New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-16

nounce in advance good things unknown that theii
natural privilege is to be agreeable TO all 90 - not
to pass for prudish or il-tempered.
FINALLY both parties being heard by the tribunal
Of love- the defendant is acquitted and absolved
from the claim Of the plaintiff and permission is given
her. in virtue Of her trade woman, To talk, laugh,
salute wear bouquets Of all colors and kinds. with
out criticism let or hinderance; costs to be assessed
on plaintiff"
'Tis ever thus.
Now what was the famous case of that Court OF
Love presided over by M6rineef They started this
excessively ticklish question: whether it is per-
mitted to queen TO save the dynasty by violating
her conugal faith The Prince Imperial was then III
the world, that the question had no personal ap-
plcation All the ladies were called upon for their
opinion. One of them thought it was coup deIes
like any other. The Emperor came In unexpectedly.
Sire said the Empress, with her charming smile,
I'VE are playing with fire, bns we shall not get
burned, for we have a safe President" They then
told him the question before the meeting. The En-
peror eltere.! gayy into the proceedings, and pro-
posed the corresponding question whether hus-
bands infdelity could be excused when committed
to save the public peace. After some lively discus
sion it decided that the proposers of both qes-
tons should be turned out Of court by different
doors.
Those were the good times No one thought OF
ANYTHING but the pleasures of Paris, of Compiegne,
and of Barritz. When sovereigns are happy, the
people are also happy.
Merimee has described himself in his letters but
still more faithfully in speaking of his master stend
hal the author of Rouge ct NOir, a skeptc who was
beyond skepticsm: " He impious. an outrageous
materialist. a personal enemy Of Providence. He
denied the existence of God, and yet he hated Him
like a master" All atheists are like this. They
deny God because they do not love Him. rather than
because they do not believe in Him.
But preferred the skeptcism OF Stendhal to that
Of Merlmee. As Henry Blaze happily said, " Stend
hal a man of Imagination and originality, had that
ideal skeptcism which takes all the iris hues and
prsmatic fires of the rainbow y while Merimee had
the cold skepticism Of gray sky. You perceive no
sun and no blue heaven in his spirit.
They were pralsing his " sober style " before
Victor Hugo. YES" said the great poet, 1t is the
sobrety of bad Igestion." Never did two writers
have such contempt for each other for Merimee said
that Victor Hugo, initiating the frog OF the fable
had pulled himself I'D to such point that he was
grotesque rather than great writer. Hugo often
laughed at the native sterility Of Mermee. For in
stance. when he speaks of Charles *. in his Chron
icle of 1872" instead of painting his portrait, he
SAYS 4" You will do better to loos at his bust in the
Museum of Angoueme II ii in the second ball, No.
9s." 1t is ike those play writers who allow their
finest scenes to take place behind the curtain.
If Merimee did not believe In God. if he Dragged
too much about his damnation, like the great Fred
erick in compensation he had the good sense to be-
leve in woman.
Rnt women did not believe in him. He said like
Henry Blaze, he who does not wish to grow old
should love women, and to love them well You must
love them ALL ARsENE HoUssAYE.