Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-09-03
Eugene Sue, the Novelist.

~ Eugene Sue, the Novelist.
The mails Of the Columbia bring MS
word of the death of Eugene Sue, the
famous French novelist, who died on the
Cd inst.
Eugene Sue, in his day, has been one
OF the most popular writers, if not one of
the leading minds of France. Like
Thackeray, he was the son of a. wealthy
man, and inherited and threw away for
tune. His father was surgeon at Paris.
and distinguished enough to be elected to
chair of anatomy at the University
Young Eugene was brought up to his
fathers business but having, as youth,
a hankering after adventure and foreign
travel, his father obtained for him COM
mission as assistant shureenni ias hasessd hsasss
voyages, and acquired much of the local
knowledge which he has since displayed
in bis novels.
AT his fathers death young Sue came
into his fortune, and resigned his post in
the navy to spend il. Facilities for spend
ing money being very great at Paris, he
contrived to run through the whole in a
marvellously short space of time, and
found himself at about thirty ruined
gentleman, with some knowledge of med
icine, a slight taste for letters, and un-
common aptitudes for expending money
and enjoying life.
He tried, 1t seems, to practice medi-
or pn,,, l..
ed, the experiment was unsuccessful he
had neither the habits nor the reputation
necessary to obtain patients. After a
brief essay, he then resorted to his pen
for means of subsistence, and became
connected, in subordinate capacity,
with one or more of the myriad of Jour
nails which Paris produces. He likewise
published various novels, whose names
are now forgotten, and which correspond
with the English works of Reynolds
After precarious existence of some
years, he wrote and published bis first
famous work Mathilde," in which.
while he did not spare the usual vicious
scenes, he contrived, somehow, to make
virtue triumph and vice meet its proper
reward. Partly, perhaps, in consequence
of this superior morality, and partly from
the dramatic interest of the book, f" Ma
thilde" proved aremarkable success, and
introduced its author into literary circles
He made engagements at profitable rates
with several French journals, by which
he was to supply them with teuiiletons,
and he published, in several volumes, 8vo.
his History of the French Navy"
which, Notwithstanding the judicious
intermixture of fact and fiction, proved
failure, and rather injured Sues reputa-
tlon.
He redeemed himself by writing the
Mysteries of Paris which was an enor-
nous success among the poorer classes of
France was rapidly translated into ev-
cry language in Europe, and sold nearly
as many copies in the same space of time
as Uncle Toms Cabin Ii was follow
ed by the Wandering Jew which was
quite as successful, and made the author
warm friends among the rouge and anti
church party.
This was the summit of Sues fame
ahu Su1CCSS do dil dulHOT. NOt even AL
exander Dumas was as popular with the
masses and the pecuniary profits of his
works were very considerable. They
were duly dramatized and played for over
a hundred nights at the Porte Saint Mar
tin and the Gaite each play gave the
author small fortune.
Sues subsequent works Martin the
Founding" and "The Seven Capital
Sins'-though successful enough in
France, have not been well received
abroad. Even at Paris their success as
plays was greater than their success in
book form. With the bel of the former
works they realized for the author very
considerable fortune indeed, and enabled
him TO indulge his expensive tastes with
a fresh zest. No millionaire in France
ever kept more magnificent house, or
entertained more sumptuously, or lived
more comfortably--in every sense-than
Eugene Sue.