widow visiting her husband's grave.
The husband returning her visit, and coming to share her lunch in
the park.
A circus of skeletons, in two scenes: (1) Leaping through the hoop.
(2) One skeleton balancing himself, head downward, on the head of
another who is standing.
A skeleton singer on the stage.
A skeleton horse leaping a hurdle.
A skeleton drum-major with his band.
A skeleton bull-fight.
A duel between skeletons.
A tournament on skeleton horses.
A woman recently deceased, surrounded by skeletons offering their
compliments. They are presented by one of then number, with hat in
hand.
A balcony courting scene between skeleton lovers.
The word _FIN_ in bones concludes the series of grotesque and
uncanny sketches, which but emphasize a fact ever present in the
poet's mind--that while we are in life we _are_ in death.]
Finding his devotion to Julia unrequited, Becquer, in a rebellious
mood, and having come under the influence of the charms and
blandishments of a woman of Soria, a certain Casta Esteban y Navarro,
contracted, in or about the year 1861, an unfortunate marriage, which
embittered the rest of his life and added cares and expenses which he
could ill support. He lived with his wife but a short time, during
which period two sons were born to them--Gustavo, whose later career
was unfortunately not such as to bring credit to the memory of his
illustrious father, and, Jorge, who died young. Becquer was
passionately fond of his children, and succeeded in keeping them with
him after the separation from his wife. They were constantly the
objects of his affectionate solicitude, and his last thoughts were for
them.
About 1858 the newspaper _El Contemporaneo_ had been founded by the
able and broad-minded Jose Luis Albareda, and Correa, who was
associated with the management, succeeded in obtaining for his friend
a position on its staff. Becquer entered upon his new labors in 1861,
and was a fairly regular contributor until the suppression of the
paper. Here he published the greater part of his legends and tales, as
well as his remarkable collection of letters _Desde mi Celda_ ("From
my Cell"). The following year his brother Valeriano, who up to that
time had exercised his talents as a genre painter in Seville, came to
join him in Madrid. He too had been unfortunate in his domestic
relations, and the brothers joined in sympathy to form a new
household. A
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