The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-10-05
produced 1t two months af,erward. Poor

W So4
Voules was quite overwhelmed by the
success. He walked about like a man
in a dream. He couldn't work. He
couldn't do anything but talk about him
self and ask what people were saving
about him. He gave up his business aud
fell away from his old friends and be-
came a bohemian of the bohemians."
Ralph Ericsson. who himself had de-
scrtel Philistia for Bohemia, put in q
word for the bohemian life.
Bohemia is all very well for some
of us Bourne continued, hut it is
very bad for Il man like Norman Voules.
who plunges into it suddenly at 30. He
cam't take it as a matter Of course. He
enjoys it to much. He gets to regard
midnight aupparS as the serious bust
hess IF life He hangs about clubs
drinking whisky and saving smart
things when he ought 70 be sitting at
home putting them "a paper. When be
does get home. he finds that the whisky
and soda have taken away all his energy
for work: that. instead Of going to bed
early and getting fit for il. lie sits up
drinking more whisky and soda and
thinking Of it. Then he finds. as poor
Norman did. that he is spending money
q good deal faster than he is making il.
Sometimes he makes a desperate effort
and recovers himself; sometimes lie
doesn't"
In this way the talk turned upon the
gradual lapse Of Norman Voules. which
made a melancholy story. His first sig
nal triumph had never been followed by
q second. III the course of seven wears
" one act pieces of moderate but bv
no means startling merit We're the only
works of his pen that had been seen
upon the stage.
A part OF tho money earned by "The
Knight Errapt" Ia had lost in a. maya
lin which had failed miserahlv. owing
to inefficient management. Extravaganza
living accounted fer the rest. So he had
come to poverty.
st. John Bourne, who never turned
his back on an old friend. had given
him a small annuity, and on that he
lived. But. for the most part, Ia Laute
Aic' tSNiSC ~ AllON IIIl Ut ilAe
interest in him. He haunted stage doors,
shabbilv dressed. He failed TO pay his
subscription to the clubs and was sell
dom invited to visit them as a guest.
Il remember" Ericsson said. "abou,
two years ago, poor Norman always
used to turn up at the monthly dinners
OF the Sllarians at the Criterion. He
a member, ard he wasn't a
guest. but he used { 0 look in with the
Jaunty p%retense Of having an appoint
ment with some man who he knew Der-
fectly we'll was not likely to be there.
Ii was very painful. but some half dozen
rs used ~ take it il turns to ask him
JON rs. He was excellent company.
when we'd cheered him up q little. But
was before his wife left him. After
that we never saw him there
YES. said Bourne. that was O sad
story too. Norman was fond of her. The |
Bohemia life is bad for women Of that
sort when they're too pretty and their
husbands can't give them IS much mon
ey as they want. !
1t was sc sad a story that they did not
dwell on it. But Ericsson went on: F.,
1T sounds almost like a paradox.
But l really believe that while his first
success practically ruined him this
great blow nearly made him a man
Philip Gaythorne observed regretful-
y that he had not noticed it.
1T did. though" Ericsson reioined.
'lou would have found it out if you'd
seen as much of him as / did. He was
quite crushed at first, for he was very
sond of his wife, though he was too in
ielent to work for her. But afterward
he began to feel that he wanted an OBJ
|ect again in life, and he took to work
na again TO give himself one. Art, nv
he used to say, is the only thing
worth living for. I mean to live for art
MD nothing else. 1t will help me to fer.
Jet. I'm going home to begin another
And that was the play Bourne
aid. that he was finishing when he
Yes; b play that we have come
Town here TO look for. 1t should be
rood. Poor Norman was taking infinite
with it. He mea to put his
whole soul into il. For the last wear of
lis life | hardly ever heard him speak
# anything else. | forget how many
imcs be told me he had rewritten the
irst act. He wouldn't show it to me.
e said. till he was quite satisfied that
e had done his best ! suppose he never
you any Of it for the same reason
Never, Bourne answered. and /
press him. | hate criticising IN
Inlshed work. He used to talk Of it Of
en- enough. though. III the HYDE ParL