugh too, At
that however Arthur set forth. On the stair
case man stopped him.
sMr. Arthur is he at home?'
mo, he is dead"
The man descended the stairs quite bewil-
dered.
"Good, it's mercy this cockerel did not
know me.'
He walked along.
There are very many things worth seeing in
the month of May. The flower vendors have
the first primroses upon their stands which
spread abroad the odor of earth and spring.
Ladies at the first beams of the sun come
out OF their wrapplngs like the early flowers
from their green chalice.
Arthur stopped before ajuggler who began
a most surprising trick; but he did not COM
plete it, he had others to show first, how he
would give away cake of Spanish white to
wash the chandeliers with, to anyone who
would pay twenty cents for box of charcoal
for the teeth!
"Thls oriental and balsamic specific is a
sovereign cure for decayed teeth! will make
public experiment on the first person COM
ing along. Here! little boy! Look now, the
teeth OF this child are perfect BLACKWELL,
you put little powder on the brush, moisten
it with water, not prepared water you know,
any-the first at hand, from the stream per-
haps-you rub the teeth and gums-so. Not
outstanding all this, the wonderful trick
did not come of, and Arthur who had waited
half an hour lost patience and went off but
the juggler ran after him calling out, "Sir,
STRIP
Everybody's eyes were fixed on Arthur.
He blushed and stopped.
"My good friend, "said the juggler, "why
do you carry off my balls cannot work
without the instruments of my trade!"
Everybody crowded about the young man
who, blue with wrath cried out, Il have not
your balls-get awayp'
pardon thousand times sir, but you GER
tainly have my balls in your hat" So saying
he drew from Arthur's hat three enormou S
red balls.
The trick was adroitly done; everyone adj
mlred and applauded except Arthur, who
would gladly havethrashed the trickster. He
hastened away, seeing as he wenthow incred-
ulous people smiled at each other and said,
so, he is comradep,
Further on was merchant of phosphores-
cent bricks.
"Here is your true infammable paste. You
have no need OF prepared lighters; YOU take
a scrap-almost nothing at all-of nv paste.
on the end of knife, at the end of YOUR
cane, at the end OF what you wil-no mat
ter what--the least friction against finder
will kindIe it Immediately; besides the use