The morning times., 1896-03-08
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Black Grauat

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there both fortune and
| glory. Hoped to become great painter,
and was only twenty years Old. WhiIeI
/ was waiting for fame and fortune. both OF
/ which. am glad 10 say, came at last, I
/ breakfasted and dined very lightly. some
/ times did not breakfast at all ana often
| as our English friends say. dined with Duke
| Humphrey. How IN the world ever sue
/ ceeded In living. cannot now explain. An.
youth, youth, alEpOWerful talIsman that
/ you arel had youth. Now that I have
I won fortune. nothing has rendered me SO
: happy as in those days when, although poor.
/ ] felt life bounding within me. / lived
then. ] was poor as Job, yet richer than
I CrOesus.
/ worthy shOpkeeper in the country town
/ from which l came wrote t0 me, out or the
/ goodness OF his heart and gave me an order
( 10 ma ke q copy of u TenjeFs. a & once, ,fuIIOf
ardor FASTENED 10 the great gallery Of tht.
Louvre From the first day did good work
/ mat was thus going to earn some money
/ HiideIne work, but tHe pIeasu re Inexperienced
\ IN copying a favOrite picture made me yV,r.x
/ quickly and well. An, the pictures Of Ten
! iersi What SENSATIONS they awakened in
I Hiy beng, these lat and bursting burghers
I win their plump and Fubicund cheeks, the
/ laughter wrinkles around their pop-eyes,
/ thruSting irJOiIyn0sesIntOthei
/ There was no sentiment OF envy aroused in
| me in gazing upon their pictured merrineot.
/ But did think that if / could have taken
myself away from the unqUiet life OF Paris,
I from our NOISY streets, from our modern
/ houses, would have preferred u share their
/ Iite-that OF sitting under the gr.rpe arbOrs.
I Wassating, singing, aud Clmking pots
I The third morning after my task mad be-
/ gun 1 repaired TO the Louvre. Just as / was
| about 10 enter the CfficiOus qua rf!ian. in
! ms green and sOd Uniform, made me an agi-
( tated sigA, carrying his hand 10 his neck. I
: remembered having seen the same gestureat
l the theater- Don't you remember that when
/ Bon CaesaTde Bazan hears the news that he
/ is going to be hanged, eputs h.s hand TO his
I beCk and feels OF &c as If be alreGd s felt the
| Iatal cOrd2 Just so gest icuIattd the green
/ and gilt guardian. | stared at uim stupidity
/ and thea lOOEld arc und me. AnybOdV IN
! sight? Coming around the corner was q
young woman, but she was invisible 10 him.
/ There was nobody else Ey.d d.utly TO me
/ tbat ms fUncredl gesture was addressed.
/ / did not understand him, and therefore
/ crossed the threshold 1 had scarce ascend
/ I'd three steps Oi the staircase. when a load
/ CRY rr>ounded behind me. 'StCp-you have
/ no cravat.'''
! Initiating the gesture OF Don Caesar de
/ EaZan, l carried my hand 10 my neck.
/ Alas, it was true / bad lost my Cravat.
Don't laugh. I didn't laugh. It was ny
! only craVdJ- II was one or those cheap,
/ black knots which are fastened around the
| collar button with "a rubber band Five min
uteS before entering the courtyard or the
I Louvre had stopped in the Rue DE RivOn,
/ gaZed at myself IN shop window mirror
aud had adjusted myS cravat. AIasi had
/ done more than ADJUST my CTavat-I had
I lost it.
! 1t is against the rules said the guar
/ dian, severely, TO permit any one to enter
+ the gallery without a Cravat.''
I We'll he Was riphf THara must hSa rs7fao
( in the great galleries, and while they Will
\ admit shabby people, they VIII not admit
\ people N rags, in their shirt sleeves or
! without cravats-
+ At this moment the lady who had been
I rounding the corner passed near me. felt
I myself growing red and pale al once, and
\ turned IN the direction OF my guardian in
/ order 10 look away from the pretty Wis
+ itOr, who, as she passed, brushed me with
/ her sil6en gown. She wore tue pFettiest
/ little blue Cravat around her neck tnaJ one
/ could imagine. Yes, l couldn't help but
I notice it in looking ont OF the conner OF my
/ eye ut her white neck
/ stood there stunned The guardian en-
iOyed my CONSERVATION. He was happy
In this moment he exercised the exalted
/ pleasure or authority. A policeman who
/ orders you 10 move on experiences the
I same secret JOY 1t IS that feeling, doubt
/ itsS, which aCtUaJed Caesar and Napoleon.
/ Iremained there for some minutes, gazing
/ at this little greet man. I TAD nothing in
my wardrobe that TesemFbled in the slight
/ est degree a cravat, and rad rot penny
( about me with which to buy one in P aris-
I / had no comrades from which ! could
I borrow knot of ribbon. What hunlii-
I iG;iOn. And yet, above in tie gallery the
\ waSsaiers were waiting for NE, lJUghing
and drinking unCer tie grape arbOr-
/ left tie yestibule. l entered the great
0 f-r.ur .rrF
ically- Yet as / did 30 felt instinctively
/ that there was some one following me. 1
| OWNED that it was a woman, and it was
/ the woman whom had net in the door,
| and VINO had turned ana redcSceDded the
staircase at the moment OF my miSadven-
/ tuTe- Why tad she followed me? Had
not turned my face in order TO avoid her
glance? Heaven preserve Us from inGuisi-
/ tive people.
She overlook me. 1t was in truth the
lady OF Tie staircase STE stopped in front
of me, looking at uie tLmidly with q charm
ing embarrassment. She seemed moved
and troubled Lut, Ssit. to H.yscif. what
has become of the pretty ribbon she just
wore around her neck? Her hands were
buried in Itch nluff. a S she stopped and
7 looked at NE, she withdrew one of her
hands from the muff. l saw in her fingers
I the light blue silk CTavat, Omamented at
at its ends with vtite lace An entrance
1 = "
and she hurried away
Here the artist stopped and meditated
long.
You followed her, I SUPPOSE asked
his friend.
i never dreamed OF it for a moment.
/ The was alters of Terriers We're waiting
/ for me-
/ ''Ard yoG entered THE Louvre in a blue
[ cravat with lace Cnds?"
/ without tic east jfiCCtat,on, without
I false shane, ana perhaps with a certain
pride as I triunphantly passed the green
and gold gardian at the COCT.'
| And you found hcs some Cay some
where, this pretty woman. ct the seaside,
| in the mountains, in society? No? But
/ you are narried-did she not become
/ your wife,"
! II did not say" said the painter,
: dryly-
But your story is not finished"
/ Il am painter, my dear hoy / finish
! pictures, but I never knew Low to finish .
/ stOry,''-Argonaut-
! The Dream of Life