The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-04-20
THE INSPIRATION
OF JEAN VIGNOL
BY FRANCOIS CoPPEE


dreadful and blOOd-and-thunder fiction
Tor the family story papers. He dealt
exclusively IN c~onspiracies, murders.
stolen Wills, kidnapings and substitu-
lions Of babes IA the cradle. His works
are nor so bad, Of their kind If you
ever have to go through a long, tedious
illness-which God grant you may not
you might do worse thar while away
the hours Of convalescence by reading
his Mysteries Of Menilmontant," in
TWO fat paper-eovered volumes.
Yet his practice was lot large, and
sometimes he found it difficult to dis
pose Of his copy" even at the most
meager space rates
His debut In letters had been ambi-
tious enough. To this day there repose
In the oblivion of a DARK corner Of a
bottom bureau drawer two ear~lyandun-
published works. comp0sedby him at the
time when he had hair on his head
and real artistic aspirations in his
heart.
Unfortunately, these were not nego-
table in the literary market-and Jean
NignOl had TO live. IL was in the Belle
vile quarter Of Paris. on the fifth floor
OF a sordid tenement. that he had
dwelt alone with his aged mother.
who was a martyr TO rheumatism.
To earn a little money-little enough.
verily.-the poet had turned hack
novelist, in the same logged spirit
that an art-school graduate who has
failed at painting, takes 10 photogra-
ply.
While old Mamma Vignol lived, Jean.
a model Of flial plety. had plodded
along contentedly enough. But since
her death, two years ago, he was alone
In the world-without parents or
friends, an habitual stay-at-home.
He was. at the time Of which we
write, a sturdy little man Of ~ years,
beginning 10 grow pudgy, with a heavy
black beard, a Socratic nose. n pair Of
honest small eyes, and a few sparse
bristles on the top OF his otherwise
denuded dome OF thought
What a bother." he exclaimed 20
himself on a Christmas eve. as he
mounted slowly 10 his fifth fioor-fOr
he was slightly asthmatic. Here is
the editor complaining that my latest,
Behind the Bars, wants action-mean-
Ing, Of course. more bloodshed. Is
life worth livfng?"
Entering mis- forlorn apartment, he
found a whole series of petty annoy
ances awaiting him. In the first place
his coke fire had gone out and he must
start it afresh. Then, as he vas cast
Ing a regretful hook upon the old pipes
he was forbidden TO smoke. his writ
Ing lamp fickered out. A new wick
was required. And, come to look.
there we're only two matches left in
the boz.
Thunder and Mars!' growled Jean
Vignol. letting 90 his strongest oath.
Here am | in a pretty fix. A merry
Christmas eve. 10 be sure. Shall |
go down those five flights again for
matches? No. rather than that, I'll
borrow Of my %neighbor."
His neighbor was Mere Matthew, G
poor old widow whose daughter. a vau-
ieville actress abandoned by her hus-
band, had died in childbirth the sum
mer before. leaving the infant TO be
brought up on the bottle by the afore-
said Mere Matthew. She supported her
self by sewing for a department store.
The novelist had helped her out" with
a few francs on several occasions when
her need had been greater than his
own. Now he raped at her door and
called out:
Mere Matthew, can you lend me a
few matches"
He stopped short as the door opened
woman knee"ng on the floor, busily
engaged in rolling and tying up the
hair mattress which She had taken
from her bed, leaving revealed a limp
looking ticN half filled with straw.
Close by, the baby slept peacefully in
a wicker cradle.
why. what are you UP TO now, Mere
Matthew? Going to before rent
day comes around?"
''Oh, no, NJ. Vignol. ] am Just going
to the pawn shop with this mattress
Ii is good for ten francs, at least: I
must hurry. for they close at eight"
"What-and sleep on the straw"
Yes, 1t won't be for the first time.
You see, my younger sister, who is a
widow like myself-the one who a
wardrobe mistress at the Varietes-has
fallen III again. and they won't take
her at the hospital because they say
she is incursble. So | must help her
q little-she has always been so good
to me. In a week or so. when | get
my f%ortnightly wages from the store. l
can have the mattress back again. All
bothers me now is-what to do
with the baby while | go out. Usually
.he janitor's wife takes care OF II for
me, but tonight being Christmas eve
they have company TO dinner and are
going TO celebrate the reveillon. So
know what to do with the young
Jean vignol showed signs of agita-
ton. not to say emotion.
Don't do that, Mere Matthew he
rnmmandad "Don'f 90 IN the nawr