The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-08-22
BY DIR. II. SHELTON MACKENZIE.

Alexandra Davy Dumas, the most
prolific romancist that France ever pro
duced (born July, 18O3-died Decc m
Der, 1870, was the son of General Davy
Dumas, the illcgitimatc offspring of the
Marquis de Ia Paictcric, by mula,,o.
The story runs that, once upon a time.
some very inqristive person, meeting
with the great novelist, closely cross
questioned him-as to his parentagc.
+ They tell me, monsieur" be said,
that your mother was muatto What
was her mother %
Dumas, already boiling over with
rage, growled out:
"She was .:cg-css."
Mr.. Curious went on: "And her
mother z"
| Dumas roarcd out /:
"A monkey she was a monkey !,
Evidently, my family began where
.yon's is ending!'
After this, there was no further
| questioning
Notwithstanding his ilcgitimrcy,
which is Il legal impcdimcnt to re ,uar
heirship, and the succession to ti.!os
and estates, Dumas was never so W ell
pleased as when he was addressed as
t Monsieur lie Marquis"
When the Duke de Montpcnsic-
youngest son of Louis Philippe, then
Citizen King of France, went to Madrid,
in Qctofer, 1916, to be married to tho
Queen Of Spaiu's only sister, he t5ok
Dumas with him to write history of
the Hurriase; undin tie marriage con.
tract, Still cxtant, there is to b. seen
the signature of the great novelist as
marquis Davy Dc In Pailctcric, )" with
long string Of other titles. The ap
pearancc OF Dumas Enthusiastically indi
Gated his origin.
General Dumas, his father, had dis
tinguished him self in the French army
He died, at the age of forty four leav
ing this one son, wholly unpro vidcd for.
The lad was brought up and educated
son chow by his mother. He learned
very little Latin, but could not master
he four first rules Of arithmetic. He
was largely built, active, muscular fcl
low at cightccn-a famous horseman. a
master of country sports and games, per
fcctly skilled in the use Of rapicr an d
pistol, bit Ola poachcr, and most tire
less dance.
At twenty, as he has himself stated
Gin an autobiography, which, though un
completed extends to twenty seven
voumes), he determined to appeal to
his fathers old comradc: and fric nds-
that is, to the Duke de Bclluna, then
high in rank and wealth
y Il they did was to get him employed,
rs copying clerk in the bureau of the
Duke Of Orleans, at salary of twenty
dollars Il month. Here he attracted thc
favorable notice Of the duke (a:,crwarl
the Citizen KING, who treated him well,
raised ] IS salary and ga We him little to
DO, on condition Of his devc,i ing to self.
education the ample leisure thus afford
cd him,
Three years after this Gin 1920, he
began his literary career b. assisting in
writing play, his author name being
Dnvy. about this time, indeed, he
wrote several plays, none Of which were
acted.
Al last, in 1923, his historical tragedy
Henry the Third" in which historical
truth was boldly set ut defiance, was per
formed at the principal theatre in Paris
The Duke Of Orleans, with IL crowd
OF PRICES and princcsscs then visiting
him, witnessed the first representation,
which was most successful, and for tho
next twenty years, Dumas was one of
the most popular Of French dramatists.
His first play put six thousand dollars
into bis pocket, and Of course he rcsiy
ned his tumble clcrkship in the Duke Of
Orleans household, retaining the friend
shin OF that prince and his family
With success and wealth came riotous
lvlpg, extravaganza and waste. Dumas
ucNcr acnuir,.d a knnwlnlnn nf b a u,l,..