The Portland daily press., 1865-01-03
Tuesday Morning, Jan. 8, 1865.
Alexander Dumas.


The Paris correspondent of the Montreal
Herald writes as follows with regard to this
prolific author :--.alal q ssftsI seh 4 sdf
Alexander Dumas, whose general populari-
ty, and immense, though very harmless, vani-
ty, have gained him the sobriQuet Of .Alex-
ander the Great. the Great Alexander" has
also received from the two municipalities of
the ''suany south" his first annual tribute of
melons, and has duly informed the Universe of
that fact. 1t will perhaps be remembered by
your distant readers that a certain provincial
municipality, whose heads we're casting about
in all directions for the elements of a commu-
nal library, wrote letter to Dumas, telling
him that nobOdy's writings were half so popu-
lar among the working classes as his, and be-
Z seeching MIN to bestow a complet6 COPY of
his works upon their nascent library. The
letter, moreover, assured the popular novelist
that he would thus conduce not only to the
innocent amusement but also to the "mor-
alsatlon and well-being of the inter-
esting classes on whose behalf the gift was So
liciled, and wound up by promising him the
''elernat gratitudes Of their commune Mahe
granted their prayer. AS the commune in
question is particularly renowned for the size
and flavor oil It's melons, "the Great Alexan-
DER at once signihed his willingness 10 bes-
tow on IL the three hundred volumes it mod
estly asked ior, on condition that 1t bound it.
self by a legal act, and in the persons of It's
municipality, to pay him for the rest of his
life an annual tribute Of twelve melons, the
cost OF whose transport to Paris the renowned
romancer magnifeently took upon himself
The mayor and councilmen lost no time in
taking Dumas at his word, the deed was drawn
up, signed and sealed, and in due order Du-
ma sent his books, apparently to the great
Jubilation Of the village, which seems to have
turned out en- nlGese TO welcome the arrival Of
the cases containing the books, and to have
narrowly escaped an illumination In honor of
their arrival. As soon as the melons were
ripe, the municipality determined to do their
own part handsomely collected twenty four
magnificent melons, the very finest prodaced
ia all the countryside, and sent them to Du-
mas Paris residence, paying their carriage.
II Meantime,a "a neighb0ring commune, stimu-
lated by the brilliant achievement of the mu-
nicipaliEy of Canssade, had addressed SINH
lar prayer to the novelist, and being equally
famous its melons, had received similar re-
ply. The second case of melons reached Du
mas on the same day, and the inexhaustible
writer, whose witty and brilliant pen evokes
8 ths most charming cdusertes out OF The slight
est topics, and who had kept all Europe aware
OF the progress of the melon negotiations by
1 a series OF joyous and sparkling letters to the
youngest but most popular Of Paris papers, lie
Petit Journal, announced the arrival OF the
superb growth of Southern melon grounds,
and forthwith gave grand melon banquet to
all his intimate friends. bs1igosq
- The example OF the enterprising commune
Of Canssade, however, was speedily followed
by SO many others, that the "The Great Alex
ander" has found himself compelled to notify
his provincial admirers. that, inasmuch as
France contains 40,00O communes, and it be-
f.,er his To of 0QO
melons, however fine, or to induce his credit
ors TO give him credit for the twelve millions
OF francs, to which, counting them at cost
price, torty eight Thousand copies of his writ
ings would amount be is obliged, "gratefully
but regretfuIly" to decline all such arrange
4 ments for the future. But, in order that the
"4S 900 communesD may not be discouraged
In their desire TO possess themselves of the
800 volumes they all probably desire, be in
forms them that he has persuaded his editors
to consent to furnish, at cost price, complete
edition of his voluminous scribblings to all
communes wishing to place them in public
library. Subscriptions are accordingly being
set on foot IN various remote corners OF the
empire for the purpose of procuring the 300
and odd romances OF The Great Alexander
onthe reduced terms now offered by his pub
fishers. esf4Tf q
Dumas popularity In France is much the
same rs that OF Dickens in England. Utterly
different as are these two wrltersin style, and
spirit, and aim, undoubtedly they are on their
respective sides OF the Channel, the two most
popular story-tellers of the day. AS men, they
are as unlike as they are in their writings
''The great Alexander" is of very large build
tall and stout, and with an enormous head
which looks still bigger from the thick masi
8OI woody hair which stands out from it In ev.
cry direction. The very large proportion Of
African blood in his veins, gives him a com.
plexion that would subject him to inconven-
ience in any part Of the United States. His
features are regular and we'll formed; and his
countenance expresses his imperturbable good
humour, and ali the viVacity of his talent He
married, while very young, lady with whom
he was IN love; and separated from her after
a few weeks OF matrimony; Madame Dumas
being at that time as anxious for the separa-
tion as himself His son, Alexander, and his
daughter, Marie, are children of different
mothers, neither being his vile. The former
already SO widely known 10 the literary and
dramatic world, has taken In horror the Wis
cious state OF society he has so faithfully por-
trayed, and is believed to be seriously disposed
at times to abjure the world and become q
Trappist. It>1s asserted that he holds his
writings in horror; and would, If he could
make a bonfire oil the whole OF them, the ia
nous Dame aux Camella" at their head
~The Great Alexander" does not at all ap.
prove OF this state OF mind on the part Of his
son, whom he sometimes calls "my reverend
father" and of whom be says, "that boy new.
er was young; he was eighty years old the
day he was born" pa
"The Great Alexander" being most magni-
fcent in his tastes and habits, and excessively
generous wthal, spends often beforehand ev-
cry penny he gains, and is never POSSESSED oil
in, fbo eha ~ H., D..
his writings bring him in very large income
TO which his fertile pen is constantly adding
so that he generally contrives to satisfy his
most original and costly caprices. When he
cannot give money to the parties or objects
on whose behalf his aid is SO icted (and they
4 areIepion u he writes short article. or con.
trives some other way OF raising the money
REQUIRED. Thus the sale OF his autographs
last summer at Havre cleared 1000 francs
more than was needed to complete the life.
boat which his admirers were building there
as gift to Naples, In return Tor the favor with
which Naples had welcomed the friend OF Gar
ibaldl. Letters lately received here speak o.
photographs, signed by him, having been solo
at the lair for the wounded Federal soldiers
lately held in the States for 1900 francs. Al
the admirers of Paul Delaroche are exerting
themselves to raise subscription for his son
Alexander Dumas has consented to deliver q
public lecture in aid of the attempt The lar.
gest room the committed can secure for the
delivery of this lecture is sure to be crammed
Notwithstanding The pains Dumas is taking to
warn everybody through the columns of "The
Little Journal" that, being wholly unaccus
toned to speak in public, heis almost certain
to break down; and as the entrance lee will
be one franc, respectable amount win bt
thus contributed by the romancer.