National Republican., 1873-11-12
EUoENE scRIBEsAyIDOw.
Five Comedies and -Four Opern-Tes,s Len
by Frances Great Playwright

Edmund About in the xIXme sieoie.l
The other day went to the Rue Passes-Tous
to call on the widow Of Eugene Scribe. She Is
old now-just seventy years-and yet she keeps
green tho memory Of him who was dearest TO
her heart, aud who has made, In the last nifty
years, more Frcnchmen laugh and weep than
Moliero or Corneille, Racine, voltalre or Victor
Hugo.
Oh what loss that was to France the death
Of Eugene Scribe! England mourned when wll-
liam Shakespeare died. Has France done the
same when the greatest, the most brilliant, the
most versatile Of her playwriehts left this worll7
Such were tho thoughts that agitated my mind
when knocked at the door Of Widow Scribe.
pretty little girl opened It to me.
"lfon rni1non," I said to her, "will you ask
Madame Scribe II ! can see her7"
darling. 81 will tell her.
Well "grandma" did admit me.
ihaye always noticed that great authors have
wives that are not exactly beautiful, but inter-
esting. A beautiful woman, as general thing,
will have lost all her charms at nfty; an inter-
estlng woman will preserve hers, even though
she should live TO he centcnarian.
so with Madame Scribe. Her hair is white,
but her eyes are bright. Grandmother as she IL
her waist is still slender. Her movements are
quick; her manner animated.
MADAME" said to her, after had sat down
an ns and Vs,Sr HasS 70
persuade Eugene Scribe not to write any more
plays, because His Majesty, Charles X, did not
Ike them-"madame. some one has told me that
your late lamented husband has left you several
/ could not nnIsh the sentence, for the nice
' aso scS 5e did. NJ. Scribe left me Eve comedies
"Four opera.texts!" exclaImea, in genuine
surprise. "why are they kept from the COM
posers7"
"Ahi" she said, with smile, 'I do not know
Of any composer worthy TO give them to-"
"Whs,!" exclaimed, "vsrdi, Thomas, aou-
"what are they all compared to Meyerbeer7r
she said. "And yet all Of US are so sorry that
we let him have The text Of L'Africaine!'
"Beesu.e," said Madame Scribe, che fooled US
'"Well,"1 observed, "Meyerbeer occupied that
much time In composing the music Of 'LAfr!-
Madame scribe laughed merrily.
"Ah!" she said, "therc you are strangely mis-
taken. The oil man composed the music In
three months. But no would not give the score
out because he had exhausted himself, and was
unable TO produce anything further that was
worthy Of his previous compositions.
chow do you know thats" I ventured TO in-
"ne told me so himself" !" she answered. "NIey-
crbeer always was lazy. Oh, yes, II my poor
He made Meyerbeer work. Believe me, Robert
10 Dlable' anu Les Huguen0ts' would never have
been set TO music but for the opportunities OF my
ing almost excited, fought to have left mo two
thirds OF his fortune; and-wlll you believe me?
--es juif maudft did NOT even attend my poor hus-
bands funeral ~
could not help laughing.
"Meyerbeer,"1 said, "was VIGOROUSLY AFRAID
Of death, and, In consequences, hated to go to
funerals"
aoh, yes |" said Madame Scribe. bitterly; "and
yet when he was dying he was glad to have me
by his bedside"
But we were wandering from the subject.
wanted to hear all about the posthumous and
unpretending works Of the great playwright.
What are she opera texts I" asked asked; ,o,n
qusitlve. Are not you yourself dramatist 2"
"a most unhappy one" replied. "My last
We both Of US laughed heartily.
perhaps your play deserved IT," she said,
al am sure 1t did, /" l remarked, philosophcally.
There was another laugh.
"surely," I said, "a hlssed dramatist can be
entrusted with oil the Information you possess
concerning your lamented husbands posthumous
Maiame Scribe became very serious.
..Monseur," she said, ~ have three grand
children; want to make all Of them well.to-do.
Each Of the three shall have for Its lfeglt three
plays, left me by my husband. They will not
grow old. People still admire his genius. His
memory Ii as green az Is the grass on his grave
at the Pere-la- Chaise. Those plays will be worth
money one day to my little darlings. You are
surely not curious enough to want them 70 DO
What could say7 Curious enough was, to
be sure; but who would have acknowledged IL
after such an appeal7
took Madame Scribe by the hand and said to
her: "You are right May you live TO witness
your dead husbands triumph"