Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-12
BY ALPHONSE DAUDET.

What Is the matter with him? Why is he dis
satisfied with me? / do not understand. And
yet L nave done everything to make him
happy / do not say that instead OF poet
should not have preferred to marry a notary. a
lawyer. something more staid and sedate and
less vague and unsettled as a profession. bilt
after all. such as he is, liked him. found him
little excited, but kind all the same and well
brought up; then he had some little fortune,
and thought that whenOnce married his poetry
would not keep him from seeking good place
which would make US quite comfortable At
that time he, too found me TO his taste. When
he came 70 see me at my aunt's In the country
he could not find words TO admire the order and
neatneSs OF our little home, kept like a convent
ut Is amusing" he used TO say. He used to
lasgh and call me by all sorts of names taken
nom his poems and from novels that he. had
read. That shocked me little, / must admit:
should have wished to see him more serious
But IL was not until we were married and set
tied at Paris that felt the difference between
our two natures.
j, who had dreamed of a nicely kept, bright
and clean little home, saw our apartment sud
denly encountered with useless old-fashioned
faded tapestries, so old. 1t was the same with
everything else. Imagine, he made me put
gwen me by s5a my som amPe foe
framed pictures, given to me by old school
friends He found all that hideous. 1 still do
not Know why. For his study, his working
smoke. OF statuettes at which | was ashamed to
look, OF broken down antiquities, good for moth
u
that would not hold water, odd cups and sau-
GERS BY the side OF my fine rose wood piano.
he had placed little, ugly, scaly one with half
the keys lost, and so worn that you could hardly
hear IT. / began TO say to myself: '.Ah. it
seems TO me that an artist Is a bit OF mailman
- He likes only what is useless, he despises
what Is good for anything
When / saw his friends and the people that
he received, Ii was still worse. Men with LONG
hair and large Boards uncombed badly dressed
who did not hesitate to smoke before me, and
whose conversation hurt me, so utterly were
all their ideas the reverse OF my own. Grand
words. grand phrases. nothing natural moth
Ing simple And with that they had not the
slightest notion or propriety; you might have
them TO dinner twenty times in succession but
never visit, never an act OF politeneSS. Not
even card or a bonbon on New Years
day. Nothing. Some Of these gentlemen
were married, and brought their wives with
them. You should have seen the taste OF
those ladies'. They had superb toilets every
day, such as 1 shall lo1 never wear, thank
order or method. Hair pulled out. train
ing skirts, and talents which they showed
on lmpudently. There was some OF them that
sang like actresses and played the plano like
professors; all or them chartered about every
thing, just like men. Is 1t reasonable? put
the question to you. Ought serious women,
when once they are married, to think of any-
thing else but domestic matters? That Is what
'ried TO make my husband understand when
ae was panied 10 see me give up my music.
Music is well enough for young girls who have
nothing better TO do. But. to tell you the truth,
should think myself ridiculous If / sat down
before the piano every day.
Oh, know it well enough. His great griev
ance against me Is that wanted to tear him
away from that strange faiiteu 50 dangerous
for him. You have driven away all my
friends, he used often 10 say 10 me reproach-
FULLY. lies have done so, and do not repent
IL. Those people would have driven me mad.
Sometimes. on leaving them, ne used to pass
the night rhyming, walking backwards and for
wards, and talking aloud. As il he was not
Already sufficiently old PrPpOtTia wit
their coming 10 excite him. All. the caprlces
and whims that have put up with Suddenly
IN the morning he would come into my room:
'Quick. your hat. We are gong into the coun-
try" Then everything had TO be left. Sewing
Homework and all, and don't know how much
money spent In carriages and railway fares
And who thought only OF economizlrg. For
after all, ii IS lot with fifteen thousand francs
that one is rich at Paris, and that one can leave
something to The children. AT the beginning he
used TO laugh at my observations and to try TO
make me laugh; then when he saw my firm In
tenticn TO remain serious. he was displeased
with ne Tor my simplicity and my domestic
tastes. Is IL my fault II deteSt theaterS con-
certs, and all those artistic Soir6eS where he
wanted TO drag me, and where he found his old
acquaintance. heap OF scatter Drained Bo-
hemianS and d1SslpatorS?
AT one time thought that he would become
more reasonable / had succeeded In getting
him out OF his bad company, and in gathering
around US some sensible and serious people
and in creating for him useful reiatfons
Well! 10. Monsieur was bored. He was bored
from morning until night. AT our little SOirets
where i used, nevertheless, TO have a card
table tea table, everything, In fact. ne used
10 appear with face and a mood. When we
were alonelt was just the same. And yet was
full OF attention / used to say 10 him: Read
me little OF your work. he used to recite 10
me verses and TRADES. i did not understand
anything In them, but seemed TO be interested.
and here and there 1 made a little remark.
Which, however, always had the effect or irri-
tattng him In whole years tine, By working
night and day. ne has only beea able to make,
sold at ALL i said 10 him: All! now you
see - with reason in order 10 bring him to
take up something that IS better understood
anu more productive. He flew into a terrible
Iage; anu since then he has been absorbed In a
CoHILueu sadness which made me very IN
nappy' NY friends advised me as best they
Soulu, lou see, my dear, tC is eaItui the bad
huinor CT an unoccupied man Tf he
were 10 work little more he would NOT b, 50
gloomy" "'u'' noe " ~
Then / started, as also did all nv ac,uo,nt
anceS, 10 Try 70 md place for him movad
maven anu eaTln: paid know not how many
visits 20 the wives OF secretaries general he dS
OF divisions; went even 10 the caDinef or tha
minister without saying word TO MIN It W.
surprise that was keeping In store for h,no
said 10 myself: I'VE shall see IL he win be rIad
this time" AT last, the day when / rece7yed
his nomination. Ia a beautiful envelope with
I'VE seals on it, / went 10 lay &c on Ma table
mad with JOY. IJ meant the future assured
case, the calm Of work, and dissatisfaction
Do you know what lie said TO me? He said thar
, ne would never pardon me. After which he
tore up the minister's letter into a thousand
pieces, and rushed out. banging the doors behind
Elu- Oh. those artists those poor crazy heads
that lake lie the wrong wayi What can one
do With such man? wanted TO talk to him,