Two Comedians

That eveuing Bloncourt. the son, was to make his first appearanoe on the stage in "Cbatterton. " The pier", which, ihough not forgotten. had dropped out of sight and for some years had filled a narrower spbere in tlie quiet approciatiou of home reading, now exoited, on its first nigbt, almost tbe interest tbat a great novelty mijzht. Those whc were familiar witb it without having seen it played were curióos to assist at its interpretaron - a procesa in which certain beauties of a work, especially tbe most subtle pointe, disappear, ar? Roattered, volatilized, as one may say, in the heat of the footlights, while otbers burst nnexpectedly into view tbrough thp inediutu of voiee and gesture. Those who bad been present at foruier performances of the piece were happy to bring back apain two hours of their youth and tu glow once more with the warmth of tbeir first artistio emotion In a word, tüe old play, reappearing ap it did in tlic midst of the oommonplace trivialities of tho day, rejuvenated the whole audience and aroused it to etitbusiasm. ' It must be admitted that it would be irnpossible to conceive of a more perfect Chatterton than youug Bloncourt made. Son aurl grandaou of oomedians, the yonth had the blood of a true artist in his veins,' and he was evidently bent on proving it to us that evening. In tho tumult and excitcmeut of the applause, in the rnidst of rhe bu?idreds of pairs ui cv; s and hands that were exolusively concerning theinsetves with the stago, I oaugbt a glimpse from time to time of a handsome face which looked .vit, pale and set, from the darknoss at the back of tho liunse. It was Bloncourt, tbe father, who had come to be present at the triumph of his son. Evidently deeply moved, hu frequeutly changed his place and appeared in all the different parts of tho theater, tirues in the luidst of the brilliant display in tho boxes and at other moinents was alruost lost in the erowded galleries. It was as thongh ho wished to measure on evtry side this splendid success, iu whioh he also had a share. The audience recognized him aud pointed him out to each other. "Look at Papa Bloneonrr. Isn't ha happy tonight, Ihough!" And sonie of them while applauding turned in his direotion, as thongh to inolude thegreat artist in the triumph of his cliild and pupil. It is a fact that no fatne is so short lived as that of H comedian. Once he drops out of the public gaze it is all over with him. No one gives him a further thought. His is the fate of the spoken word, whioh, however beautiful, is carried off in air; of the musical chord that vanishes as soon as the notes are strnck. But in this case, thanks to his son, Bloncourt could escape the terrible destiny that awaits comedians. He was wt'lcoining a new glory which wíís rising at the fading of his own and would morgü liis artistic career in another full of hope and promise. So the poor man 's emotion was deop and strong. I could see that his lips occasionally t rem bied, and his limbs twitched with nervousness. Between each act he roamod about in the lobbies, drawing near tlie different groups to overhear what was being said, and when hand clasps aud felicitations were pressed upon Mm he blushed aud shrank away with the awkwardness and embairasKiuent of a diffldent youth. Passing ulose by iiini at one of these inowents, I could not restraiu the sympathetio impulso which rlrew me toward this deep, silent joy. "You ought to be a very happy mau," I said, shaking Jiis hand. "It's au immense snccess. " The haud I took in mine was cold and tnoist, and it drew ltself sharply, ahuost angrily, away. lts possessor smiled griraly as he looked at me. "So you compliment, too, do you? Isn't. there a siugle .soul to understaud what 1 am sufferiug? Ah, come. I am suffocating. Let us get out of hem ' ' Aud he dragged me with him out into the street. An icy wind was whistliug round the corners, but the oíd comedian did not appear to notice its rigor. "Ah, thatisgood, good!" heexelaimed, drinking in the cold air with delight. "I thought I. should go crazy iuside there. For two hours I have endured their applauding and their stupid congrutulations, which are a mockery to rue. You are astonished that I say this to yon? Wel], it is so. I am jealous. I am jealous of my own child - fairly green with envy of him. That is a fnghtful thiug to say, isu't it? But why did he tako my part away from me? It was ruine. I was to have played it. It is exactly in my line, and Vigny himself prora ised it to nio. A week beíore be died he said to me, 'Bloncourt, when tliey put on "Chatterton" againj I oonut on yon to play it, ' and I was waiting with sneii impatience for them to briug it out. Paris was begianiug to 'orget mu ia the long pnriod I had been nactive, and I hopert tliis c-rcation would coufer a second yonth upon me - i renewal of past suucusses. I stadied hard night and day. Fiually I was ready. "Une mortiing the boy comes running to n;e and throws his anus around my neck: 'Oli, father, how happy I am ! I ani going to play Chatterton. ' He knew as well as any one the promise that had beeu made me, bnt in his joy he had forgotteu it. Childreu are so selfish in their happiuess! This one dealt me the klow with a laugh. Ho told me they bnd first thought of nae for the part, but I was too mature, too mnrked - ab, therñ is enough in snch a disappointment as that to mark one indeed ! I ara enre that i:i iive niinr.rcv 30years p;i:-ed over my head If the )oy harl utterèd a word oí regret orof tenderness, Ishould Bimply have said ro bim: 'Do not ph'.y tbat part You will Inll me,' and i au; ure he would nor, bftcanse, with it all, the child loves me. But pride beid me back We nilkPri of the part. He asUe.l my advice about it. It had been yina on my table tor two months rto now we rearl it togetiier. Í gave him my conception of howitought tobe played. From time to time hs would break completely away frum me and stmly 9 line ont for himself, and with a surety of insighc into the tastes of the pnbiir. that 1 no longer possoss he wculd fiad a point to bo made where I saw none a( all Positively one would have to uu dergo it himself toknow what I suffered during tbat interview, but it was all a nothing to the martyrdom I have en dured this evening. "Oh, 1 onght not to have come, butl could uot stay away. 1 was irresistible drawn by curiobity and perhaps - I au) ashamed to say it - by tbe secret hope of ?urprising among the bravos a regret, a remembrance for me, of hearing soine one in the audience say, 'Oh, if the eld er Blonccrart were playing that!' But no 1 have heard nothing, not a word They have had all they eould do to applaud. But really the boy does not act well. He is acr-ually bad. I certainlj thous;ht they were going to hiss wher he carne on. He can't even walk well. Ho has no idea of stage deportment. Ie all that great, thoughtful, complex part has he made a single original effect' No Ho has simply thrown himsell headlonginto it, with all the heedlessB688 of youth. Impetuosity is made te do duty for talent. For instaoce, in tht great ecene with Kitty wheu Chatter ton" - And hijrti tbe poor man began to il lústrate tome in detail bis son'sdefects imitating liis intonutions and his ges tures. From the point of view of the science of .icriüg it nll struck me as be ing very prolound, very just, and I was surprised to find so many false notes ii the haruionious whole that hadsopleas ed lm;, all of which did not alter the fact that we were interrupted every few íucuients by the sound of applause, likí. the pattering of hailítónes, that reachec us f rom the auditonam and was inten sified iu sonority by the quiet, einpty street "üo on - appland I" said the unhappy comedian, nirning palé at each burst. "Applaud Heis-young. To be young, that is everything I am oíd My age is written cd my face. Ah, how stupid it all is!" Then in a low voice, as if talk ing with '-What I feel is al most incomprehensible. Here ií a boy who ha? stoleu everythiug away trom me - my i;ame and rny glory, who ha not even waited for me to die to stef into my shoes - and in spite of it I cannot help loving him He is my son, after all 1 have nourished hiuj, caree for hini, faught him, and when I hes t hem applaud him I fepl amovement ol gratified pride iu spite of myself. There are some clever touches íd the young scamp's work. The mistake was teaching him myown oallhiR. I should have di verted his talfints in someother direction. Then I could have been proud oi him to rny hearr's content. 1 should not have had the grief of peeing my 3 years' succespes wiped out by hi ñv day of triumph. " At this moment the crowd commeuced to pour out of the theater. A murmur of approbation. an atmospheie of 8UCC6SS passed from gronp to group and by way of the silent streets was goini to communicate itself throughout all Paris. The oíd comedian was leaning against a pillar, his ear strained te catch the oommentarses of the last straggling spectators. All at once he gave a spring. "Goodby, " he cailed out tome hnrriedly. 1 tried to hold him back. "'Bloncourt, Bloncourt, whereare you going'.J" He turned his face toward me, his tyes glistening with tears. "Wheream I going? To hug the boy,