Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-13

took M the violin and II came. played
1t over and over again. Dcyou like the
drawing, dsd9"
i He was always eager for praise
and approval, but II his father could
have spoken out his thoughts, they
would have surprised Clement by what
would have seemed an extravagance and
fat,ery. As it was, the boy thought
his father undervslued him. Instead
Of putting into words what was in his
mind, which was that this child Of theirs
was . genius, and that at that moment
his father loved him passionately. be
only said, and it was with an effort
that be made even this sound at all
warm: "Yes, Glen; yes. like it
very much, and the tune, too. You are
a good boy; 1t has pleased me-"
II was but meagre; but he had sell
dom said so much and the eager boy
was satisfied, for he was not used 20
praise, nor often felt be deserved it.
In the long, silent night Dumaresq
lay and thought over the curious. dainty
little melody till he knew every note by
heart.
"He is o genius-a genius" he re-
peated with a warmth that made him
feel almost happy, Sand he has power
Of loving, too. How Comma would have
delighted in it"
CHAPTER II.
Alas as Clement grew older, there
were fewer Of such minutes to Tighten
the gloomy days. He was not rightly
managed, but he was, perhaps, impos-
sible to manage, with his erratic genius;
his facility for temptation, his sensuous,
impatient nature, swift to love and to
hate, swayed here and there by every
gust of impulse. He did no good either
at the day or boarding-school to which
be went; he fascinated half the boys,
and fought with the rest and all the
masters, while confessing him capable
of almost anything, united in declaring
MIN hopeless. When be was fifteen his
father yielded to his passionate wish to
be trained for an artist, and took him
finally from school, but he had not
much hope Of his keeping even in this
mind, though, as his master allowed,
few boys began with so decided q
talent-one amounting almost to ge-
MUS. Dumaresq was steadily patient
with bin, but it was hopeless kind
of patience, and Clement felt that there
was no faith in him behind it. lie
fancied there was no affection, either.
Here he was wrong; his father loved
him, and would love him doggedly
through everything, for he had no
changing in him. He led exactly the
same life, going every day to his office,
doing his secretary work with precision,
fai,hfulness, and skill; always unap-
proachably polite, and even kindly in
his intercourse with the men he met,
but as absolutely stranger to them all
as if he had met them yesterday; re-
tuning at his usual hour to dinner, to
an evening spent in bis easy-chair, with
his books, his pipe, his silent, musipg
contemplation of the Claude which he
loved, as be had always loved it, if
Clement were out--as he very often
was, for as he grew up he made friends,
and loved society and gayety as his
father hated tiff he were at home,
Dumaresq, who was logical and just,
and keenly felt the depressing atmos-
phere Of the home which he could not
alter, tried hard to make it interesting
for the lad who was shooting up fast
into thin, handsome, delicate-looking
young fellow, with look Of his mother
in his Italian eyes. He persuaded him
to play when he was in the mood, or he
interested himself in his drawings; he
tried not to be severe or repressive
when he talked about his amusements-
sympathizipg he could not be. they were
SO unlike. Clement was dull at home /;
he staid chiefly from q compassionate
sense of his fathers loneliness and from
a certain love which was the lingering
relic of his childhood but sometimes,
when one of his melancholy and musing
fits came upon him, he found the quiet
room resting and a refreshment after
the thousand sensations and emotions
which be crowded into the days. He
did not believe that his father loved
him the father had the same profound
disbelief in his sons INSTRUMENTATION
could come any nearer. They wanted
the uniting touch Of Commas sanguine
faith in both.
AS Clement grew up, and as manly
tastes and habits drove out the boyish
fancies, a sudden change came in the
relationship between them. Louis Du-
maresq, when scarcely more than boy,
had been saved from all gross sins and
temptations, not only by fastidious
taste and pure nature, bat also by
falling in love with an innocent, con-
fiding girl. He had gradually forgotten
even the flavor Of temptation, and had
hardened into disgust and contempt for
the vices Of society. He tried to be
just, but it was very difficult for him to
comprehend the leaning to pleasant
sin "; he had a woman's GOODNESS and
purity in these things. Clement had
the southern temperament, the pas
sionate weakness, which is sometimes
stronger than strength. He had the
corresponding virtues which often bal
ance such natures; be was as compass
sionate and tender with suffering, with
little children and frail women as his
father seemed hard and cold. Every
one of this sort who came across him
adored him, every toddling baby wanted
him to take it in his arms; if any Of his
friends were ill or in trouble he spent
himself on them. He had his mothers
soft heart, none Of his fathers stern
strength and uprightness /; added to this
he had the fatal temperament Of genius.
What could the poor boy do but go
wrong? 1t would have been almost a
miracle if he had kept straight.
Louis Dumaresq distrusted him it
was his habit to do so; but he had no
proof to bring against him till he was
more than twenty-one. He had his
studio now, which he shared with two
friends, and he was less at home than
ever. His father spent scarcely any Of
his now inconsiderable salary on him