, 1874-07-19
JULES JANIN.
A Visit to the House Of Mourning.
Anecdotes Of the Great Gossiper---The
Funeral.
Edmond About on the Dead Critic.

| r. 1AANAAsA*
Edmond About on the Dead Critic.
Huris {Jus 20 Correspondence q the Hese fork Herald
Jules Janin, prince Of dramatic critics, kim
Of the feuilletoy., expired on Friday afternoon q
the house No. II Rue do Ia Ponre, in the sub
urb Of Passy, where lie had passed the last
| fifteen years Of his life. I went to bis house
| Yesterday, accompanied by friend, young
Parisian journalist. to whom as to all others oi
| the profession, the dead man had shown kind
moss. " II etaik 81 bon pour moi" said my friend,
| with tears in his eyes, Such \ pretty house,
built In the style OF u Swiss chalet, and
| standing In the midst Of garden full OF
| waving trees, velvet turf, md sweet
smelling flowers In this garden Janin used, in
the summer. to receive his friends, members of
theltorary world. 30 proud to pay homage to their
outer gHts Is worked tue monogram ~. H."
intials so eagerly looked for in the Journal des
.Debdts every Sunday for forty years. We sent in
our cards, aud q gentleman came out Of tho house
to receive us-a type Of certain class Of French
men, small gfay, self possessed, dressed in black,
with the rcd ribbons OF the Legion of Honor in his
buttonholo. In answer to our interrogatories,
having first announced himself as Dr.. Vil1otte,
the family physician, he told US that II. Janin
had expired very peacefully and without strug-
gle. For weeks past bis corpu1ency had been 80
enormous that be had boon unable to move him
self, but had 10 be carried By his servants from
place to place.. On this Friday afternoon he
had eaten rather moro dinner than usual
little bouiaon, instead OF the cup Of
milk which had recently suficed for his
meal, and, feeling fntigued, desired servant
to help him to bed. AS he reached the couch he
gave one long sigh and it was all over. The ru-
NOR that be had been for soma time out of his
mind had, the Doctor declared, no real founda-
tion. Tho knowledge that he had lost forever
the power OF locomotlon affected him very much.
Not long before his death he said to Bome
friends: II suppose am celebrated; I am
GSesey Ssst TtfE M os an .od %Sn9eE psaoaac. aa 'as h
that glory to walk, to walk round this
room without assistance !" And be WIS specially
rrtnted by the compassionate looks With which
visitors would regard him. They did not like to
openty express their pity, but they looked it.
Janin, WITH hia quick appreciation, recognized
what waa meant and suffered under it horribly,
but in silence. 1t Wax from this, Dr.. Villette !
thought, that the idea Of his dementia had first
arisou.
At the Doctors ivftation Ne walked into the
cHAnBEn or DEATH |
where the body thcn lay. 1t was 1arge dining |
room, on the second floor painted In gar eo1ors, |
With large open fireplace in the style OF tho |
renaissance and with windows opening On to the |
katueu. living ~ i's eas1noss u accees II.
ann Ind for some time used It ~ his dwelling
room, and there he died On couch on which |
Eefanger had also Dreamed MS last At table
in corner sst priest, old lady, and two old !
gentlemen- Tho Old lady had long hse
before her from "n1ch ahe read aloud
and the priests put cards into envelopes which |
they addressed. These cards were the invita-
tions 70 JdaFs poTt, as u - ealed here, 70 sake
part IN tue funeral ceremony: 1hey tooked
d'atcly returned to their business, which they
carried oot. am oooho 20 say "lthons ap-
parent'Y the smallest appreciation OF the
surrounding circumstances. And yet one
ess *ouid nayo oeen IMPRESSED Tor tnefe, on
low oeo IL me mloaie OF me room, laJ 1ne re-
mains Of one who, Tor quarter OF q century,
1ad been one On the most shlh1ng nehte OF
Ffench Journalism, anu Mno hAI won 1or him-
seN a. Tot.u.Slos leouaauon o;, lne enPrssh1on
on tho hairless lace vas mid and cnildake, as
though the seventy years eonteet With the
world had left no impression On it, calm and in
nocent, IS OF happy old man IN peaceful
Ths Doctor Ass P's d ~ through
THE HOUSE
Behind the moEtuary chambeF fs the kitchen,
onsnt and gl'ste'lng With lta bsttsr1e de enisne,
rs SHINING pots and stex-pans. 1he broad stair
m IRE ensrasln$s r. attat sae anesent q; M masters: AZ
~ md 1a,;1g Leading oas of it huge
'naapGl, m 9th useo ioolscl1nna'e!y es olnlng-room
ana np1a1y. IN eAea OF tue fouf corners
u tnis roc" " M sao1mous nookeaae ~ DICK
'a1, nlea vim Aaanes ana Eszeyirs' Isre
soluone o. fa<e VOTES. Aoose ne "nlte masole
aante!pieee; Hl.n rs LOUIS eesze eook,
,ortfan OF hauame Janln. IN mont OF the WIZ
~" on eon1ou peooelu u masoie
tnss n Seoin, ana caoae Dy ls Afs ne6k,
oVered with papers wr7tsen over m blue ink.
Chere, envoloped m arees'ng gown and With
k travelling Cap on his head, be used 70 work.
dere 10 pdsased tne last niteen years Of bis hie
lere he wrote his translation OF Horaeo, bis
, AevGn de Aamoou' hls holiday -fsu10eto"s for
he Deodts.
ANECDOTES.
His handwriting was very bud, very night
nare Tor printer. 30 iilegible that only Two
ompositorB out Of tie whole stall OF the Dedats
'cre able to translate r. When he eon:ributed
. any other periodical he aa*ays diersed his
'ork to Nmo- !anin, waro writes an excellent
and One daJ he wrote = letter to friend,
tho after much trouble deeiphered two or three
'ords which made him think his correspond
ut must be JAnia. he nnmsdistefy
tarted Tor Passy. Al. here you are"