The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-11-24
IN THE GARDENS.

Jean Brldelle, half apologlzlng, 'but II
you would like to hear it will tell it to
you. 1t is as vivid to me as though it
had occurred yesterday.
Il am now fifty years old. l was
young then and | was studying law,
prone to sadness, little of dreamer,
impregnated with a melancholy philos-
ophy. did not care for the noisy cafes,
the FOSTERING students or the grisettes
of the Quarter. l always rose early.
and one of my favorite pastimes was to
wander alone, about s o'clock in the
morning, in the nursery gardens of the
Luxembourg.
"You others did not know these gar
dens. They were like an enchanted
garden of a past century, a garden as
pretty as the sweet smile of an old lady.
Boxwood hedges separated the straight
and narrow alleys, silent and deserted
alleys, between two walls of method
ically clipped foliage. The gardeners
scissors relentlessly clipped these divid-
ing bushes, and here and there you came
upon parterre Of flowers and planta-
tions of young trees, set out like col
of rose bushes and a whole regiment of
fruit trees.
"One corner of this enchanted garden
was given over to the bees. Their straw
houses set at certain spaces apart, on
benches, admitted the sunlight by doors
about as large as a thimble, and all
along the path the gilded and buzzing
bees, true denizens of these silent alleys
and corridors, real mistresses Of this
peaceful spot, flew in every direction.
81 used to go there nearly every
morning, and seating myself on a bench
would read; sometimes I let my book
fall on my knees dreamily, family hear
ing the sounds of living Paris all around
me, and enjoyed to its utmost the in
finite repose of this remnant of ancient
regime.
But found that was not the only
frequenter of this spot after the open
ing of the barrieres; 1 sometimes en-
countered, face to face, in the corner of
grove strange little old man.
''He wore shoes with silver buckles,
knee breeches. a snuff colored redingote,
a fall of lace instead of u cravat and an
indescribable gray hat, with immense
brim and long hairs, which looked as if
it might have been the fashion before
the deluge.
.'He was thin almost to attenuation,
angular, puckered and smiling His
quick glancing eyes were never still,
and his lids were contracted by a nerv-
Gus twitching. He always carried a
superb gold headed cane, which must
have been from the careful way in which
he handled it souvenir of priceless
value.
"This good man astonished me at
first, and then he interested me beyond
measure. I watched him across the
leafy wall; followed him from afar,
stopping near the howerbeds so as not
to be seen.
"And now a strange thing happened
One morning, thinking himself unseen,
he commenced to make the most singu-
lar movements; first q few little bounds;
then a bow: then he threw out his slen-
der leg and cut light caper; then he
commenced to pivot gracefully, jump
ing, futtering in a queer fashion, smil-
ing as though to an audience, bowling,
throwing out his arms, twisting his poor
puppet of a body, throwing to empty
space tender and ridiculous kisses. He
was dancing.
II remained petrifed with astonish-
ment, asking myself which was crazy,
he or /?
''He stepped suddenly, as though tC
the footlights, then bowed, backing
away with gracious smiles and airy
kisses, which he threw to the two rows
of clipped trees.
"Then he gravely continued his prom
enade.
''From that day watched him eacl
morning go through with his indescrib
able gymnastics.
ga foolish desire came over me tt
speak to him. risked it, and one morn
ing, meeting him face to face, bowed
to him, saying:
1t is beautiful day, SIR
"He bowed.
eyes, monsieur, it is verify day o
the olden times
eight days later we were fast friend
and knew his story. He had been bal
let master at the opera during the reig1
of Louis XIV. His beautiful cane was
present from Clermont. When one
started on the subject of dancing Their
was no stopping him.
lone day he told me the following.
81 married La Castris, monsieur.
will present my wife to you if you wish
but she does not come out until later i
the day. This garden is our joy an
our life. 1t is all that remains to us
our past. 1t seems to us as though W
could not live without it. 1t is old an
distinguished, is it not? Here l seem t
breathe an atmosphere which has no
changed since the days of my youth
Ny wife and pass all our afternoon
here. But / come alone in the morn
ings, I rise so early
''As soon as I had finished my break
fast l returned to the Luxembour
gardens. Presently perceived my oil
friend, who tremendously rendered hi
arm to very small old lady dressed i
black. This was La Castris. the grea
dancer, beloved of the king, the favorit
of princes, the adored of that gallar
reign which seems to have left to th
world an odor of love-
1--WE seated ourselves on one of til
stone benches. 1t was in the month {
May. The perfume of flowers permeate
the air around US. A glorious sunligl
glinted through the leaves and cast ray
or light around u.s. La Castris' bIac