The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-03-30
A STUDIO STUDY.

Georges Bartel, the now well known painter,
made in his early life what is known as love
match. Now love matches are, according to
writers of romance, panacea for all earthly ills,
but in this instance the magic spell failed to
charm or to bring the young hearts thus united
the connubial bliss, which, by Cupid's almanac,
they had right to expect.
Although married. Georges and his wife were
not happy-perhaps because the affection that
formed almost the entire stock in trade of the
young couple was not equally divided.
The bride was a charming creature, with black
hair, pouting red lips, and white teeth-an
artists ideal-but little captious as to temper.
Installed in their modest home, all the little
incidents of daily life that should have been the
excuse for light-hearted gayety only served as
pretext for quarrels and bitter complaints.
Even the sweetest dispositions will sour in an
atmosphere of pickering and strife, and at the
end of two years the artist was compelled to ac-
knowledge himself bankrupted in all the ele-
ments that should have formed for him happy
home, while the wife was forced to admit that
the lover had long since been lost to her in the
husband. Because recognition did not come at
once Juia-such was Nine. Bartel's name
lost patience, and the effect upon her temper
was not agreeable.
But the less successful the artist may be at
the commencement of his career the more he
stands in need of love and encouragement at
home If the world is cold and unapprecative,
and dealers are unkind, the greater the need
that he should find under his lowly roof an at
mosphere of cheerfulness and love.
When Georges returned at night, weary and
disconnected at some fresh vexation or rebuff,
had he not right to find at his fireside COM
panion, q friend, who would share his griefs and
had the skill to charm him into forgetfulness of
the world and its annoyances? A smile, a kiss,
kind word have dried many tear-smoothed
many furrowed brow But smiles, tears, and
kind words were not for Georges. 1t seemed in
stead that as the days rolled on, Julia's temper
became more and moro intolerable.
She was not made, she argued with herself,
for life of hardship and privation. What was
the use Of being beautiful if her husband could
not buy her fine clothes to show her fine looks
Without dresses and bonnets, one might as well
be buried in some hole in the provinces as reside
in Paris. All if she could only live her life
over again. Then came surging into her mind
regrets for the past, fears for the future-in
short, the dangerous precursors of bad resolu-
tions and worse actions Julia was yielding to
the voice of the charmer
One evening poor Georges came home tirea
but happy. lie had been on his feet all day,
but he had received much encouragement fol
the future, and had collected little money fol-
present necessities. He found the STUDIO door
locked he knocked. No response. A vague
prcsentment of evil flashed across his mind
He dashed down the staircase, and, forcing
himself to be calm, said to the old concierge:
"Madame has gone out?'
"Ah is that you M. Georges? l didn't see
you go up. Yes, madame has gone out. She
went away just after you did, and said that you
were not to wait dinner for her. She left a note
for you up stairs"
Georges steadied himself against the wall tC
keep from falling. Fortunately it had grown
dark, but for that the old woman would have
been startled at her lodger's sudden pallor.
''All right he managed to stammer out, al
he took his key
He went up slowly this time. He understood
that great misfortune had happened to him.
He stopped a moment at the door before
opening it to wipe the perspiration that wal
standing in beads on his forehead. He went in
struck light, and at once began to look for the
missve which his wife had left behind her. Sht
had confded it, perhaps without thinking, tt
the arms of plaster Venus in full view.
He dropped into chair and read the follow
ing:
''MY DEAR FRIEND: Pardon the pain that
am again compelled to cause you, but it will b'
for the last time, can no longer live as VIZ
have been living. l know l am an obstacle IL
the way of your obtaining recognition in you
profession. am sure your friends tell you Sc
daily-an annoyance in the present and perhaps
a burden in the future You will be happie
without me. You have loved me and have
brought you nothing but misfortune Besides
have horror of poverty. l know what it is
for had a sister who died of want. Don't try
to find me; it will be in vain. Forget me ant
pity me. L can see that we We're not made 70
each other, and it would have been better if w
had not married. Thy JULIA"