The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-21

temperament
serves her from degradation. after leading her
into danger The very points YOU praised In
The Doctors Wife are those in which that story
differs most from Madame Boyary.' Indeed, the
only resemblance it is possible for the most
severe criticism to discover between the two
books is in the solitary fact that the heroine of
each is the wife Of provincial surgeon, and
leads dull life All the Characters, all the stu
ations, incidents, scenery, dialogue, reflections,
are entirely my own; and DEFY the most search
ing scrutiny to detect parallel passage or a
borro wed thought. |
"For the 'Lady's Mile l can also affirm that
1t is all my own thunder, very mild thunder,
perhaps, but warranted genuine, nevertheless.
II am, cir, etc.. M. v. BRADDoN"
Miss d. should have followed the example of
George Elliot, miss Evans), who, after seeing
her last book, "Felix Holt" out of press took
the money she received for it, 100000, and
went abroad, to avoid reading disagreeable no.
tices of It,
ALEXANDRA DUMAS AT HIS OWN GRAVE.
Dumas says in a recent letter.
"a short time since, an old friend of mine
was arrested for $2400, and thrown into the
debtors jail. lie sent me word he was under
lock and KEY, and asked me to liberate him. |
had not S2400. l went to his creditor and en-
tered into contract binding me TO deliver SIX
lectures in any six provincial towns he pleased
provided he released my friend. He accepted
my oHer, ana my friend came out OF jail at
Once.n
Here is Dumas description of his praye:-
"There are few buryina-grounds so pic
turesque as that OF Villers Cotterets. The stu
alton d the village IN the midst OF a forest
enables the VILLAGERS to obtain ali sorts of trees
for the tOmbs. At distance one sees bosky
with different coored leaves, and when one
observes the play of light on all these groups of
trees, and hears the JOYOUS birds flying from
limb to limb, one thinks it must be the mark of
some castle rather than a village cemetery
The lot destined TOR our family burying grouid
is large square, marked by SIX magnificent
t1s, which were planted at my fathers burial.
They are now torty-nne years old and are mag.
Dlhcent. L never go near these frs without
profound emotion. All have most sacred in
my memories lie there. l went near them
tins time humber and bowed nearer than ever
TO eafth fearing to looG and anxious to see.
A grave was dug at the foot OF the stone
which covers my fathers body. The
leaning on his spade, as he is represented in
Hdn!a. He had Just completed his task. He
saw me coming, and had moved aside.
stopped near the grave. Oh sweet bitterness
OF tears, with what sombre vOlnptuousness |
sought thee The garden planted on each of
the graves where my maternal grandfather and
gIandmother and my ather sleep was well kept.
l nodded thanks to the gIavedigger who was
charged with this dutV. / gathered a flower
irt IN each OF these gardens. and laid them on
the bottom OF the grave. | saw there long
square traced where there was no mound
Knowing it was reserved Tor somebody, called
the gravedigger, and asked him What is this
place iorY 1T is your grave, NJ. Dumas. There
are sui three vacant places in your burying-
ground, and have thought you would be glad
10 be as near as possible to your father and
mother. l do not care which one OF your
parents may die before you; be sure this place
VIII be kept for you.' ] made a sign to
the gravedlgger to come up, and stamping the
ground with my loot to take possession of it. |
said to him:-So it is agreed, isn't 1t? This is
my grayeT Yes, NJ. Dumas took louis
out OF my pocket, and gave it to him. He
thanked me by sort OF nod. MS he said You
think it will do? replied, 'Yes, bnt have you
thought to provide against your diving before
meH OH don't be uneasy about that NJ
Dumas; will tell my successor to take care of
it Tor you.' "
THE FEvAL-sARDoU oUARREL-HOw FEvAL WROTE
THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON"
In Paris they have had quite literary scandal
1t has, of course, dehghted the general public
who are pleased to see literary men play battle
dore with disagreeable PERSONAL lies the shut
tlecocks. NJ. Paul Feval is the author of 1t.
He made most unwarrantable attack on NJ
Victorien Sardou. Nj, Feval is a novelist, who
alter struggling tearfnlly with poverty (Which
seems the initiation to literature almost every
where), rose by degrees to low, very low
degree OF taVor among the third and fourth class
of newspapers, as writer OF novels Tor their
teuptet0n. In this position he remained until
Eugene Sue published his Mysteries OF Paris.n
The great success of this novel made NJ
AntenOr Jolly, then manager of the Courier
(and one OF the most curious figures of Paris)
anxious to hit upon some novel which
should counterbalanCe the reputation OF
him, and he went at once 10 NJ. Fevals garrett
The following conversation took place between
them:-"Were you ever in London, FevalW
'Never." Can you speak or read English w
mot one word" "You are just the man for me,
because you Will write without previous bias
/ want you TO write novel of 10000 lines, enti
tied the Mysteries of London You will give
me the first three chapters tomorrow morning.
They will be published in our tomorrow even
lng's edition. Here are the first $1,000 copyright
in advance" mo, really, l cannot accept those
propositions. / am not capable of writing an
I English novel.n Nonsense! What are you
| wrillngW "a novel, Les Compagnons du
Hasard,' which will prove quite a long novel;"
/ M. Antenor Jolly ran through the first pages of
the novel; and eXclaimed:- :-"Why, that is admi-
rable-jUst the thing we want. ODterate those
French names. Put III English names, torrents
OF gin. fog and smoke, and 1t will be q trst-rate
English novel. Conclude the first ten chapters,
and go to London to complete the work." A
fortnight afterwards NJ. Feval was in London. |
quote this anecdote for tWo reasons: to show YOU
how these people, who turn up their noses at the
English for "shopkeepers carry trade even into
the realms OF art, and this in the most unscrupu.
lous way; and to let you see the beginning OF NJ.
Fevals fortunes. He owed them to the title NJ. An
tenor Jolly gave him. and TO the vogue it enjoyed
in consequence of Eugene Sues works success.
He continued to be an obscure writer (although
his income was quite Comfortably of novels n
teuiiietOns until the deaths OF Frederick Soule,
De BalZac and De Bernard, and the exhaustion
OF M. Alexandra Dumas made him more con
spicaou He did not rise; others fell around him
and so made him seen. Understanding the art
OF using social relations TO advance himselE and
of investing fatterV to sure advantage, becoming
less unskiieG in the use OF the pen, he has, OF
late years, occupied a good position, Husband
ing his money judiciously, keeping clear of
debt avoiding dIscredltable relations with per