The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-08
MORE ABOUT VICTOR HUGO.

victor Marie Hugo was borne at Besancou,
On septidi (the seventh day of the decade),
the 9TH Ventose, year 10 Of the French Re-
public (consulate), that is to say, on the 26th
day Of February, 1902. This cntant sublime,
as he lived to be named by Chateaubriand,
came into the world puny, feeble infant,
mot longer than a knife" as his mother
said, and the doctor in attendance declared
that he could not live. Thanks, however, to
the care that was bestowed upon him, the
loving care Of that stubborn mother" to use
his own words, which made him "twioe her
child, /" he did not die.
When quite q child he accompanied his
parents to Italy and Spain, and returned with
MS mother and youngest brother to France at
the commencement of the year 1872, when his
father General Hugo, one of Joseph Bona
parties generals, and who before had served
under the Republc), judged it prudent to
verses, naturally enough, gave utterance to
the opinions he had imbbed from his mother,
an ardent royalst who died whilst he was
still quite ayouth, in the year 1921. In the
iollow.og year his marrirge took place with
Mademoiselle Adele Fouoher Some little
time after his marriage, circumstances drew
Victor Hugo nearer to his father. He saw him
more and knew him better. Under his
influence he began to admire Charles X less,
and Napoleon more. Age and reflection,
however, taught him that liberty was prefer
able to either. A few years later he proclaimed
himself an admirer Of liberty in art as we'll
as in other things, and his preface to "Crom-
well, F" which appeared in 1927, was the first
shot fired against the arbitrary system of laws
which at that time prevailed, not only in the
drama, but Throughout French literature.
One of the characteristics of Victor Hugo's
gamma ia ta nj ont
and lyric, legend, romance, drsma-in every
department of literature-has he written, and
with the hand of master. In Les OrientaLeS
and in Les FemleS FAnomne he resuscitated
lyrical, in La LGgende deS Si5cleS, he created
style of epic tpoetry. In Hermann, he revolu.
fionized the drama as understood In France
mp to 1880. In lie derneir jour dun condamn<
he was Socialist before ever the name was
invented. In Notre Dame de Paris, he re-
called the Middle iEes to life again. In Les
Kis<radLeS, the p4neteentb century lives and
speaks for itself.
"There is not q poet who has ever lived"
Gas M. Vacquerie has well said) ''a more
militant, or more heroic existence. The
government of ChaFles prohibited the pro-
duotion of one of his dSamaS, Marion de Lorme.
Charles X offered him as compensation a
pension OF 1000 fral NsyZyhich he refused. The
another drama of his, :; ROi s. Amuse; that
of the empire has prohibited all his dramas.
Thus, in commcl with all inpoyato he has
met with blind or systematic opposition; he
has been fought, Knocked, inst lied, calumni-
ated. Hernani and lie Roi S'AmuSe were the
subjects of tempests of violence. Troubling
himself not st all about this ephemeral ex-
element, he continued on his way, producing
those brilliant works which will outlive the
French language"
In 1841 he was, after having been rejected
three times, elected a member of the Aca-
DENY.
On the Ath of December, 1S43, he had the
mictortuneA to lose his eldest daughter, who
was married to Charles Vacquerie, brother of
the admirable writer and intimate friend Of
= Victor Hugo, Auguste Vacquerie. Drowned
together by the upsettipg Of boat in the
Seine, the death of Charles Vacquerie and his
wife was one of those thrilling events Of real
life which surpass those OF fiction in pathos
and in the emotion their mere narration ex-
cites. A powerful swimmer, and able to save
his own life, when he saw that he could not
save that of his wife, that devoted husband
folded his arms around her and died with her.
Two years afterwards Victor Hugo was made
peer of France. In the Chamber of Peers he
pleaded the popular and liberal cause. One
of his most remarkable speeches was one
against prescription, especially directed
against the exile of the Bonaparte family.
With regard to his elevation to the peerage,
may relate an amusing anecdote, which is
historically true, and which has never been
published before. 1t will serve perhaps, to
point moral to certain school of critics
rather superficial school-which, at hap
hazard will pounce upon any little incident
having reference to a public character, and
thereupon construct theory more or less,
perhaps wholly, at variance with the mans
real nature AMI disposition. Thus everything
that is possible to be said has been said Of
M. Victor Hugo. In distich improvised one
day, in sportive mood, on himself, he has
%Nus happily summed up the principal
slumnies of the hour of which he was the
object
ssyoici les quatres aspects de Get homme feroce
Foie, assassinat ivrognerie ct bosse."
Friends and enemies have We'd with each
other-the one, who We're formerly (perhaps
still are) called HugodtreS, in vehement admi
ration, and the other (such as are to be every
where found, who's delight in finging stones
at every great reputation, not TO speak Of
political enemies), in as vehement detraction
If chance had not brought to natural con
clusion an interesting conversation between
King Louis Philippe and the poet, which tool
place the evening before the nomination o
Victor Hugo to the peerage, it might have
been said and believed that the peerage il
question had been ardently solicited, anC
that the king had harshly refused it, Victo
Hugo had gone to pay an evening visit a.
the TuileIies. The queen, the princesses, tn,
ladies and gentlemen in waiting, and SOM
intimate friends, were in q large drawing
room which communicated by folding door
with a long gallery where the king was il
the habit OF walking up and down after din
ner generally with some friend, with WHOM
bo "a hila-