The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-04-03
Cd unon him he blushed and shrank

y
Passing close by him at one Of these
moments, 1 could not restrain the SYM
pathetic impulse which drew me toward
this deep, silent Joy. "You ought to be
o very happy man," said, shaking his
hand. cts an immense success
The hand I took in mine was cold
and moist, and it drew itself sharply,
almost angrily, away. Its possessor
smiled grimly as he looked at me.
ESQ you compliment, too, do you?
Isn't there single soul to understand
what am suffering? All, come. am
suffocating Let us get out of here.
And he dragged me with him out into
the street. An icy wind was whistling
round the corners, but the old comedian
did not appear to notice it's rigor.
"Ah, that is good, goodl" he exclaim-
ed, drinking in the cold air with de-
light. 81 thought should go crazy in
side there. For two hours have endur-
ed their applauding and their stupid
congratulations, which are a mockery
to me. You are astonished that say
this to you? Well, it is so. am jeal-
Gus. am jealous Of my own child
fairly greer with envy Of him. That is
frightful thing to say, isn't it? But
why did he take my part away from
me? 1t was NINE I was to have played
it. It is exactly in my line, and Vigny
himself promised it to me. A week be-
fore he died he said to me, 'Bloncourt,
when they put on "Chatterton" again,
] count on you to play it, and was
waiting with such impatience for them
TO bring it out. Paris was beginning to
forget me in the long period had been
inactive, and I hoped this creation
would confer a second youth upon me-
renewal of past successes. studied
hard night and day. Finally I was
ready.
Zone morning the boy comes running
20 me and throws his arms around my
neck: ooh, father, how happy / am!
am going to play Chatterton. He knew
as we'll as any one the promise that had
been made me, but in his joy he had
forgotten it. Children are so selfish in
their happinessI This one dealt me the
blow with a laugh. He told me they
had first thought of me for the part,
but | was too mature, too marked-ah,
there is enough in such a disappoint-
ment as that to mark one indeed I am
sure that in five minutes 20 years passed
over my head. If the boy had uttered a
word of regret or of tenderness, should
simply have said to him: DO not play
that part. You will kill me, and I am
sure he would not, because, with it all,
the child loves me. But pride held me
back We talked of the part. He asked
my advice about it. It had been lying
on my table for two months. So now
we read it together. I gave him my
of how it ought to be played.
From time to time he would break
completely away from me and study
line out for himself, and with surety
Of insight into the tastes of the public
that ! no longer possess he would find
point to be made where I saw none at
all. Positively one would have to I'M
dergo it himself to know what suffered
during that interview, but it was all as
nothing to the martyrdom have en-
dured this evening.
"Oh, ] ought not to have come, but
could not stay away. was irresistibly
drawn by curiosity and perhaps-I am
to say it-by the secret hope
Of surprising among the braves a regret,
a remembrance for me, of hearing some
~