New-York tribune., 1903-04-12

tS nesr World Leslie Van Zant was twenty-four
and had been in Paris two years studying
~uintllre IN the studio of Hubert Falque. She
Us an only child, and had controlled with an
,-on hand the destinies OF that elderly couple
~ Dareuts ever since she had been old enough
10 speak When she announced her n~nlentlon ~
30 80 abroad they had never thought to check
her purpose Her mother tired only 10 Keep
hack her tears; and her father, VINO was
wealthy man, asked her respectfully whether
three hundred dollars a month would be sufh-
:, eo-Ts wavs this allowance of Leslie's
-,-o1-ed an unexpected burden. She hid it from
her comrades as she might family scahoal
Honerio7Js that il would interpoSe a barrier be
tr-aen herself and her more struggling sisters
rrh art STUDENT The thought was intoler-
afle Il would make her an outsider at once,
and keep her one Leslie used TO sneak OH 10
pa0uiu's with some cheap stuff, bought in the
Latin Quarter. and have it made up by the best
couturiere IN Paris; ana she was not aooNe
saving il was her own work toe. and taking
credit for dress IlIat perhaps cost her five or
six hundred francs In the same way, she mad
.bn sfTrorterv 70 wear hats that similarly shrank
in value and adept in making new shoes
look slightly shabby. Had she devoted hal1 as
,,1,ch attention to art she did 10 this make
believe she would have done better IN the
studios , -. ,,,,;.,ol,-
reieved herself in earnest, it was not really art
fhar ha7 brought her to Paris, nor was 1t the
divine u that kept her there: " Mhat she loNeu
yas IN. life the disregard of all appearances,
the exaggerated Bohemianism that foreigners
hing TO Paris but seldom find there AS modest
and sweet girl as ever lived. she took a strange
rIeacure in doing things that got her talked
shout in audacities that took her ConlradeS pE
storm; in q wild and outspoken defiance OF ac-
can+ad canons and proprietieS. In her simplicity
ffor with all her knowledge Of the world she
WAS siulple) she was following out her ideal
transferring the squalOr, the tinsel the hctltous
rayety the coarse, brutal, unashamed vice OF
The Quarter into the sort OF falryland she had
dreamed il to be IN the Western town where
With the spring Of her third year in Paris
she felt : sudden longing for the country y
holiday alone was not enough. She wanted an
c1rT-
running water; she wanted to work as wei as
10 play: 20 Try al last something OF hei o"ii,
~ show la raftre that she was getting beyond
his leading strings. she had in mind a group
Of Two figures that would astonlSh ie lnaltfe;
il vas as clear in her head IS though 1t were a.
ready aCcomT- -lshto-le-- Simple, lilaS =. =
with strong peasant figures and q sense OF Inc
out-of-Ioors- Perhaps indeed, 1t niStt as
tonlsh Others besides le Trall!e- 30 sii- It-iAI4
17r notified the concierge OF her new address
er5 took the train 10 Noruy. where there was al
ready a number OF her friends established Ior
the summer.
leslie found an old stable that could very
easily Ie converted into studio, indeed. 1t had
been originally built for the very purpose oy
I.ehr the sculptor before he had grown famous
and had shaken the dust Of MCTnE lIOil ms
aspiring feet Leslie turned out the hay ana
fodder, engaged a toy 10 wash the moor anu anu
forthwith installed herself. together with Some
old arncr. some tapestries, an afternoon Tea
service an American IaE. and three tons OF wei
s.av Here she spent her mornings transform
ing stoel,v vouue- farmland and his strapping
wife into What was destined for the perpetuity
Of bronze Far from The sardonic eyes Of hu-
tert FalQue. Leslie felt herself free at last 10
Chow the result Ct TWO years hard work in the
ateier, and found a rebellous Joy III her newly
acquired Independence. she was thoroLghiS
determined besides, not only TO convince others
hut TO convince herself Of the talent whose MD
cen fame burned 50 fercely within her breast
This group done in heroic SIZE was 10 De d
sort Of ylndicatiJn Of her chosen career; II was
TO be a bridge, carrying her across the gun
that divides the student from the 1nlSheQ artlSN
She brought tremendous enthusiasm TO her
work, and the sweet country air blown throuSh
her open windows gave her daily q fresh zeSl
and renewed courage as she labored morning
after morning Her afternoons she gave over
10 holiday making and idleness, in walks ana
rambles and long hours on the river; ana hei
evenings 10 the animated talks that 1oloWeu
dinner when the whole company of the lnn
after day more CT less solitary, gathered com
fortably together about the long table. They
were nearly ali English and Americans, loI
Aorny had vogue among the French, ana
with but one exception were students or artists
Ike herself. The men for the most part iell
stTaightWay in love with her, and she, coquetle
that she was had hesitation in carrying on
several f7irta-juns at once. Indeed, that sum
Tler was long remembered as the most disturbed
and guarTelsoIHe ever known at MoTny, and any
one who would have cared to chercher la femme
would have had little trouble in discovering
Leslie Van Zant In fact with her beauty, her
recklesSuess. her gay and laughing acceptance
OF every ones devotion she set all the men
by the ears and drove the other women TO
frenzy.
The only outsider in this happy family OF
the arts &C BrOussard, the French enSl-
neer- He was q very quiet, gentlernaniy man
q about forty. rather tall and fine looking, VINO
was overseeing the construction of the new
aque1ue- ~ Noutcour, a little village about
mile and half distant from Morny. he had