Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-14

sczE1s u0wzru ruu srzSs. uer rrain ever her
arm, her faa IN her hand. BY ths labyrinth
Of dark and winding stAirA
But the drawing voice Of the call boy had
not yet sung through the shadoEy ways:
''They-are-going-t g-to-commence-" Fanny,
as usual was ahead Of time.
mo one has come down yet. ma Belle"
said Bonamy. the old comic actor. whom she
met in one Of the corridors.
And Lhe actress waiting for the rising of
the curtain entered the green room. But
in the doorway she stopped dazzled.
By the open window the sun poured in
and Inundated the immense empty room with
a food Of golden brightness; It was spring
time, Splendid. fresh spring. which had
Just burst over the earth thatsmorning. How
blue the sky wasi How elearf And how
soft the first breath Of the new season was
barely wan and as pure as an Infants
BREATH Yesterday the weather had been
gray and damp. the pedestrians under their
umbrellas had padded about In the mud.
But during the night all that had changed
as II by magic. It was April. And all the
world was out doors, in new Sunday clothes,
the outside Of the omnibuses were full and
the crIwd was pressing around the Luxem-
bourg gate. For this old garden is adorable,
with Its Towering lilacs Its birds wild with
Joy. its old trees. newly burst forth to-day
in tender, delicate green. 10 sweet, so
divine morningl The end Of winterl The
mute witness OF the bounty Of Godi
Before this burst Of sunshine the actress,
whose love for country pleasures was not
Of the strongest. reflected bitterly:
with such weather as this we are going
to plav to empty benches. will wager that
| there are not twelve hundred in the house" ;"
Then wishing to assure herself that her
costume was becoming, she looked into one
OF the long green room mirrors. In which
she could see herself from head TO fc5e;
she recoiled with q gesture OF stuptfcation,
almost Of hGrror. The sun Is conqueror Of
all the powders and pommades, and In this
clear bright daylight and sunshine she
was hldeous. What! Could this dressed up
Coll, painted like a picture, this waxen
head plastered with grease and pommades.
be ner? This faded dress, this pile OF
powdered hair on top Of her head, this
pastry cooks rose. this mass Of glass trink-
cts, ruitable for a negro king or clown,
constitute her beautiful costume? No. say
rather 1t was a hideous masquerade
As l said, Fanny was not very impress
sionable. When one has knocked about the
theater for fifteen years, one is hardened to
any very fine sensihilities Is not that true?
But, really, the contrast between this deli
cious April morning and the phantom, faded
and laden with tlDsel, which Fanny saw re-
hected In the mirror. was too cruel! For
the first time In her life she felt a confused
sense OF shame at her personality and her
profession. Was it possible that she was
faded and used up to such an extent, in the
shadow and dust of the wings? And In q
few moments, notwithstanding this joyous
sun. she must go on the stage, into that IL
Eliminated cave. must recommence hel
grlmaceS, feign complicated sentiments ano
speak literary language, which was al
most :ncomprehens.ble to her; she must, II
word, ply her trade, that of monkey OIL
parrot. Spring! All. yes! but that NJ
longer existed for her.
Sha allowed herself to drift into very
bitter retrospective revery. She saw her
self at home-her father bookbinder IL
good business. Then her mother took her t
the Conservatory. They had neighbor,
blond, who was not displeasing to her and b.
whom she knew she was beloved: He wa
employed in one Of the public offices, and
she had only renounced the stage, he woul'
have gladly married her. Her father knew 0
his intentions and was willing they shoul
marry. But her mother was ambitious an
Mr.. Regnier had affirmed that she woul
carry away the first prize in comedy.
she had been sensible, she would to-day hav
been the wife Of some worthy man, at tn
head Of a department, and in this brigh
sunlight, on her husbands arm she woul
have been walking. like the couple she ha
| JUST seen euLeT In6 LuAeuDOuTB EdIueus
preceded by two young collegians. But, sh
was condemned forever to her enervating an
artificial life. And not altogether certain c
renewing her engagement either. What
dreary future! And. perhaps, she would b
obliged to play In travelling companies, grow
ing old thus and one day sinking to the po!
Of d1enna.
Just then old Bonamy-he was to pla
Dubois in Lies Fausses Condolences" an
t., hi nf ha ilxrl lnnly
like a Jack-pudding Of mi-Careme-can
into the green room; looked into the miro
in his turn and in 4 cynical, familiar mai
l. ner said:
> my dear Fanny, you are always beautiful
But there is no use in denying it, we al
y not good to look at in the broad daylight"
E The poor comedienne wanted to cry, b'
the call-boy's voice was heard In the pa
e sageway: "First-act. They-are-going
e to-commencep' and Fanny was forced
u keep back her tears en- account of her max
!, ."-Translated by Belle M. Sherman.