Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-11-06
ALEXANDER DUMAS, Fills.

From the London Daily News.
About fve-and-thirty years ago there
began to be seen, in the house Of that
great spendthrift of money and genius,
called Alexander Dumas, a boy who now
describes himself as having been viva
cious and playful, but whom his cotem.
poraries state TO have been a reserved
iad-proud, and precociously sharp at
retorting whenever his vanity was hurt.
He was ten years old, and came home
from his school on Sundays and holi-
days TO be shaken hands with by his
father, and then left to fill up his time
as he pleased, or as he could. The
house was full Of literary toadies, Bohe-
mians, and impseunions artists. These
formed the great Dumas court, burned
incense under his face, ate his dinners,
borrowed his money, and forgot to repay
it; and passed his boy about from hand
to hand as an artistic curiosity that was
to DO admired, or Rs q petdog that was
to be spoiled. No youth, as tins author
of La Dame aux Camelias has since &C.
knowledged, could have been worse
brought up. At school, the colossal pop
ularity of his father-for it was colossal
at that period = threw its reflex on
him, sud made him as distinctive an
object for curiosity and importunate
questions as it be had always been
dressed 10 scarlet. At home, the very
uuedifying scenes he witnessed, the easy
morality OF the ladies into whose COM
many he was thrown, and the base cring-
ing of the male crew who lived on his
fathers prodigaiity, early tinged his
thoughts With . streak Of that bitterness
which time never quite renoges, In
this fashion the lad grew up until he was
eighteen, at which age his father placed
roll of bank notes in his hands, and
spoke in this paternai visa When q
man inherits the name Of Alexander
Dumas be should lead the life Of a
prince, dine at the Cafe Anglaise, and
be generous with his money. Go and
amuse yourself When you have spent
that YOU shall have more. IL you con-
tract debts ] will pay them. Nothing
could be piaiaeF OF more CONDUCIVE 70
morality. Young Dumas threE himself
headlong into the torrent of Partisan
| life. ran obe6iently into debt, drew, with
out stint or scruple, on his well-pleased
father. and was never lectured by the
father save o. the meanness of parsi'
mony. . ..ff
But this healthy sort of existence must
necessarily experience checks when
father and son both lead it together.
The elder Dumas practiced all he
preached; and by degrees the eash-bowls
on his desk This money was never looked
up in drawers. but lay in bowls, open TO
al comers) began to be more and more
often empty. One day, when his son
came to levy supplies from them, he
found they were in possession of the
bailifFs, along with the rest Of the house s
furniture; and though his father cried TO
him with ono CT bis hearty laughs that
this was nothing, and that money was
as fast earned as spent, yet this little
episode set young Dumas thinking that
II he should suddenly become an orphan
he should fiud himself face TO face with
| his own debts and his fathers possessed
of no assets and no proiessloni and, be-
side all this, having sister 10 support
IL may be that some less material
thonghis mingled with these, and told
him that the life be had been spendinl
! was not e very noble one, and that mai
has ether missions to fulfill than those o
rolling about bouleyards in a pheton
and signing his name TO o US. Any
how, the resolution he took in the cours'
Of one day, and unhinchingly adhere'
10 during several years, revealed in hin
a firmuess OF character and On honest,
| Of purpose which could not have con-
from parental example, and must hav
been innate. he severed hin
. self completely from his forme
mode Of living, his friends and assOcil
tons. BE discarded his pheton an
rrooms, sub.let his fine lodgings, sold o.
his furniture, dressed plainly, and, ha'
I, ing convoked bis creditors, told theI
with fraukness that he was unable
: nav them then, but that II they woul
c give him time he would work ill be ha
discharged bis obligations 70 the lal
fnrthing One would have been glad
n record that the creditors met this assu
ance il q believing spirit; but the ta'
y IL they tried 10 lodge him IN Chneh.
He alluded them, however, took reial
Z, At Fontainbleau in small inn-roous :
-Aieh he paid thirty sous a day, Al
'ere' during two years, worked Ike