, 1870-10-23


Search ont the poor ,heis wants and needs;
For Hisdow anu guidance, all these are good:
But don't forget The rotatoes!
A LITERARY VETERAN.
Alcxnntlrc Itunan* In madrid.
From, the S1o York Tribune.
In the spring of this year Alexnnd1e DUMAS.
the father, catne down 10 Madrid 10 collect
material for lIia work entitled 'sThe Past,
Spain" II il rare that French feuilletonist
knows anything outrile Of the boulevard dss
ltaliene, but this veteran rpmancer used to
bring to the discussion Of hiatot,cl1 subjects
profound and thorough ignorance OF the !
matters frosted, which put 10 sh.me tim |
tators- /
lilo cano To- Spain utterly ignorant OF the
history, tho language, tho customs OF the |
people. to writs in some ai1 eeeka tho |
story and inttigues and incidents Of |
hfoti.ne, ~lich have rssnitsl in tho |
tie re1ipsular. lie WAS 10 atsuraly |
lacking 10 the commonc@t knowledge Ut cor
1ect eveLts that he addressed 4 letter to Don |
Cruz oeloa. The hery Cariist 1houlder-hitter
Of the CetteA. Oh u rlatter Of literary inquiry,
mis.ak1ng him for Don Eugeuio de Ochoa. The
famous scholar and cade1nician-sxactiy Is
If yon should write to AK Senator Wilson to
expound his 1suc meaning in contested
lu1ut Of the ''Sos:tes Auibrosiann."
There were nluro especial r.aeons why Dn-
naas should have thought twicu before coming
Gown to Madrid to write history at hand
:;alop. lie Bai1, in an nnfori unate1y spi:itu,1
hoslr, that Africa began at the Iyrenecs and
The CAttilisn heait never furgare him. He
a1so car1itd the curse of Canaan on lie face
and lair. and nation Of slascho1dera could
cot receive him without embarrassment
Sill, hc hxd many friends in Madrid, aud
1lr. and Mrs. Ferry gave him the uss Of their
beautiful rose- -colored quinta in tho snbnrb.,
Whcre tho old man get mp his tabernacle,
working by day, and dining III the evening in
his oHa sybar1:ic etyle.
the house Of Scuot Ocloa, who was delighted
10 honor the old romancer, after Dnmss had
necertaincd that there were mora Ochoaa than
one in Spain. found = brilliant company Of
literary and artistic people, aud some few OF
ths aFistosssey u e.. wlo yie!ied 'iently to tho
disnlaE, when 1 asked for tho lion, I was
Informed BY the genial savaut who had
entertained uH th1t he had gono off to bed
immediately after feeding. But the ne1t
night lWaa more fortunate. The tenor TAM
bc.lt VA singiug, at ths opera for some
tiret t1sre-acte noticed that the whole audi
cnce Was facing oue way. followed tue gem
oral starc and saw the author OF Monte
Cristo." recognized him Instantly, not from
Lis portraits, but from Sadars grot:sqnc Carl
cature, which il more like linn than him=elf.
Ihero WAS such preposterou. stock Of white
wool covering tho enormous red face. with the
broad numerous negro s.nilo that ran over the
countenAure from the thick lips, auch trc-
rendous breadth of shoulder and breadth Of
ported tllinles* that bout Will, their burIen,
that no one regarded him seriously. They
! seemed to thiuk that on:landis1l figure was the
! Eet-up, not tic persuu Of Aexaudro Dum7s.
| 1he whole losec stared At fiu with all their
! eyoe and lorgnettse, and chatteted With at
! brutal an nnresetve As An English or Aneri-
can crowd would hava e1hibited-whfch is not
usual in Latin country. The veteran did
!: not seem to mind them. He spoke from time
: 10 tirnc TO tile ladies In the box, with f1iut
ltght Of the old galtantry shining through his
/, heavy face. Sometimes. when tho still glozi-
ons vosco ct Tantetlik seemed to burn
/. through the vail that sge has cast over it, aud
! AGAR up to that electrical climax OF the III tlr
poitrire, could ree, in tho kindlIng cyc Of
, the old roHlsncer, sign Of the sympathy that
:: existed between the two battered and tlc-
!; worn gianss o! art. Dut, usually. he WIS sunk
: III sluggish reyery. OK Feacefnlly s1oring in
! that sweet sleep Of ago aid childhood with
! which nature Kindly soothes aud gu.rls tho
: weakness Of our beginning and our end
:, wns 10 Interested in him that evening that
!! readily accepted Mr. PerIvs kind invitation
i to call with lin ut the qninta. 1t stood Just
The bull-ring, on that hist, harricd plateau.
where the suuahine drives all tho pedestrians
into the sc7ntv shadow Of the walls. II sectas
like changing your latitude with tf,ougAt
when you open the r7ekesy gate ard step into
the cool, lust, fragrant garden. It ia full OF
winding walks and heavy tufts Of venture, ar:
botr. and wayward vines, and a little way back
stands tho old farmhouse, ,completefs buried il
rlan,bcrinS roses. We fcuud Dumas in 3 de.
lcious s11n1met~houes in tho garden. Hit
niece. an exquisitely pretty and wiuson1s
schoolgirl, A. innocent aud modest ~ school
sitls arc in those ctFeto and degenerate lands
( rat near him, and Opposite him At the ristit
table wAs Carolina Coronaao, the Spanisl
poet
/ Dumas began talking At onco about his
work He did not get on very we'll, he said
he could not accomplish nure than ter
printed pages per day tho Spanish VAS hari
10 read, and he had either to consult the die
tiorary or guess At the moaning of tho words
both these processes took tme- We listener
with amusement, and Madame Corsudo will
torian.s method. asked him how be dieposet
Of his day. II rise lAte-about 10. break
fast I wp:k un1il l. then indulge in th
debaueh Of walk in the garden. dine. an'
il Madame L. go good N 10 bring uer carriage
takc the a,r in the reado. Icome back M
!.
sleeping fourteen hours out Of th
. lwfnty-four. His dinners were gas
!: trsuomic phenomena. He prepare
them himself. lie sat At to
! head Of hia taLlc. in his shitt-eleeTes. and lei
hls guests. after each course, to superinteu.
the pre- senta,ion Of tho next, He renewed hi
, youth at the dinner table. All the reTre an
; Wit Of old times came back to him then. Bu
: from cr1lee TO bed time be was little more tia
mummy. that serves only to remind US Of
: princcly past.
lie was going ont for his drive when I er
tered the garden, and they kindly forced n,
to take the fourth seat. As We drove dow
the prado to the Paseo de Atoeha, the strAnE
I figure Of Dumas attracted universal attention
> He always carried t3ihus opera hat in his han.
!. and his eushy white wool save an appearance
. extraordinary slze to his hc,d. Ho spok
. hardy u void dur.rg the first lalf hour, n
:. swering all questions At random, aud on
seeming to listen when his pretty nlo.e spof
to him. He seemsd 1ost in rereries OF Il
!; time when be WAS say youth with cls'
lovely girl Appeared to find its way easi
through tho dull ear BY the key OF metnor
Later, when refreshed by the cool evcnit
mir, he bcc,me more chatty and sociable.
= remark made by Madame Corca. - in regz'
. to the opposition Of the Church ''spiri:u
d earnestly:
l. "Nessieurs les Cures are VT. :. The
!, | should he glzl OF any evidence th. goes
i Prove the immortality OF the sonl.~ ue tur
j ed 10 me and asked about these manifest
n tons In America In the coutse Of the co
o yersation ~hich ersued urged him to vi
le America to observe for 11mselt tic remar
ID able developments now making in the spir
f. usl and mAtetial life Of the people.
y He locked steadily at me 4 moment, tn
q taking tuft OF the snow-whitc wool in
b. fnEere. he said;
h. '' And thus"
to thought Of Reve1s, and replied:
ii :" 1t would ms ke you Senator"
le He looked dazed for i moment. He b
n not hcsrl of emancipation. He hAd but
H. vaene idt = Of tue wnt. This is nct uncomu
G, in France. Dumas, the youtgtr, in his Pc
N e.ful neyel LAGa.le Clruepee sp.~ lit
is luees young Dostonian named Andre Mini
>, who an1uses himte by attending the aogsi
d. Of his fathers slAves.
et l. En- 1ien :" he sigbcd. ssTlta las co,
no too late for me. When VAS Young il ke
o. me away from America. and nov An old
to "Ab. Mr. Dumas" said Madame, '.y
sit ! crow Younger every IAy. How do you tnani
1t:
A spark Of the old exquisite Wit brighten
ii. in the eyo OF Dumas, ~ he answcred
1t +" Dame j! ~ m<ts K Temps. Il give all I
ii Ne smoke OF his son, and asked what he ,
4. doing il theee yea1s OF silence. The old &
Nv tleman anrwe1ed, with some reserve: :"
~ revfr spo2ka to me. OK consulks with mo
~ IA snythiue he is doing, and fo1 this be 81
~ ~ s09t1 - nnt,r$an1 and charm. HAA