The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-07


doubled those TO be made IN the Rue de che
lieu; nevertheless the Minister calculate !, not
without reason on the amour prtpTe OF the
author, and, still uigiog him to return TO the
Theatre Francois, almost req1esle hlm TO
name his own terms. The pIoluction OF the
lll-used Antony, and the eng tgement Of Madame
DOrval. who had play ed in 1t at the Porte Saint
Martin, were the conditions OF The obdurate man
of genius, who was perfectly aware that the
second stipulation would be most offensive to
Mad'lle Mars, and that he was therefore sowing
new seeds Of diseord. The conditions were
accepted, the play was again put into rehearsal;
the morning arrived when its production was
am oupced in the bills as the event of the even.
ing, but at two o'clock in the afternoon brief
prohibition signed by M. Thiers put "a sudden
stop TO proceedings. Twenty deputies, II
appears, had waited on the Minister, and had
declared that, If Anfony were played at the
Theatre trancais, they would refuse to vote for
the eubvention to that establishment. M.
Theirs had yielded to the pressure, but NJ.
Dumas rose to the occasion, and brought an
action against the Minister himself, who was
condemned by the, Tribunal OF Commerce to
pay 10000 francs damages, for which he was
indemnited by the Theatre Francois.
This little affair having been thus comfortably
arranged, M, Dumas was again in friendly
Richelieu, aud Cdiguld was accepted on terms
highly advantageous to the author. But at the
Theatre Francois the abserce OF all difficulty
where NJ. Dumas was concerned seems to have
been an impossibility. He had given up the
rse-consul, but he still required horses to
Draw the Emperor's car, and the introduction OF
four-footed performers on the stage otthe classic
dIau was resisted as q frighHul innovation.
NJ. Dumas was not the man to abandon his
purpose without struggle, and he delicately
reminded the manager, NJ. Vedel, that when he
went TO law with the Theatre Francois he was
IA her q fortunate plaintiff. Referred to the
Committee, the matter was compromised by the
substitution of young women for horses, aud the
author wrote "Chant des Heures" to be sung
by the ladies who drew the car Of the luxurious
WQ n n
mary mountains In labor. The tragedy
achieved a dull success equivalent to failure.
The story OF the fifth play, MddenoIseHe de
Belle Isle, of which so many English versions
have been produced on the London stage, puts
M. Dumas in very favorable light as a man
of sincere honor and singuIarly tenacious
memory. One day M. Brunswick, another dra
ma,ist, called upon him with a vaudeville in
two acts. which had just been rejected by the
Porte Saint Martin, but the leading idea OF
which might, in his opinion, be turned to
some account. NJ. Dumas read the piece, and
was OF the same opinion as NJ. Bruins wick, but
rejected his proposition to discuss the subject
Immediately, by, reminding him of the
prcuiiSSfY pe iSeaY raa,es E his own genus When na
not like 10 divulge it at once, but
he locks 1t up IN his internal con-
sciousness, allowing it TO germinate in its head
till by striking at the vault Of the brain Ia la
UOute du cerUedu) 1t indicates its desire for Tree
dom. He could only promise to reflect on the
subject proposed by NJ Brunswick, and, on the
production Of the work, Whenever that might
be, to concede tC hun third of the profits as
the price of his idea After lapse of three
years M. Brunswick reappeared to learn how
lar termination had proceeded, and the report
Dumas would only put his shoulder to
ready in a fortnight But the the lido. TO-
syncrasy of M. Dumas was not to be tampereG
the fashion suggested by NJ. Brunswick; in fact,
he did not make his pieces at all, but his pieces
made themselves within him. AS well ask
peach tree how 1t bears and natures peaches as
ask M. Dumas how he writes his own plays.
Two more years elapsed, and M. Brunswick,
tired of waiting for the maturity of the precious
germ sold his contil gent third for 300 francs to
one M. Charlieu, who generously informed NJ.
Dumas that he expected no more than the
re reimbursement of the purchase money and two
admissions 10 the theatre on the first night of
performance. But M: Dumas was not to be
ou.done in generosity He presented NJ. Charleu
with a note which ne was not to open tail the
morning following the first representation Of
the expected play, aud which was neither more
nor less Than a draft upon his agent for 5000
i1ancs-ten tines the amount of the purchase
money. In fortnight the process of germina-
uon was completed, ard the play was finished
in the head OF NJ. Dumas, who felt himself
justified In calling upon the Committee OF the
The atIe Francois, and astonishing them with
the information that he was prepared to read to
them on the following Saturday comedy of
which he had not as yet written word. AS
they evidently suspected that he was promising
an impossiblity, he offered to read his work on
the spot, without any manuscript at ali; and
his offer being accepted, he proved as good as
his word, for, tuI ming his oack TO the fireplace,
he recited Mddem0lseue de Belle Ise from
rounds of applause. His old adver.
gary, Mad'lle Mars, was on his side
when preparations were made tor the produce
ton OF this piece. He had charmed her by
Insisting that she should play Gabrielle" while
others recommended that the part OF MADAME
De Prize" should be awarded to her, as more
suitable to her age. Altogether, Mddemoise1e
de Belle Isle seems 10 have been the authors
most brilliant success. The remaining two
comprised in his "0dyssee" are IN Marriage
sous Louis YV, Les Dtmoiseies de Saint. CIR,
aLd the little niece ROnnhLs.