The National tribune., 1894-09-06

an active, economical-oh, very economi-
cal-housekeeper-wo as Proud'hon- de-
picts her, and nothing more. / would have
borne it, so many are situated as | am, but
that modest role was not sufficient.
Little by little, quietly, and in an under
hand way, she succeeded in estranging all
my friends. We never stood upon ceremony
before her, but continued TO talk as we used
to do in the past, and she was never able to
fathom the irony or the playful fancy of our
artistic exaggerations and our mad axioms
and paradoxes. 1t only irritated and con-
fused her. She would listen, as she sat in a
little corner of the drawing-room, without
saying a word, but mentally resolving on
the dismissal each in his turn, of all those
shocking men. In spite of an apparent well
come, there was making itself felt within
my walls that chill little draft which is so
sure a sign that the door is ajar and that
it will soon be time to go.
When once my friends were driven away
she replaced them by her own. | was
hemmed in on all sides by Philistines, odious
people, who knew absolutely nothing of art,
and who looked down upon poetry as some
thing which "doesn't pay" They used to
talk in my presence of the fashionable
writers of the day-people who turned out
novels and plays by the score, and purposely
say in casual manner, "So-andso makes
great deal of money"
That was all the wretches thought of and
| saw, to my sorrow, that my wife thought
as they did. In that sordid atmosphere her
provincial habits, her mean and petty views
of life, narrowed down into an incredible
greed. 1t seemed to me that with an in
come of $4,000 francs one might have lived
without fear Of the morrow, but she did not
think so. She was always complaining,
talking of economiZing and retrenching.
and suggesting profitable investments. Lit
tie by little, immersed as [ was in this flood
Of distasteful detail, l felt all love and taste
for nay work desert me.
Sometimes she would come to my writing
table and look over-oh, with such disdainl
my last few verses Is that all 2" she
would say, counting over all the hours
wasted on those insignificant little lines.
Ah, if / had listened TO her, this proud title
Of poet, which l struggled SO many years to
win. would now be dragged In the mire Of
mere money making scribbing. And when
/ think that it was to this woman / opened
up my heart and poured forth all my aspi-
raiions; when l think that this aversion she
manifests, because, forsooth, do not make
dates from the very beginning of
our HaITleu IiAe, biusn lot InySell ana lOr
her.
He doesn't make money" That ex-
plains it all, her reproaehfui look, her love
for whatever pays" however little it may
be-even to that last step of hers-her try
ing to obtain some kind of Government
position for me.
Bat there drew the lines most decidedly.
l have nothing left but firm will, which
will give way to neither force nor pleading.
She may talk to me forever, freeze me with
her iciest glance, my thought is my own,
and will forever be beyond her grasp!
And this is what we have come to!
Think Of it Here we are. married and
condemned to live together; leagues apart,
and too weary, too discouraged to even try
to draw nearer, each to each.
Aud this for life! Oh, horrible, most hor-
rible Short Stories.