Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-04

''IT' replied the painter, trying to smile
you are mad, Rose. Why should want to
die!"
Because you are not happy. OH I've
seen it. l saw what was coming. But. i.
Georges, now she isn't here any longer, let
me stay with you and be your little house
keeper. Then you'll have your model always
with you III take great care of the studio
1t shall always be neat and clean, and your
dinner shall always be ready for you when
YOU come home l won't ask any wages
she added, blushing little, ''and l will be
as still as mouse, and you sha'n't hear me
moving around. won't disturb you You
don't want me-"
Thanks, Rose" said Georges, holding out
his hand to her; thanks, but l must be
alone. Adieu my child"
Rose turned pale 'Adieu,n she answered.
struck by the artists singular manner
"No, mean 'Au revoirn Au revoir,
Rose
The little model gave the unfortunate
painter glance full Of tenderness and de-
votion, and as the door closed behind her,
she murmured to herself as she wiped her
eyes: 'Oh! how happy / could have made
him."
Ill
Left alone, Georges carefully locked the
door, sat down near the candle and gave
Julia's letter a last perusal The reading
ended, be was about to press it to his lips,
when he suddenly changed his mind and tore
it in pieces, which be threw from him Then
he poured forth to the silent walls all the
misery that was crushing him
mo! enough of weakness-of cowardice.
/ oct,o nf T o+
end of it. What has my life been but long
martyrdom! / never had any happy child
hood. Ny mother died in giving me birth
as if she foresaw, poor woman that she was
only usherng me into life that | might know
the full meaning of struggles and privation.
i have fought desperately. 1 did not faint
on going into battlel The art l love so en-
tirely has only furnished me enough to keep
me from dying-scarcely enough to insure
my living. l adored that woman. made
her my wife. She leaves me! 1t is enough
it is too much! To avoid years of suffering,
what is needed Only moments courage
Well. L have decided. A last adieu to an
noyances, to deceit-to kisses given and
never returned. Adieu to tears, to life As
they say in the museums, Gentlemen, it is
closing time Yes, but how shall closer
He MECHANICALLY rolled cigarette, while
he glanced around him. His mind was now
made up, and, weary with the long and I'M
availing contest with adverse fate, he sought
the means Of giving effect to his resolution
81 must find NAIL" he thought, land
good stout one. / am not anxious to prolong
the agony"
His glance was arrested by magnificent
canvas by Rembrandt suspended from the
wall by an enormous hook. The picture had
been sent to him to COPY. He slowly took
down the painting and carefully placed it on
an easel. Then he searched in the drawers
Tor strong cord that would bear his weight,
and when he had found it rubbed it sedu-
ously with soap. While making these mourn
ful preparations he kept his eyes fixed on the
work of the Dutch master-his favorite
artist.
"What a painter he said to himself,
"what simplicity! what firmness of touch!
what truthfulness of expression, what wealth
Of invention in the entire composition! Thou
too, oh beloved master! thou too hast loved
hast suffered Thou. too, stripped of
everything, didst none the less arduouslv
continue thy precious work, avenginG thy
self for the injustice of destiny by the pro-
duction of masterpieces"
And poor Georges went steadily on max
ing his preparations for leaving world that
had been unkind to him At this point
singular incident occurred. When all was
ready for the final leap into the dark the af-
fiicted artist stopped before the Rembrandt
to take one last look at the work of the mas
ter Standing before it, completely lost in
the contemplation of its perfections, he I'M
consciously sank into a chair. There he
remained in q kind of aesthetic ecstasy The
sense Of his many wrongs, his hard life of
labor, his ungrateful wife, the unapprecia-
tive public, for whom he endured SO many
hardships. his unhappy and soRber child
hood, the long years that must surely elapse
before he could hope to secure an adequate
supply of even the necesSaries of life-all
this passed from him. In the glorious repub-
lie of art he was free citizen. Within its
magic realm there was no hunger, no shabby
raiment, no Indifferent purchasers, no spitS
full spouse. All that his sense of the beau.-
full demanded was here supplied to him
without cost. There was but one dutv-to
enjoy. The man-the poor threadbare. out
at elbows, needy fellow, who was not sure of
a meal from day TO day-was here an artist
As the night watches wore away he had been
temporarily released from this work -a-dav
world, but he had left it by another portal
than that by which he had intended to make
his exit.
The sky was taking on a purple tinge in
the east, and great green and red bands
stretching across the horizon announced the
approach of day. There was loud knock
ing at the door.
lot L.,
door, Old Lazy BcnasI' cried number of
fresh young voices.
Georges suddenly awakened from his long
-everio, rose and before replying to his young
friends, again looked at the beloved canvas
and thus addressed it,
Thou art not willing that should die Oh,
revered master! since the study of one of
thy works has prolonged my existence until
dawn, and l AIN now recalled to life at a
moment when expected to be already in the
embrace of death. 1t is thy wish, then, that
should struggle on, suffer on, and press
forward in thy illustrious footsteps. SO be
it: will live-but through thee, and for thee
aloner
What brings you here at this hour!"
asked the artist, as he at length opened the
door TO his self invited guests.
This note, replied one of them, (which
each of US found at his lodgings on returning
home early this morning"
"On receipt of this letter so as quickly as
you can to see Georges Bartel lie wants
you. RoSE MIsERE."
Georges was greatly affected by this evil
dence of the poor child's affection. He I'M
derstood: there was after all such q thing as
love
And this is why-thanks to a little model /
and a biz Malone may see in this years /
Salon specimen of the work of one of the |