Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-06

Largest Circulation in City and Sic.
THE MENEEN.DUMAs ROMANCE.
A story OF love, inflammation and
Folly.
Z Y. Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer Of
August g.

August q.
A Kentucky gentleman, recently arrived
from Paris, gives me the particulars Of the
late remarkable infatuation Of Alexander
Dumas pere for the gorgeously- legged Men
ken. The old mulatto was first struck by
her appearance at the theatre, and soon
a1erWard accompanied his son TO recherche
dejelDler, liz one Of the semi aristocratic quar-
tiers, at which the Menken, ia a luscious
decollets costume, shone as the bright par
ticular star. The glossy -ringleted eqUestrI-
enns has a mind fairly tinged with literary
pTScliEities Of the sensual Sue type, and
She spread her net forthwith for the veteran
feuLetonia So glibly did she Use her tongue,
50 charmingly did she paint her American
experiences. so naively did she fatter the
old negro on the strength and depth OF his
facile pen, and 50 voluptHously did she
carry her really superb figure that the
fabby dramatist at last found himself fairly
encircled ia a cloud Of literary perfume,
and lost his head in the web Of eoquittish
beguilements alluring him. When they
parted the old man accompanied her to the
carriage, gave her a six hundred franc ring
as a soosueair, and asked Der permission to
personally wait upon her, which was grace
fully granted. Dumas was so completely in
fatuated that he went home without his
ckdpeau, and in ft Of delightful reveries
tossed his gold-headed cane out Of his
cdbTlolet
On the following morning his card was
presented TO the ebon-eyed Adah. Rem
devious after rendezvous was appointed,
and the appointments were scrupulOusly
fulfilled The old man lost his appetite,
and filled his burly frame with the distilled
vapor of love, cast of his slouchy attire,
and swelled out to the fastidiousness of a
French fox, and appeared with his lovely
Syren in the Bois de Bologne, on several oc- |
casions, even driving through the aristo-
cratic holy of HOLES, the FdtlbOlrg 81. Ger
maine He violated contracts with his pub
fishers, cast his pen aside in fit of youth
ful wild-eatishness and was fast going to
the devil, despite the Protestations of his
son and the entreaties of his friends. He
bled freely lall old men do, and the fair
Jewess operated upon him as if she had
discovered second cave Of Monte Christie
1t is said that her net earnings exceeded
$4,000 francs. / have seen a lace hand
kerchief which she sent to n female drtste
in this city, with note stating that it was
one Of a whole box presented her by the
auther of "The Three Guardsmen." 1t
would retail at Stewards for one hundred
and fifty dollars. But the thing could not
last. Dumas was playing his own Ca
mile" with a vengeance and his silly love
fever grew mOnolonous Besides, there
were other fish in the sea, and the piquant
BoWery.bred flower is not always 50 con-
slant as she was in the case Of Heenan. The
appearance of the photograph card on the
pablo streets, accurately transferring a
love scene between this literary OthellO
and his black-eyed Desdemona, was the
last feather on the camel back. Menken's
completely in the transaction was more
than suspected. The old man turned his
back on her in a rage, and the next month
she left to FIJI a model artistic engagement in
Vienna. She returned in two months gia
Brussels, and there Unexpectedly again
met Dumas.
The poor dog was away from his kennel
on a visit, and a second time fell a victim
te the ariB of She prurient American Circs.
This time she appears TO have woven her
self into his affections through every art Of
ingenuity, until the old boys mind hgu-
ratively represented a Yankee rag carpet.
She clings TO him ike a mistletoe to an
oak, shriveling his green leaves, whitening
his tendrils, and drawing sustenance from
his decaying branches The fussy, pursy-
aged mutton head actually thinks himself
in Paradise, and unwittingly lends his
name 10 ali sorts Of literary phantoms. At
Menken's suggestion, he is now engaged on
a drama, basing its foundations and scenery
on the American civil war. The most of
the details and incidents are remarkably
ins9uciaat and Black Crookish, being fur
nished from the private diary of the ex-
quisite but frail Adah herself. This diary
is said to be replete with scenes of dreamy
passion, inteispersed with piquant inter-
ludes, all woven from actual life expert
ences, whichAlexandrei is working upin his
own peculiar and incompatible manner.
Should the Menken prove faithful for one
month longer, Paris will experience a sen
sation only riyaled by that caused by
Cora Pearl, or the sWeet-liped Iai5 Ian
gushing in the palace OF Prince Demidoff