New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-28
LIFE IN PARIS.
, rrrER FROM ARsENE HoUssAYE.


rrRox REGULAR CORRESPONDENT on THE rRibusEI
PARIS. Aug 12-France IL taking It's vacation
and enovina the delight of children out of school,
The deputies are beating up the country to secure
their Reelection, and the students are betaking
themselves to the fields to perfume their Latin. and
TO forget in the fruitful presence of nature the
sterile culture of Greek roots. My second son, IL
wears old did not wait for the vacation to begin his
truancy, and so did not bring home any laures from
the Lyceum of Henry ". Once he was severely
called to order for having introduced smoking to-
bacco into the school :" second time for having
introduced snuff This was very grave for upon
signal given by him sixty gamns of his age sneezed
vociferously in the face of their master He was
therefore placed outside of competition.
more CHASTITY piece of mischief is that perpe
trated by Armand Barthet, who died last year. and
who has written to his friends since his death. A
letter dated, "The Shades Aug. 1, 1879" came to
me duly postmarked like live letter 1t ran thus
nromiscd to have Iesba's Sparrow" revived the
French Theater with Mademoisele Favart The absent
wrong-to come back, you once said. rake care
Rachel whom found here sends friendly greetings
II is rather difficult for me to this letter as
the post is not responsible for delivery in the Shades
Take care p he says 81 shall come back" Very
we'll Let him come. l await him, and stand my
ground.
Barthet was born fighting man, as he was born
poet but he was III armed for the battle of life The
first time met HIM came near having meeting
with him, if you will pardon the word. This is the
story You will permit the personality, as man
knows best what he has himself seen.
was breakfasting, towards the end of 1s47, at
the Cafe dOrsay with Gerard dc Nerval. There
entered tall staggering fellow with his hat cooked
on one side He asked for a demi tasse OF coffee
and an inkstand. All the tables were occupied. lie
came unceremoniously and sat down at onrs' ana
there made himself perfectly at home. We insisted
upon our rights; but he wished to show us by his
clustering manner that he considered the place be-
longed TO the last occupant. He ended by saying
"Perbaps YOU don't like 2" "No, do not like it,"
and threw my card on the table He wrote his
name and tossed it towards me, but as soon as he
read nv name he seized my hand, and cried All 1t
is you have Just come from your house. tie had
been to the office of the Arse TO speak about Les
bias Sparrow" was not yet director of the French
Theater but had the reputation of bringing good
luck 10 debutants. Would to Heaven that Barthet
had not presented himself that day for did not
discourage him in that path of flowers which Is
path of sorrow.
| could have published Lesbia's Sparrow" in the
Arste OF thrown it into the fire. and the piece would
TO give up poetry, and he would have mounted the
tribune the year after and finally become Judge.
Unfortunately for him. found his play little mas
terpece and so wrote Jann the prince OF critics,
and to Rachel the princess of the stage. 1t was ike
| train of gunpOwder, the way enthusiasm sprang up
| over the piece. Six weeks afterward the sparrow
was trying its wings under the heaven OF the french
Comedy. from which it had been driven not long be-
fore by NM the French Comedians There was
one dramatic poet the more but poet who was still
schoolboy and one who never ceased to be tfuant,
in literature and in life He had only his hour, for
care of the morrow seized him the very day OF MS
success. He was dreamer rather than worker-a
man of fancy rather than of study. He had already
haunted Bohemia too long He would trihe week
over sculpturesque sonnet. He said that sonorous
RHYMES were brighter than Louis dor. Very pretty,
but Won cannot ill your portemonnae with Them
In vain his best friends like myself, urged HIM to go
on with his young rcnOwn he did not STIR GOSSIP Ill
cafes in theaters iii studios and beer-shops de-
voured his time. He sketched thousand things
and finished nothing, happy in what he was DONG
disguised with what was DONE
Ue began to talk of his poverty when was ap-
pointed director of the French Theater. already
foresaw his shipwreck. 1t was loyal heart and a
charming talent; appointed him under secretary
with Vertem He assumed gaily the title OF Under
and what did he doi The very next day he hired
secretary. 1t was Adophe Cattle. He had plenty
20 do for he trted with all the actresses.
Would you believe It'll Before long Adolphe Cattle
hired secretary also. Ii that poor Detroyes,
poet and consumptlve who died in early youth.
What came of all these secretaries
/ would tell Barthet in the morning to write TO
some parsonage. He passed the order to Cattle, who
passed it on to Detroyes, who prepared the letter III
a sense exactly contrary to what had Indicated L
soon therefore, had to content myself with Vereml
alone without, however. taking away Barthets sal
ary MY dear friend" | said to him. " you are my
secretary, and you write plays for the lheater,
instead of letters for the Direction But
he would not be secretary IN por''6~
he insisted on his share in the Direction. He dis
arranged everything in his zeal Here is an in
stance One evening" whom Rachel was playing his
Sparrow" he saw in the boxes a man who was
laughing heartily between two Lesbias. He ran to
the box and opened it with authority. lie spoke to
! the Laughter, who laughed in his face. Upon which
the pugnaciOus poet took him by the collar and
walked him into the corridor. Who do you suppose
was the laugheri The Project of Police. There
was great tumult and was sent for Luckily.
was acquainted with earlier. But ii was not the
Project whom it was hard TO appease, but Barthet
/ himself
The next morning TO make things end pleasantly,
what does Barthct do but write this pretty note to
the Project: :" imagined, Sir, that l could not do
better than apply to the Project of Police IL seems
! that could not have done worse"
! was forced TO my great regret, to part with Ar
nand Barthet But | still remained his friend,
also did Rachel She invited him to her suppers but
in his quality of Bohemia he was rather too uncere-
monious. The Bohemians generally piqued them
selves on not being of the world. do not i'm
! bute this to them as a crime but as Barthet did