The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-10
NJ. Dumas ON HimseIL

AAAANAoSAF
FFVn ne Athen01m.
PARIS November, 1s65.-Dear old Dumas His
tongue can chatter on every subject, While he
h celebrating romance in the Court Of Louts
the Thirteenth he finds time to chat on every
other subject, grave or gay and in somo way
70 connect himself with IL. He must put his
mark even on the cholera. Being asked for one
Of his charming bits of egotism tackled to some
subject of the moment, he sets up little lite
rary Irritation with the prevailing epidemic. He
is not afraid of it, He the great Dumasl He
had il to begin with in 1882 and cured himself
by swallowing glass of ether, mistaking 1t for
Rirchenwasser. The cholera departed, but left
him in its stead Inflammation OF the stomach.
This is not, therefore. a remedy which he re
commends. He has remedy, however, aud he
intends, in the course of his gossip to give it to
the reader. But here peeps up the slyness of the
great Alexandra, wherein he reminds us iorcibly
Of Mangin, who pattered over his pencils so
many years in the public places of Paris. Having
arrested the attention of his audience by raising
their hopes of obtaining sovereign cure for the
cholera gratis, the tdTceT begs little patience
for a tou personnel.
M. Dumas is publishing an historical romance.
called lie Oomte de Mcret," in the new half.
penny journal, Les NOuUeNes He has been ac-
Cused by lie Figaro of having sent a litho,
graphed circular to the twelve hundred editors
propretors of Les NOUUebes the expense of paid
putis (recdnaes pdyd1tes). Dumas with a smile,
declares that, in the first place, he did not send
twelve hundred, but only one hundred such let
ters, and that these were not Autographed, but
were written with his own hand. "You may
laugh" ne saws; 1T may appear incredible; but
this is my ridiculous sensi iyeness OF conscience
and has always been. On one occasion | was
asked for my autograph in aid of the sick and
wounded on the Federal side. The applicant
wrote to me that my autograph would certainly
sell for 1000 francs. | set to work and sent off a
hundred autographs, each including an idea or
something like it. and all written, be 1t under
stood, with my own hand"
Aud now for a superb bit from the great Alex
andre:-"The number did harm to the SALE and
the lady patronesses only realized 10000 francs
by them. They contented themselves with this
sum. For myself, | swear to you that con-
sidered my autographs had sold very we'll
once proclaimed to the readers OF the Petit
Jourdp (the readers of the AhengaaR may re-
member this instance, which l touched
upon at the time) ''that Ifwas about to publish
volume of boutS-yiBleS, and that every subscriber
to the book would receive my autograph. Three
thousand subscribers responded. ! wrote three
thousand autographs! Let them be submitted
to any experts, They will be accepted as writ
ten by my own haud.n
Our lively Alexandra has other instances: how
he provided Moue, the Havre sailor, who had
saved many lves with 800 francs, by writing a
thousand autographs and fixing their price at
twenty-five Centimes. They were sold, he tells
only the pleasure-he admits that it is a great
one-of doing good. His pen is ever at work in
the cause of charitv it is he who tells us so.
And then he asks, "Can there be as much plea
sure in writing an article against man as there
is in thro wing off literary trine to help sick,
or wounded. or poor fellow-creatureN For him
self, he cannot tell, having only tried the chart
table writing. You see, stealthY way of doing
good is not NJ. Dumas way. Let us grant hum,
in Justice, this; that he is so good-tempered and
kindly over his selfglorifcation, and he has so
ingenious and happy way OF insinuating his
point and carrying the purpose of his gossip,
even in the teeth of his enemies, that the three
syllables of the word 'charlatan" cannot all rise
to the lips of the readers of his gossip. All this
gossip, for instance, is to conciliate provincial
editors and to let them know that they are, one
and all, the chPrs contreres of Alexandra Dumas;
and that this nObLeSse Oblige.
have said that there is bonhon,ie in Dumas
most outrageous puffs of himself or others. We
are sorry TO see the old gentleman paradng his
little services and boasting the value of his
autographs, or making show of himself at the
Petit Journal Office or putting some book or
establishment. AT the same time we must own
that he is the gayest, the most amusing, and
good-natured Monsieur Puff in the world. By
his side all other professors of the noble art of
putting are small and awkward