The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-30
The Duma. Family.
Fills EFT PRE- EFT eRAND.rERz.

II is after this fashion that the younger Dumas
writes Of his grandfather and father:
Soldier and general CT the republic, my grand
father could stife horse between his legs, and
break helmet between his teeth, and he de-
Tended all alone Brxen bridge against vanguard
of twenty men. Rome would have decreed him
the honors Of triumph, and would have made him
consul. Calmer and more economical France re-
fused a college education TO his son, and this son,
reared in the midst of the woods, air and sky, i'm
PEELED by poverty and his own genius, swooped
one day upon Paris and entered literature as his
father entered the enemy's ranks-jostling de-
stroyinR knocking over everything which old not
make way for him. 9hen begun the Cyclopesn
labor which has lasted forty years. Tragedy,
drama history novels, travels, comedies, you
have thrown everything into the world OF fiction
with new creations. You have mace newspaper,
hook and stage burst, too narrow Tor your I'M
mense shoulders. You have supplied France,
Europe America; you have enriched publishers,
translstors, pagiarists; you have made printers
bresthlsss, foundered copyists, and devoured ~
need of production; you have not always SUN
GENTLY tested the metal you used, and you took
end threw into the furnace, sometimes at hazard.
everything which came under your hand. The IN
telligent fire divided them. That which came
from YOU owed away bronze; that which came
from others went away smoke. In this way you
have hammered great deal OF bad iron; but on
| the other hand how many of them who had re-
manned obscure have been lighted and warmed AZ
your FORGE and If the hour OF restitution be struck
What gain FOR you wero you merely to take back
what you have given and what has been taken
| from you. You have become dumas. ST., J" for
| the respectful "od Dumas" for the insolent, and
amid all sorts Of clamors you may sometimes hear
the phrase: Greatly, his son has more talents than
| he.n How you must have laughed. No. You
were proud you we're happy, like any insgnifi cant
father; you ssked nothing better than to be lieve
il, may be you believed what they said. Dear, in
| penious, and good, great man who would have
| given me your glory as you gave me your money
/ when Was young and lazy, am delighted to have
| at last the opportunity to bow publicly before
| you to do you homage in the face OF the sun, and
| TO embrace You | love you in the face OF the
future Let others of my age and my worth de-
clare themselves your equal 'ts their business,
| and have no more reproach than to envy them
their supposition; for l. by merely being your
SON. shall be as well known ~ thee; but possibly,
which, let come what may, will be obliged to
reckon with you, when it reads our names one
under the other chronologicslly in the balance
sheet of this century, must distinctly understand
have never looked upon you except Is my father
my friend, my master, vhstever may be said q
the contrary; that, thanks to your neighborhooc
have had the good fortune Of never exsggerstine
myself, and Of looking upon myself as baby
because was always obliged to compare mysel
with my redoubtsble father.