New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
BIB La PUREE.
A SKETCH OF THE FACTOTUM OF PAUL
VERLAINE.
From The Saturday Review.

From The Saturday Review
on the terrace OF the Boulevard SAINT "Iri,
toward nine at night, coffee ana C'El.'' ~
sipped: pipes steam. cigars glow. waters Wy
ing saw ''Tout de suite. NJ. Pierre. Me NcIid'
NJ Paul" Friends meet, groups iorh-Ndu5"
ters OF Murgcr, bright little women, merry IoI
vulgar chatter with all. me nut man p'', 800
the olive merchant. the flower woman negro
with nougat. Pausing the first tWo lay a sam
pie nut a sample olive, on every taplt' thvh !"
some sheltered corner. keep watch ana p'olHPI,
~ issue forth TO measure out two sous Worth
Al those tables where the samples nave d.S"P-
reared ITEMS" observes Mile. Mimi du n9u-
CAT" "Ticns" echoes Nile. Musette, ueS
rnsos "Nais cost Ia RUNE declares fi'rft-
81 a nnisAr." pronounces Paul. both singing
out SOUS Couples 70 by. IudrtrtS HhHcd arm
I'M arm. som" bound for Buffers. others tor tHe
Noctampu.s r ia" Tavern" Lorraine. ApPoHC-
rurnts are NADIA minult, deuN h'u'ea'
helm" Then every one WIuks, every ono laughs
As long lean. rustily dressed person comes
IN view. srisly hair falls On his shoulders tlfee
cabbage roses hang from his coat lie leans
slight .. On an umbrella, silver mounted neat.
His eyc, are humorous and green; ms cherhS
shaver and sunilen. He looks seventy. ne
nccti.clv he puffs At an inch OF cigarette. Wait
ers point AT hun. students salute him Now he
ho,,s now he smiles Bid of the Rive GAuche,
Bib the Bohemian. Bib Ia PURGE
on wandcrs Bib down the Boup Men.
toward that dim and classic retreat governed
by NJ Th6o-the cafe ProCope. Memories or
great men haunt the place. Relies remain: la
table de NJ. de Voltairc." Scared ana chppe1.
Tourists come 70 inspect IT, anu ''N'''uHii w.
Thco cannot point out the precise crack on
which the philosophers coffee stood nor the
corners At which Ml"at Danton. ana Robes
pierre sat nor Gambetta'S tavOrltc seat twenty
seven years ago. hc has 4 wOndrous knowledge
of the times that makes him the personal mt
mate Of these five great ghosts OF the Procope
NJ Thco too. Is a bohemian. He. too. winks as
Blbi appears. Should any innocent wording
iuuuir. Who il Bib? VI. ThGo Will reply, I'm
,ir0lc," an original. with an amazing past
Secretary valet. anything and everything
TO Paul Verlanc was Bibi six years ago. They
met in the rrocope where Neraine used 10 take
his ahSinthr. Soon. a close friendship SpranS
up between the two: Bibi amused and Interested
the poet when Verlaine was stupehed with
absiuthe II was Bibi who led him home. When
Vcrlainc had no money To buy absnthe, it was
Bib who sold the poets autographs on the
I}oup Mich and his books on the Iuays Some |
times Vcrlalne lost his temper-but Bib never
lie proud of his position: add |
mircd and adorcd the poet. whom he called !
lie Maitre" and who called him ia PURGE" !
Two years passed; Verlaine fell ILL., In spite OF
lhbIS tender care he grew worse. and re- !
moved 20 the hospital where he died-leaving |
IIbi n legacy OF three shirts. Then, for the |
first time. sorrow came upon Bibi lie was n |
mere youth Of sixty, but felt n hundred he de- |
cared: and. forsaking old haunts wandered
sadly about the quays at night, and in silent !
streets. ard in the shade Of the Luxembourg |
Soon, however he returned to the Procope with |
a parcel under his arm. Nj. Theo received him |
tendcrly; together. they recalled old times
when Verlline was there. slipping absnthe talk
ing brilliantly, surrounded by the Jeunesse; to- I
gethcr. they brought forth Verlaine relies. let
tcrs books. and the three shirts Qrom the par
reD which Bib had inherited: together. they
talked for hours and hours. signing and sip !
ping: until Bib made his famous declaration
hat he would never lend those shirts and never
put on any others Months went by; Bib lost
his melancholy, was seen rejoicing at the Pro-
cope again No one knew how he lived nor
where; but he got constant books and supper
sometimes: he was amusing. always obligins.