The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-09-13
the Reputation Of Mile. claude


The Reputation or Mile. Claude:
PRELUDE.
IL Is. most remarkable picture !" My
wife made This observation with concentrated
energy aud an absence, OF, those little bird
like movements of the head which generally
accompanied her criticism OF any work of art.
We were both artists, poor and, struggling.
and we were on our wedding tour--a,trip to
Paris, in other words. An elderly French
artist, whose friendship l had made during
the years apprenticeship TO art that had
once served in Paris, was acting as our guide
TO various galleries and ateliers and had
PAINTED the picture my wife had admired.
II was a very remarkable picture, both as
regards subject and treatment, and, though
on small scale, it had been honored with q
prominent place In the Salon and good
light.
II represented an open grassy space on the
outskirts Of ir wood (; the left hand side Of
the picture was in deep shadow, but toward
the right the trees grew more sparsely, and
through them the warm yellow glow OF q
dying sunset fell in broken shafts Of light
upon a group of men who had evidently
been engaged in duel. One of the com
batants stood in easy attitude, with his back
to the sunset; he was dressed in the height
of fashion, and his fair, handsome face wore
an expression of contemptucus and satisfied
superiority. Both he and his second, whose
bearing indicated anxiety. and entreaty.
were drawn with a life. like fidelity and
power worthy in themselves the admiration
we had given to the picture, but the centre
of interest lay neither in them nor in the
surgeons and the other second, but in the
wounded man over whom they were bend
Ing, Something in the attitude Of the young,
slight figure stretched upon tile grass, aud
in the pallid face, to which even the golden
sunset failed to lend any touch of color, in
dicated that he was mortally wounded. The
facs was that Of mere youth, dark and
oval in shape, and touched with the awful
beauty of death. It was pathetic and in
teres,iug face, but in ordinary circumstances
not handsome one. One beauty, however
it had-eyes in which lay all the wonder
and power Of the picture, large, dark, and
long dashed, with far-away look as though
they saw some marvellous and tender vision
So haunting was their gaze, SO iuexpressibly
sad, that it was with difficulty turned away
from il.
"You must have been an eye witness o
that scene, B-2'' | remarked TO the astist
"There's an almost uncanny realism abon
It, aud could swear that the wounded man I
second was familiar figure"
:" II is meant for myself in younger days,
he replied, with half smile and lingering
look at his work. 1.-THE scene has lived il
my. memory for the last twenty years and
had hoped TO transfer it forever to the can
vas and be rid of it. But don't think
have succeeded. A history such as that, .
he added sadly, "doesn't leave the mind s.
easily. There are some seats in quie
corner there, and there are few peopl
about to day. If Madame cares to hear m!
story shall like much to tell II her, and
do not think we shall be interrupted
Madame gave a grateful assent to this pro
posal, and we followed our friend to tb,
seats he had pointed out. give the story
as nearly as possible in his own words:
THE STORY.
was a young man when the event o1
Cured which l have tried to immortalize il
my picture, and, If Madame will pardon al
old mans vanity, welllooking youth an
n tOlerably successful surgeon. became al
artist much later on in my life, and at TIL
time speak of had good and increasip
practice in one of the southern French water
ing-places. The town was much frequente'
by foreigners, chiefly by English and Ameri
cans, and the latter greatly scandalized AM
upset all our ideas of propriety by. the indie
pendsnce of their women, especially of tn
unmarried ladies'. Among these last was
certain Miss Claude Maryon, commonl
known to the hdbitueS of our town as "Mad
emoiselle Claude" Mademoiselle was a,
artist of some merit and fame. Indeed, i
was she who first led me to think serousl
of art as profession. She was rich, indie
pendent, and original, and had come I
S. both for the beautiful scenery and til
health of her companion, Miss Anne Harland
kcIl \.
shy, and studiously inclined. She was til
orphan and almost penniless daughter Of
poor American minister and protege {
Mile. Claude, who often spoke of her as " m
child" and took sort of motherly interes
in her well-being. She expected her to l.
in some sort a literary success If the girl
health, which was in a nervous and delcat
state, did not break down. Miss Anne had
think, mind beyond her years, and she ha
worked beyond her strength to cultivate i,
She was not at all pretty. and her excessiv
shyness and proneness to take life prt
foundly du grand ser,eur lent certain touc
of awkwardness and embarrassment to he
movements that TO me had kind Of pathet
attraction. But she was SO appealing, SO thol
Oughly feminine, so curiously compounds
of unusual intelligence and childllke ndvet
that one forgot her want of beauty and wa
only interested in trying to pierce throug
her timidity and reserve.
She had an extraordinary capacity for low
and her devotion to Mile. Claude was beyou
all bounds of ordinary friendship or eve
gratitude; it amountedto religion, and
religion intensified by an imaginative an
strongly passionate nature. Mile. Claud
was Anne's senior by nearly ten years, an
was greatly her superior in sintellect an
force Of character a powerful woman wit
the fine massive beauty Of the old Rema
type, splendidly sincere, despOtio and or,
cious, thoroughly worldly wise, and one
the most sympathetic, warm hearted w0me
have ever met. 1t was impossible not
love and admire her when you knew he
and her friends did both. Among thes
however, were not very many of her ow
sex, and those few were artists or Amer
cans; her circle of acquaintance had Il
marked stamp of more or less refined b
hemisnism to suit the rigid respectfully
and convsntionality of the English an
French ladies'. Almost every one in s.
of any pretensions to literary or artistic di
tinction found easy entry into Mile. Claude
delightful society. l had entered 1t first
doctor to Miss Harland, but the love of a
soon drew us together, aud We became ia
friends, the two ladies treating me with
sort of sisterly confidence and kindness whit
was new to me, and which enjoyed as mu'
as respected IL.
ii.
One day made discovery. Miss An
had her strong loves and hates. There W
a certain NJ. 10 Comte do Latourelle who
abe particularly dsliked, partly because
his rather marked attentions to Mile. Claud
and partly from the innate shrinking Of
pure and sensitive nature from the presen
of evil. M. de Latourelle was quite you
man, but he had neither heart nor prin
pie his chief attractions were his elaborate
charming manners and aristocratic bearin
q fair, handsome face and marvellous ap
tude for the violin. never heard more o
quisite playing to listen to him you wou
have said he had the soul of god in |
finger ends. 1t was the only indication
divinity that | ever saw in him suppC
1t was his beauty and musical gent
that 40 mnnh iiraniad Mlla Claudia