The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-01
The Painter and a Soul.

/
| and impatientIy slapped his gloves on his
knee, staring blankly out of the window
as the carriage rolled down the broad
avenue, gay with equipages and equestri-
ans. Ordinarily he would have noted
| each riders skill and even the clothes he
wore and would have had smile for
every woman of his acquaintance, but
! this morning he was overshadowed by a
| sense of defeat. at which he was as
much surprised as COMPOUNDED.
To think that il was only yesterday-a
few fleeing hours ago-that he held his
head high among mis- confreres, and nowl
| What mattered if all Paris still echoed
bravo when she had criticised his
''Danae." a picture that had aroused
the envy and enthusiasm of the artistic
world?
In vain he sought TO forget her words,
| TO cry out that one foolish woman's
| judgment could not count against the
| public praise which he had reaped as his
! just reward after years of work.
| The reason for her criticism is what
stung him most. Her words still rang
in his ears:
You fail. Henri, in achieving the high
| est; you depict the body and not the
| soul. This Danae is a beautiful flesh and
| blood. but the charm of the allegory ID
] lost. The beauty that wins a divinity
| should possess an inspiration beyond that
born of flesh tints and curves. It is this
| lack. mon ami. that makes me ice to
your flame. My late husband was a
| brutal sensualist; you have dimly OUT
lined my years of penance with him.
! You are a refined sensualist. You would
not throw your bots at my head in
drunken frenzy or parade your mistress
before me in public; but your nature
| lacks the ideality l need more than ever.
You plead your old friendship as a sure
| precursor of unending love: Alack.
| Henry, the boy I once played with mas
vanished never to return. Around the
man / now know cling affectionate mem
| cries Of the past, but he is not to me
the possibility of a faithful spouse for
the future. Unless you can prove TO me
that your fortune has not degraded your
art, that in a luxurious life you rise
above yourself above selfshness, we can
not be one in either thought or heart.
When l see a canvas signed by you bear
ing the imprint of a noble soul as wei
as trained eye and skilled hand, then,
Henri, I may listen to your ardent WOO
ing"
He could see her as she stood beside
him, calm and thoughtful, her hand rest
ing for a moment upon his arm, yet with
an impalpable something separating her
utterly from him. 1t brought little soIace
TO his soul TO know that ten years before,
if he had but spoken to the fair girl he
knew so well, she might have been his be-
fore her parents had hurried her into
the marriage with that rich old count,
whose death at last was the sole scOm-
fort his wife derived from her marriage
with him.
Henri Duval had loved the maiden well,
but the young wife better, though her ir-
reproachable life shielded her from even
an attempt on his part to express his
devotion. So he dreamed his dreams and
lived his easy life, reserving always in
the depths of his being a pure place for
her image, while his daily encourage
was favored win the Bohemia of art
and Parision youth. His pIebian grand
father had amassed a fortune and the
marriage Of his father with the penni-
less daughter of duke had lowered
him with the right to hobnob with the
mighty ones OF the land, so that Henri
had found his path in life a rosy one.
Rich, clever and handsome he was i'm
mensely popular, little spoiled by adula-
ton and very sensitive to praise or crit
icism.
The contemplation of marriage had not
escaped his thoughts, but he feared that
he would gssw weary of domestic joys,
and the women he met were either TOO
frivolous or too seriouS-all except the one
Of his dreams, whose marriage had caus-
ed him to feel a distinct sense of loss in
his life A thousand times he had blamed
himself for letting this treasure slip from
| his grasp, and when at last she was free
again he found her more beautiful more
gracious. Then he poured out his pas
| sionate love, only to find his idol torn
cold before his eyes. Never could he
forget her cruel words and yet she had
confessed that since she was a child she
m ha I
avowed seeing him while married TO the
count For one moment, one heavenly
/ instant, her great brown eyes had gazed
into his with tenderness Then the look
had vanished and a quiet dignity envel-
| oped her as with an icy mantle. Henri
had felt powerless to take her hand, and
his eager words died upon his lips. Thus
had they parted,
The carriage stopped, the coachman
| wishing TO know whether monsieur had
| any particular route in view.
Drive anywhere-to the devil" cried
Duval, GROSSLY, and they turned down a
long alley, towards a lake. The young
artist looked listlessly at the children
| playing and nurses gossiping
Suddenly he pulled the check string.
| Why should he be mewed up in the
| coupe? Why had he not ordered his
/ saddle horse? An, only because ne had
Il - :
| since yesterday. This was no day TO sit
| COPIED up in a carriage. At least he
could walk. The exercise would be a.
relief. Telling his man to await him al
/ the entrance to the Bois, Henri strobe
| into a shady path that bespoke solitude
! and wandered on, while repeating in his
! mind over and over again the scene CT
| yesterday. At last sense Of WEAKNESS
! caused him TO rest on a bench. There
1 11a - =
reveries were broken by the voices of
| children.
| AbstractedIy Duval looked up and
watched them at their playa boy OF
| some years, and a girl OF perhaps two
| years younger. Gradually his mood
! changed, and ne became conscious Of the
/ radiance of the day, the deep blue sky
| and the autumn tints that ginted and
/ gi0wed in the sunlight. The air was as
| wine to his thirsty lungs, and life grew
! fun of possibilities again, and his
/ thoughts took new course. Why could
/ he not paint soul as Well as a body?
/ He would win Blanche Yet He would
! not make an effort 10 see her now. but
/ would work and wait His life shouts
4 prove bic right 70 win her love.
/ ne would paint a picture thar even she
would praise. A hundred subjects pre-
! scented themselves 70 his busy brain as
4 he sat there watching those two children
+ who stopped in their play and were cross
/ ing the roadway Hand IN hand taev
came now running. now hating. TO avoid
/ a passing Garage. until they reached A
/ graveled foot-path- There they fingered
/ again. paying on the grsss bordering the
( path. Both had 5sUe aprons and little
I wcdea shoes They were without has
/ and typical chudren e the poor Present
/ u. quite uncouscicusly, TIE littis giri fel
/ into A pose beneath a slender tree WI -
leaves autumn hsd turned with MIDI
touch 20 pure GOLD.