Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-26
FACE ABOUT.

'ooNdu Hdue His IISt appearance, ana SO
said the first violin of the orchestra of the
little country-town theater where Jovan
tried his luck the second time. The vi
olinist was an old man and had great
deal of experience, so that was discourag-
ing; worse still. the audience said the same
thing, and worse even than that was to
come, for one day something inside of Jo-
van said it too.
'He is bad actor" so said that part of
Jovan that did not go on the stage, the
part of him that sood with the manager at
the wings Of the theater, that watched him
from the orchestra, that sat in the front
rows with the audience, that part which
looked at him from outside, which shook
Its head when he came before the foot
lights, which waited for him at the door
and walked home with him through the
empty streets when the play was over.
There was Jovan the player, and there was
Jovan the critic, and then there was Jovan
himself-Jovan the nature-made, the ma
ture-bred, who hated the critic and spoiled
the player Jovan the man, strong, unruly.
selfasserting and tenacious; Jovan who
would be himself when he ought to be
somebody else, who, when the player
changed his coat and went before the au-
dience, followed him close and would not
be left behind.
"One must change not ones dress only.
but ones body and ones soul also, if one
would be an actor" said the violinist. and
that Joyan could not do.
When Jovan was in love, he played like
lover, when he had wicked mood he
played like villain, when he was good
he played like saint, and il did not do
all.
Joyan lived, or rather wandered about
the world, with his mother; she had East
ern blood in her, and it was from her he
had got his name "Jovan.n The Germans
turned it into Johann. His father had
been rich English merchant, a trader in
the East, successful, INSCRIPTIONS, cold
hearted and luxurious for the rest the
story was an old one-it was first written
in the book of Genesis-and Jovan and
his mother were driven forth as Hagar
and Ishmael of old, with this difference,
that Jovan was of age, and that no angel
appeared to succor them in their Journey
ing.
Joyan and Hagar were poor and they
were Migrants, but they got on well enough
to De happy. The 'little mother" was any
actress by birth and mimic of some skill,
and when Jovan failed she succeeded
enough to keep body and soul together,
though more she could not accomplish.
As for Jovan, there was no counting on
him. Sometimes for days he would bury
himself in his books books he would
starve to buy; then they would be thrown
aside, forgotten, and he would pass DAYS
and nights with wild companions, till he
wearied OF them too, and found some other
pleasure or interest to usurp dominion
over him. He could like but one thing at
a time, he avowed.
You cannot hate and you cannot love.
no, not for one month together my
Joyan," said his mother. "Not for one
month, no, nor for one week. Do not trust
him, child, do not trust him.
Joyan was sitting in the window of the
Hpor little room where last they had
tched their tent he was then it might
be % years OF age; the Servian woman
was some seventeen years older, but still
the beauty of her youth clung to her, as
loath to quit one who had ''loved il so
we'll" A girl, hardly more than child
in years, leaned against the framework of
the dusty window panes. She was so close
to Jovan that her hair, falling loose to the
waist, touched his shoulder; he took a
handful Of the soft yellow threads and
slipped them round and through his fin
gers, and smiling back at his mother he
drew the girl nearer.
Let her go, let her go, Joyan," said the
ServIan woman, searching their faces with
keen, kind eyes.
Yes, let her go, let her CO., echoed
Jovan, with his laugh (which was the only
beautiful thing about HIM. "NNho keeps
her ?"
He does not love You, child. Do not
give him your heart" said the mother,
who was like Hagar, and knew what men
We're; but she laughed back at Jovan, even
while she warned the child
He does not love you" repeated Jovan,
mimicking her tones.
mo, he does not love you Do not love
him. He is good for nothing; he paws
yesterdays debts with to-morrows wages !;
he is a spendthrift, bankrupt in the
coin which is stamped with heart on one
side and branch of bitter herb on the
other. Do not love him. He does not
love YOU"
He lifted the long twist of waving hair
he had unbound from his hand, and
touched it with his lips.
The girl suddenly moved: wrencbiug
the freed hair from his hold, she crouched
on the ground beside him, she laid her
arms across his knees, and then hid her
face In her hands. He touched her bent
head gently, friendlily.
But she loves me, my sweet white
heart" he said softly.
1t was nothing new that she, little pale
Llse, should love him. Children had
way of loving him, and women had too:
thev loved him not as women love their
lovers, but as dogs love their masters, as
winter-staryed birds the hand that uccors
and shelters them. Jovan knew it-knew
that It was not as lover that Lise and
Others ALSO loved him He knew that
Llse was happy when his hand touched
hers, when his voice was within her hear
ing, when his eyes rested on her; what did
II matter?-ior he knew, too, that her in
stlnct OF trust was true instinct; he would
not harm her, not by word or look, and if
she gave him more than he could return.
she would never miss his care his pity.
When Jovan broke woman's heart, it
would not be by unkindness.
Lise was dying. He had picked her up,
half-starved, wholly foslorn, in the road
ways of great city. She was not the first
founding, child, beast or bird, whom he
had brought home to be sheltered. ca
ressed, played with, thought over, and
when there was no more to be done, for
gotten; Lise was one of many such found
hngs. Lise was an episode--all Joyan's
life was made up of episodes; hers was
soon oyer---a grave, narrow and short, in
the poor peoples cemetery, was soon its
only record. Jovan was playing clowns
part the night after she died; he was
Kissed of the boards, and the manager dis
missed him. Jovan was a bad actor.