The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10
STUDENT DAYS IN PARIS
Methods of Existing on Very
Small Annual Income.
The story of an Ambitious Artist
whose Snnpiock Denied Him Ad-
mittnncc TO His Chnmber-Pninters
TO whom Fame in Atticks Came.


There had been a question Of economy
and The Painter had been asked some
thing about the cheapness of living in
Paris Well" he said, "one can live on
a very small amount of money in New
York if one has to and will put up with
the inconvenience of bad service and
wretched location. but, of course, in
Paris they cater to a class that we really
have not here. 1 mean people with very,
very modest purses and refined tastes.
And it is so part of the national trait
TO be economical that even fairly pros
porous people practice surprising savings
both in food and clothes.
''WorSpeople, for example. wear n
blouse and overalls that may be washed
or aprons which protect their clothes, and
as a consequence they save much in the
matter of wear and tear. 1t is not I'M
usual for working people to go at the
meal hour to a bakery, buy a loaf of
bread, some butter, and cheese, and then
take a seat at modest cafe, where they
buy half a Iitre of red wine, using the
table, on which they eat their lunch just
purchased elsewhere. Nothing is thought
of it, and there is no pride either on the
part of the cafe proprietor or the work
course
Il have known some of the American
students he continued, ITO live on pretty
nearly nothing year and thrive. One
chap who became afterward a successful
teacher and is now a RENTER with a COM
Portable bank account, arrived in Paris
with $500 with which he announced his
intention Of living for five years. As a
matter OF fact, II didn't last that long, but
1t went a surprising way. He had a room
which cost him 50 francs a year or SIG.
This he fitted up himself with cheap
cot couple of chairs, a table, and a
little stove on which he cooked his own
meals, of course. He learned to make
soup stock, TO boil potatoes and as great
luxury, to broil a steak, this last being
most infrequent. To save washing. a
great flannel shirt lasted him, / wouldn't
really like 10 say how long But you know
1t don't show dirt at any rate
When he would get tired Of home
cooking there was always a restaurant
close at hand, some cheap place, where
the cabbies ate and where there was a
plat du jour at % confines, or cents.
and II was very filling at the price, as
wen as lairly nutritious. in the morn
ings bowl of milk at cents and
a
table dhote at l franc 10, or p cents.
with cents for the waiter. And really
he came to look forward to that Sunday
repast with great anticipation. He drew
on both sides of his drawing paper to
save expense, and when he came to paint
in the school from the life model he used
two canvases, painting one over with
white paint while he used the other, ana
so each week he had practically a fresh
canvas. After his studies became wor, nv
OF serious attention, the students woulI
frequently give him a new canvas in ex-
change for the study, which Ctherwiss he
would have painted out
Now, his room was really one in what
We would call here a tenement house.
and of course no one in New York among
the students would, or perhaps could live
IN such place. His neighbors, however,
were much less dirty than the tenement
jewellers in this city, and far more agree
able, ana there were none of the unseemIy
brolls that we have in a similar location
in America. l remember a studio I once
mad, The Painter went on, in a little
Street which gave out from the Rue Bon
aparte, near the School Of Fine Arts. and
curious experience / had there. II was
a quaint old building. with beautiful
stairway in hammered iron, quite worth |
IMP 10 see. / was on the top fiOor-the
seN enth, ny the way-and there was the |
usual concierge, or janitress, with an |
Office at the great doorway downstairs on |
the ground floor
This worthy soul attended to my
rooms-l had two, q sleeping chamber and |
studio. Shortly after / moved in. one
April morning early, ] found that my
water pitcher was empty. II was great
lin AFFAIR, and held enough to MI my
rubber bath tub for a sponge of. or
course, We had no running water in our
rooms. Only the latest built houses and
those OF the SWEETEST sort have that, for
fg q frlfaflg
out at the end Of the hall was general
faucet for the use Of everyone. | had
gotten up so early that no one was stir
ring, and ! had only slipped on a gauze
undershirt and drawers Neither was in
q perfect state Of preservation, | may add |
Art students things viii get torn or worn
out, ana we used TO wear them until they
were ready to drop off Of US.
We'll knowing no one would bp M or !
at least taking my chances, / skinned
through the hall to the hydrant, clad in |
this simple way; and as stood there, |
waiting for the pitcher 10 fill up. a gentle |
gust OF wind caught the door and quietly
slammed II shut, the key being on the |
inside Of the door and the lock a self
catching one 1t wasn't q particularly J
warm morning, but ! can assure You the
beads OF sweat stood out all over me For
few moments I was completely noored
What was / to dOy ! simply couldn't go
down seven flights in that garb. for il
was positively indecent and not to be
thought Of
To shrek out for the concierge was to
awaken up the house. and ] didn't know
a soul to whom l could appeal for even
blanket with which to hide my person,
There ] stood and pondered Meanwhile
the time was passing Perhaps fifteen |
minutes went by before / came to any |
conclusion, and In the mean time | had
hoped that perhaps man would come
out Tor some purpose, and him ! would |
call upon TO get pass key from the con-
cierge If. however, n woman shouId
con- out, The thought was horrible, But
Their ! was. and the problem stared me
in the face. At last resolved 20 take my
chances and bawl over the railing for tn.
Janitress. in the hopes my voice would
carry down the well, or opening So |
gathering up 10 courage. ! shricked out:
90 oh, concierge. concierge"
My voice came reyerberating back and
] listened. really in terror. for Ii reply. |
None came and repeated the call. Again |
/ waited in vain. once more ] shrieked
out, and this call brought out man two
floors down
% What is it, he asked. ! tried 10 OK |
plain. My French was not really elegant
and in my nervousness ] suspect I made |
awful hash of II. lie struggled CALAMITY
to comprehend and disap 3cared. / fan
cied he thought ] was crazy. standing no |
there ~ those ragged undcrciOthes. and |
he simply got Out OF the way Suddenly |
concicrge's husband, IN fearfully fore |
shortened perspective. away below. He |
was fairly familiar with my linguistic |
and I made him under
Very stout and naturally slow, and II was |
an intermiasble time before he secured |
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