The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-01-07
THEIR MARRIED LIFE

Helen's real motive for going to the
Louvre was to say that she had been
there.
Many other tourists have been actu-
ated by this same motive. though they
would probably not admit it. They
YEARLY drag themselves through the
endless galleries, then come home and
for years afterward gush over the
great masterpieces" they saw in the
Louvre.
Warren had promptly and emphat-
ically declared that he had no inten-
ton of going, that 1t was too bloom
| ing hot to trail around and look at
pictures. But Helen felt she could
not face the amazed ordinations of
| folks at home; and you didn't go to
| the Louvre. You We're in Paris all
that time and didn't spend a day
there!"
| So this morning, fortified by her
guide book and a strong sense of duty,
| Helen started out.
Better take a cab" Warren had adj
| vised. You'll need all your energies
when you get there. There're miles
| of those galleries"
Because 1t was very warm, and be-
| cause the two weeks Of constant sight
| seeing were beginning to tell on her.
Helen did take a cab.
THE Louvre, The Louvre!' she in
structed the driver.
'.Oui, Out, Madame" and they were
Off
| But when he drew up, Helen found
| that he had taken her, not to the
Louvre Galleries, but to the Magasins
de Louvre-one of the greatest depart
ment stores Of Paris. Excitedly she
| raped on the glass door.
| Mono! The art galleries! The
Louvre! The Louvre."
| His face lit up with understanding.
| He jabbered something reassuring and
quickly turned the cab
| A few blocks further on he again
] stopped, jumped down and opened the
! door with an air of triumph.
1t was to the Louvre Hotel he had
| brought her this time.
| Helen, flushed and excited almost
screamed, 1.-The Louvre. The Louvre!"
| The man looked blank. 1t was not
until she pointed to- the name in her
guide book that his expression changed
and he exclaimed joyfully:
| 'Musee! Musee du Louvrei"
That any aPris cabman should not
know what you meant by the Louvre,
Helen thought indignantly, as they
whirled off once more. She had been
| anxiousIy watching the taximeter
which now registered over two francs
!, This winter she would study French
If she ever came to Paris again she
would not be at the mercy of these
| stupid drivers.
{ When they finally turned into a
large courtyard, Helen recognized the
stately buildings of the Louvre be-
yond. But the meter registered still
another franc before the car stopped
at the entrance.
| Up a flight OF marble steps. through
a massive door and Helen stood in a
| great vaulted corridor. Checking heI
parasol. she started down one OF the
| long galleries. At first she wandered
| around ainlessly and then turned tc
her guide book.
Baedecker devotes just ninety-one
closely written pages and nine maps
to the Louvre and Helen waded
through them hopelessly confused.
Then she discovered that she had
come in at a side entrance, and the
itinerary of Baedecker starts from tho
main entrance. Had she known where
that was, Helen felt it would be cas-
Ter to go out and come in again, sc
that she could begin with the From
the main vestibule we enter to the
left the Galerie Demon, whose bronze
copies
To find where you are in a guide
book is an obsession of most tourists
and Helen hardly saw the paintings
for her eyes were glued to the Bae.
decker in an effort to find their mum.
bers.
She tried to think of some particu
larly famous pictures she ought tt
see The Mona Lisa?" but that hat
been stolen. ''The Last Supper" wa
that in the Louvre? 1.-THE Hors,
Fair" was that here? And whose Ma
donna was it that was so famous?
The Venus.
BY all this it will be seen that he
knowledge of art was not exhaustive
At the food of a broad stone stair
thought of the Venus de Milo! Surel
that would not be SO hard to find a
| a picture. But in the floor below tn
galleries Of ancient sculpture SCENE
endless. At length in the distanc
she saw the famous armless statu
against it's red velvet background
I'll 1t was in an alcove alone, protecte
4 by grass railing. against which sew
2 eral tourists were leaning.
RI One is supposed to stand before thi
statue in rapt admiration of it's classi
9 lines. But Helen's thoughts wer
I somewhat different. She was won
dering how her own well formed lit
: | tie body. of which she was secret
: very proud, would compare with thi
: statue.
She had heard of the large waist lin
. of the Venus de Milo and now sh
tppfed tf1e breadth OF the hips Sh