The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-04

growth and success. He packs his
modest bag and hies him to Paris or
London or Munich. per chance TO Italy.
In seeking for subject matter for
this occasion the personal remini-
scences of such a one suggested itself
as a fitting means of entertainment,
and l propose to make it my theme
tonight Du Maurier has aptly de-
scribed the Bohemian life of an art
student in Paris forty years ago. and
the same might we'll stand as much
of today's life in the Latin Quarter,
with Trilby left out.
| landed in the charming old city of
Antwerp, en- route for Paris, not SO
very many years ago. The sensation
of dropping for the first time into such
a quaint old-time town with so much
of ancient history and customs still
clinging about it's borders, to its old
buildings and misunderstanding
even to the milk carts drawn
by dogs, quite came up to my expecta-
tions and the first day in Europe SEEM
ed all it should. 1t was Sunday. l
attended mass, more, l confess, to see
the two masterpieces of Reubens'
Raising the Cross" and the Descent
from the Cross" in the grand old goth
ic cathedral Notre Dame. 1t was a
glimpse of a new world and new life,
new ambitious and vast possibilities
seemed suddenly to open out ahead.
Antwerp, the home of Reubens, is
place we'll worth the art students
time. In it's art museum are oppOrtu-
mites nowhere else as good for study
ing the works of this master, and
gaining some ideas of his versatility.
There too are good examples of
Franz Halls, whose breadth of treat
ment and dashing technique are in
structive and broadening. The fine
grasp of character and knowledge
shown of human nature in his can
vases appealed to me very strongly.
In charming little shop on the Place
Vest | found one Of the best examples
of Van Dyck + have even seen, it may
have been only a copy, but it was
mastery, whoever it's author. Thou
sands would not have bought it of it's
appreciative owner, who was a con-
noiseur in his way, albeit only dealer
in photographs.
The first impression of Paris, how
ever, was more a disappointment. We
were set down in the more modern
part of the great city just after dusk,
and the cosmopolitan and quaint cos
tunes of Antwerp seemed a rude
awakening into an every day world.
But the newness gradually wears off
and little by little one fits into the
environment and finds the days and
~, 20, %hn <o
be accomplished. There is charming
freedom about the life of an art stud
ent in Paris. The first few weeks of
my stay there was varigated expert
ence of various grades of the QUARTER
Latin Hotel. In time tiny ROOM
about Sx1O feet, just under the caves
of an ancient building in the back
court of No. II Rue Jacob, became my
domicile. This was in an old quarter
of the city still untouched by modern
improvements and innocent of sani-
tary arrangements.
There were six flights of stairs-each
shorter, sleeper and narrower than the
lower Those stairs are a vivid re-
membrance of my stay in that quarter.
For on the rare occasions of wearing
amount of caution, as each ascending
fight became lower ceiling ward until
the last turn demanded formal cur
vature of the spine to avoid concussion
of the brain and other demolition of
head gear.
One of my frequent visitors, a tall
Englishman and a fellow student at
Juliens, came swearing into the little
den more often than not nursing some
new bump received en- route up my
aerial stairway.
Among the American students the
home cooking was missed as much as
anything Gradually modest outfit
of cooking utensils was gathered
composed largely of fry pan and
coffee pot and rare times convivial
few of us Anglo-Saxons had in that
or some like neighboring attic den, dis
cussing home news hash "a la Ameri-
cam f1ag-jacks and pie. Rarely would
Art intrude, and if occasionally a
litre borde of 14-sou log-wood Pari-
sian wine appeared, it probably did
more harm to our stOmachs than to
our brains, and Art was none the wiser.
On our way home from the academy
after the days work, on these occa-
sions one would purchase sous of
bread, another so centimes of meat, 2
sous for butter, for cheese and milk,
10 more for pastry, etc. which, with
the room supplies of potatoes, coffee,
jam, ETC., would form the basis of as
jolly a meal as ever was eaten at
Duvals, and at cost of only about
40 cents for three robust appetites.
And the amount Of talent developed
in some of these private establishments
would surprise a chef de cuisine In
more ways than one. If the prepara-
tion of these epicurean banquets, and
disposal of the same did not consume
too much time an hour or so could be
| and often was enjoyed at one of the
many cafe chantants of the Quarter
| listening to execrable music by passe
voices or worse instruments happily
| innocent of the patois and slipping
small beers at sous the glass.
| On the rare occasions of visit across
| the river to the Grand Opera Folies
Berges or Nouveau Circe, number
of students generally went together
as misery loves company and a visit
fContinued on Seventh Page.l