New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-02
DUMAS AT HOME.
The Resid euce and Treasures of the Author
of"La Dame Aux Camelias."

DUMAS AT HOME.
The Resid euce and Treasures of the Author
of sLa Dame Aux Camelias."
From the London World
The most successful author in Paris
lives in one of its best appointed houses
The Avenue de Villiers is in the line of
boulevards Just within the Notifications,
and far away from all noises, except per-
haps those Of the engines of the circular
railway. The house in the Avenue de
Vlliers is Just such one as Thackeray
might have chosen if he had settled in the
foreign capital he seems to have loved SO
well. Its red brick, faced with white stone
at the angles, gives it an Old World look,
though, like most of the dwellings in the
quarter, it was built but yesterday. 1t is
well fenced in from the curious, and its
door is only to be reached from the gar
"A den-a rare security for privacy in this
n city of porteS cocheTeS open to all the
world. Another circumstance, perhaps
almost equally rare, is that Dumas has it
Il to himself; so that he is never dis
rbed, as areg so many of the wealthiest
eple in Paris, by the Migrants of another
and independent tenant overhead
Nis something more than house; it is
lery of art. Il is filled with paint
statuary, engravings, from hall to
et-furnished with them, in wordsH
re are pictures in the very vestibule;
fNre purchases, you would say, and
ElIust be hung outside for sheer want
<space within. The dining-room walls
IRE covered with them, and so are those of
the dTe Sng-room, they run all up the
stair-cat arather, one would suppose, for
msre'se6rage than for show, for here their
effect is altogether distorted by the light
from the stained glass windows. And
they are all good ones-gems of Fortuny,
Corot, Reguault, Morot, Troyon-in water
colorEor in oil. If the author were q
Nan lester merchant he could not have
nade@ more profitable investment, for
they are works whose value must increase
Ia an enormous ratio with time. A tiny
Meissonier alone would have to be covered
\ Nth many layers Of bank notes before it
shanged hands.
The secret of this painters habit of
NorkinR in miniature is revealed by the
Agual observation of M. Dumas Meis-
aier has a popularity of vision which
narrowly limits the area covered by
aance. Where others would see by
[1e sees only by inches; and he has TO
Guoe his lcanvasses in order that, in the
cost HteraI sense, ne may keep an eye
dpon what he is doing. In composition
say Of four feet by three, he would find it
ception Of the relation Of the centre to
the Outlying parts, because he could not
take them all in one coup dsuL He lately
painted q head Of Dumas, about half life
gize, and for him it was veritable tour
force in the management OF giant pro-
ortions; in fact, the picture is his statue
Hermann or Colossus of Rhodes.
THE LIBRARY.
His libraryis small one--a mere book
Use, in fact, and only the mightiest PEN
len, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Mohere,
lontaigne, find place on Its shelves
ne book, the Bible, is read more than all
ke rest by the author of the @ Dame aux
amillias" and the "Demi-M Monde" It is
Instantly in bis writings, and, what Is Of
lr more significance as an evidence Of the
ncerity Of his appreciation, in his talk;
I'D it is not too mach to say that many
Irenchmen derive their sole knowledge Of
3 texts from his works They are Q
Slerant people, and apparently they don't
bind q little Of that sort of thing in its
lace-namely, in play. The collection
las its stamp Of individuality in its works |
& science. The writers on physiology,
br instance, are far more numerous than |
hose in any other branch.
The room in which he works Is the
ougs in miniature, perfect nest of brio |
l-brac. Here is q cabinet Of oak like !
saost Frenchmen, he can not abide ma
togAny) filed with rare china; there a |
5ioture or Q teRra-cOtta groupe. Some of
he statuary ia too large for mere chamber |
eeoration. In the house in which he |
nFmeKiy lived he used to work in The
Hhadow of q competition by Franceschi,
khich dwarfed him and every object in
he place. and even in this one he con-
rived to find corner for q large figure
b terra-cotta, Of Fame, inscribing on her
bsroll the name Of the sOldier-artia Reg
ault, killed in the last war,
The large tabls IN the middle is seen 81
glance 70 belong 10 a methodical crafts
Dan. Il is piece Of furniture eonsrived |
triple debt 70 Pay--a Nziting-deak, !
ire0n-holed bureau, and aToW 81 drawers |
8 one. He has himself published 3 de- |
okiption Of it ia 3 letter addressed TO 4 /
efend, at Is stored, he aags, ssHish /
hanar Of every Eorm and Of vakiea knla,
ateh spread in pFofnsion about ms ~ /
i've me the taste f0g work; for, IS lara
n0thing IL more appefizing 10 writes
ban Ene paper. a 10 the htleng saucer
u milk; 4 Is irresistible. Below are my
sstezp. I keep every ons receive; there
re some that ars thirty years old And
now many dead ones alseaag ! Ihsy ass
s s. So immense Eooapinclo with partitions.
s5fioa I en- TIE common grave. Don't Sc /
oniahed Il Should one day publish 3 I
ek with that tila. When have faeas1t /
cat 5 play, take twenty sheets q fape1 /
So saah cot but he last sud away ! go. /
As1 neax he t4anli1lh. beein % 3kipk Il +
6me % anish ~ sek. The lsaf act Is /
ifd 10 Gegenlam sheets; 10 nEaht a ta 1
r than the Ttak have Axea shQ /
nifty AZ maiseE by long expesiessga;
s pahlla wont dlgs.l asesn