The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-21
A DUEL IN THE SNOW.



Gerome's Beautiful Picture.
Every one has seen the engraving Of
Gerome's beautiful but sadly effective
picture, "a Duel In the Snow"
Through the mist Of early morning one
antagonist Is lying on his back on the
sward, while his adversary, leaning
on friends arm, is slowly walking
away from the scene of the encounter.
Both are wearing the incorporating Co.'S
tune Of Pierrot. In q thicket car
riage waits to drive off with the sue
cessful opponent.
There Is every reason to believe, from
recently disclosed information by M.
Alfred Darimon, that in portraying on
canvas that impressive episode the
artist was not influenced by solely i'm
aginative caprice, but that he has repro
duced scene in real life.
The facts arg as follows: The duelists
were M. Jules Brame, a former minis
ter of public instruction der the Sec
end empire, and M. D. D., well
known journalist on the staff Of one of
the most influential newspapers in the
north of France. When the duel occur
red, both were studying for the bar.
One Shrove Tuesday they, in company
with friends. had repaired to a restau.
rant on the Boulevard with view Of
enjoying good dinner and afterward
Of going to the masquerade ball at the
Opera. They all agreed to go as Pier
rots. As they all wore masks some one
suggested that they should adopt some
distinctive sign by which they could
recognize one another in the crowd. D.
D. suggested that they should pin la
bel bearing number to their backs.
The idea was unanimously adopted, and
D. D. prepared the labels accordingly.
While SO doing diabolical idea came
into his head. 1t was carnival time.
Why should he not have his little joke?
When it was Jules Brame's turn to
have ticket pinned to his back, his
friend D. D. had written in large letters
beneath the number, II am Jules
Brame." One can easily imagine what
was the result. No sooner had Brame
set foot in the main passage to the pre-
miere galerie than he was followed by a
lady wearing mask, who, on his pre-
pairing to enter private box, cried out,
II wish you success, Jules Brame"
Later on, on re-entering the passage, he
was surrounded by group of masquer-
aders, who with one voice shouted out,
GOOD day, my dear Brame." That
proved to him that he was known to
every one, although he was puzzled to
understand how it could be.
Passing in front of box opener, the
girl burst out laughing. He inquired
angrily what she was laughing at.
"Why." she replied, II am laughing
at the funny idea which led you to pin
a label on your back with your name
on it." And, suiting the action to the
word, she unpinned the label and hand
ed it to him.
Jules Brame considered the joke not
only in bad taste, but insulting. He
sought out his oomrade, and, finding
him in the saloon, he reproached him
angrily in the hearing of the crowd, in
sisting that he should apologize openly
then and there. D. D., resentins his
friends attitude toward him, declined
to apologize. A duel therefore, in &C.
cordance with French habits and GUS
toms, was inevitable. Seconds were at
once chosen. Short swords were pro-
cured, and in their Pierrot costumes the
antagonists started for the Bots de
Boulogne. Fortunately the duel did not
end fatally, as seems to be the case in
Gerome's picture, for, although Brame
ran his sword right through D. DIS
body, no vital organ was touched. He
recovered very quickly, and the two an
tagonists became fastsfriends again
Gazette.