The Opelousas courier., 1896-11-07

~ ~ pefslsteGG attention
y ko0E toyou?"asked Nine
Ao>\N " Dupuis Of he.
<ANk daughter Hortense
NWA as they stood OPP
e VaVO posite each othe:
before their %easels, copying two of thu
old paintings in the Louvre gallery.
"Why should I annoy Louis, who i:
quite jealous enough without any
provocation?" said Hortense.
"Jules is q lazy, incompetent, un
worthy fellow" remarked the mother.
''and will not earn all his life es much
as Louis makes in a year."
"Poor Jules. He cannot sell his
pictures" said Hortense.
"Louis had no such ambitions! |" ex-
claimed Nine. Dupuis. His mother
placed him in an Office when he was
fifteen, now he is only tWenty-six and
he is the confidential manager of Henri
Constant & Co., with an income of 90,
900 francs, the chance Of making as
much more with his own commerce,
and the prospect of becoming a part
ner. On the other hand, his rascal of
a cousin neve thinks of beginning a
picture while he has got a Napoleon
left from the sale of q previous one. !"
Hortense merely said "Poor Jules"
and went on with her painting.
Nine. Dupuis was a widow with q
moderate amount of rents, which she
and Hortense augmented by painting
copies OF the old masters in the Louvre
for English and American tourists,
who were more inclined to buy such
under the Empire than they seem to
be now that France has a Republican
form of Government, though why con
stltutional changes should act upon
the independent rule of art is difficult
to say.
A few months from that morning
when Hortense and her mother were
talking over their work, the world was
to see the beginning of that great
crisis from which France has not yet
recovered. The terrors of conscrip-
ton are only truly emphasized when
the hazard of the drawing is really q
game of life and death, when the aug
mentation of a country's soldier is
rendered needful by the imminence of
a Such was the case in France on
the eve of the Franco.G German strug-
gle. All the reserves were called out,
and the Empire prepared for the
mighty combat with its redoubtable
Jules Lemoine walkedint the Office
of his cousin Louis. His visits had
been rare enough at the bureau of his
prosperous relative, whose success en-
FILTERED the feelings Of his needy and
irregular cousin, but Louis had never
quite broken off association with the
painter.
"Good morning, Monsieur Louis"
said Jules, somewhat fippantly, 81
have dared to intrude Upon your val.
liable moments to bid you good.by."
"Goodby?" echoed Louis inquiring.
", as he looked up from his CORE
spondence. "Have you some commits
sion abroad?'
III have a commission to paint the
Fields of Germany b~lood-red," answered
boastfully; sat least, he added,
81 have no commission, being only of
the rank and file, but that is the work
| am going to execute"
sob, yes" said Louis, "you were
drawn two years ago."
"Our corps is now called out, and I
Join Tomorrow" explained Jules. 81
think you paid for a substitute"
eyes," answered the other, 'sIt was
aot such an expensive proceeding then
as it would be now; I am surprised
that you did not study your convent
ence in the same way"
Il had no money to spare" said
Jules; "besides, i'abat did it matter to
me whether I was handling a brush or
welding a rifle. A poor beggar with
nothing to live tor many console him
self that he has a country to die for"
ga country gains by a citizens life,
not by his death. A man who extends
The commerce to his fellow country
men into foreign markets is more of a
than he who writes his coun-
try's name in blood upon the strangers
cat any rate, his life is more COM
Portable and remunerative," said
Jules. cas- for myself, Nine. Dupuis
aas made life valueless for me-"
Louis's eyes flashed for n second,
then the lids fell, and he replied
Il do not see how Nine. Dupuis can
nave affected your lifeP"
"Do you wish to see, Louis LIE.
noine?" asked the other. SIN the
yay that you have done; you have
'lighted my life in thwarting my
ove."
"Please do not talk nonsense" said
Louis. "Do You think that your love
vas hindered in it's fulflment by either
lime. Dupuis or myself? Do you
hink that a young lady like Hortense,
whose existence has never been in dis
ord with the refinement of her social
surroundings, could ally herself with"
he was about to say "a vagabond,"
tut he corrected himself and added
"a Bohemian like you?"
"She may have the same contempt
q ne that yon hare for your fathers
Gf4l& LB. Il p RT+E - S