Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-07-26

"Why? Why not? And you ask me
that? Because, in the first place, l am
entirely satisfied as bachelor, and be-
cause, again, if l should decide to take a
wife, / should want an agreeable girl,
plump, pretty, healthy, appetizing and
creatures that love. And yet prefer
not to marry"
"Let us reason" said Ferucci
Very serious and with deep wrinkle
crossing his forehead, be asked:
"My dear boy, are you well acquainted
with yourself?"
"Never mind that, said Orlando. "Act
as if were not"
"You are young, agreeable, sincere,
capable of very kind acts, and even Of
realizations, provided they do not re-
quire continuous effort. You have but
few needs, good digestion, and passions
or tastes that are easy to satisfy. When
you do not sell your paintings, as you
usually do not, your parents lodge you,
feed you and clothe you"
"Well, and what them said Orlando,
seeing that his companion was silent
Ferucci then continued:
II have been all that you are, minus a
family. But, in place Of a family, had
the habit of persistent labor, the labor Of
those who have been poor from birth,
and this re-established the equilibrium.
AS long as l was young all went well. 1t
is because know the future that awaits
men like ourselves that desire to talk to
you about it. Things go well until the
age of thirty; less gayly from then until
thirty five; at forty it is dismal!'
He stopped moment, his chest heav-
ing with long sigh, full of bitterness.
After pause he resumed:
"Your parents, my dear boy, have no
fortune; your father, at his age, is still
living by his voice; he even talks of
starting for Valparaiso to become the
manager of theatre, does he not?"
EYES," said Orlando.
What will you do when your rela-
tives have gone? Will you follow them?
Or do you hope to earn your living in
Naples?"
Zone or the other" said the young
man, carelessly.
"You hope SO, and you are going to
tell me that you lack neither force, nor
courage, nor dignity? Who knows it
better than 1? Only, on the other hand,
no one knows better than l how numer-
Ious, admirable and superficial are the
/ gifts that nature has lavished upon you. +"
Orlando smiled sadly and with little
constraint
"Do you wish me to continue, my
dearest boy?" asked Ferucci. "Our
friendship, which is so precious to me,
will not be impaired by my frankness?"
"No, my old FRIEND" answered Or
lando, gently. "Draw up my indict-
ment; l take kindly your affectionate in
/ terest."
"You will never get to the point Of
persistent toll. You see, Monteforte, you
are the most agreeable instrument of art
that have ever met. Your cords are
set in vibration by every generous breath,
but, fugitive as the passing song, your
impressions you cannot fix. You are
not an artist yourself; and. when it
comes to a question of realization, you
will always produce something like the
picture of today-that is, nothingT
His solitude in the midst of the world
had given the old painter a mania for
soliloquizing. He had forgotten Teresa's
interests, and now was talking rather to
himself.
'No," he resumed, "you will not live
by your art. You will not undertake a
trade. Under our skies it is too difficult,
you see-this energy in toll. In fact"
he continued, with bitterness which
was no longer hidden, ''you are even less
capable of it than l. In presence of nat
ure have vision of the beyond-and
then-and then-whenI wish to execute
Il can do nothing at ALL Utter power
lessness!
He held up his two rough hands; his
eyes became animated; sort of anger
distorted his face.
"Oh! stupid nature!' he exclaimed;
producer of so many incomplete and
unfortunate beings! See, have an art
lists vision and mason's handr'
But then he remembered the Cardellis
Becoming suddenly calm, Ferucci turned
to Orlando.
"You, who have not even that, my boy
look about you, and arrange your life
otherwise. If you cannot be an artist in
the full sense of the term, at least you can
become good father, good husband
make the woman who loves you happy at
the same time that you make yourself
happy. l had forgotten the principal
purpose of my remarks"
"Yes," said Orlando, in melancholy
tone, "let us come to the purpose"
'In few words" resumed Feruccl.
II met NJ. Cardelli, who was looking for
me. His daughter loves you. Since Ri
enzi's departure she sees no more of you:
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