Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-25
upon this subject, particularly the remark
| able comedy of LIE gendre de Mr.. Poirier,
by Jules Landau and Emile Angler. tits
now one of the

with the hope of being decorated with the
Legion of Honor through his son-in, law s
| intiuence-the earnest desire of his hfe-
| time. On the nobleman's refusal to exert
| himself In the matter the bourgeois wakens
up from his lethargy, takes possession OF
| the house, which Is his, and where he has
been merely tolerated, orders his dinners
as ne likes them and refuses to pay any
more of his son-in- laws debts. The char.
acter is magnifcently drawn, and the only
weak point of the play is that the young
| wife loves her husband, who pays not the
| slightest attention to her. out who Imme-
| diately adores her the moment she pays his
debts for him. A play by Alexander
Dumas fills, 'sLEtrangere," very well
known to Americans, since at the time of
| its appearance so much was said and writ
ten about it, although intended to prove
the necessity of divorce ia France, the
| author at the same time presents a type
| of a ruined, prohigate nobleman who mar
ries the daughter of rich merchant OF
very modest name and requirements, and
who through foolish pride sacrificed the
happiness of his only child. She, for her
part, asked nothing better than to marry
the companion OF her youth whom she had
alwys loved, and as in the end fiery
American arrives who kills her detestable
husband in a duel, she is permitted to re-
alize her dreams of happiness. Nothing
could be more revolving than the habits,
the conduct and character OF this noble-
man, and many aristocraJs blamed the
author for his severe criticism of that
which was once SO respectable but that
part of the drama was defended as per-
fectly natural picture by all observers OF
French society, and it may be said to be
the only real character in the play. To
say that all noblemen turn out in this way,
would be unjust but as general thing it
is only too true. One gentleman | know
with very noble and aristocratic name, is
charming exception to the rule. His
mother is direct descendant of Nine. de
Pompadour, and who had but two children
himself and brother. His brother
was his mothers favorite, and he was
rendered so unhappy that after his
fathers death he spent some years
at the Martinique Island in some Govern
ment employ, and during his stay there
wrote book on the customs of the lnhab-
itants which he himself illustrated with
pencil sketches, which book was made
reference of Government notes, and for
which excellent effort he was decorated
with the Legion OF Honor. He has since
lived on the small income of 450 francs per
month, produced from the fortune left him
by his father, as the greater bulk of the
fortune went to the mother until alter her
death. The younger brother, spoiled and
petted by the mother, became worthless
scamp ; he married
WENT THROUGH HIS wIFE'S FORTUNE,
As well as his own, and his two sous are
being cared for by the elder brother. The
mother has spent so much on her favorite
child in paying his debts and for his vafi-
GUS amusements, that her own fortune is
dwindling away, and although she is now
quite old, it is probable that the son she
| cherished so little will be obliged to come
TO her rescue before her days are ended.
The habits of my friend are very peculiar,
and have never varied for over twenty
years. He lives in large maritime city
| in what is called chdmbre ggn{e-a
| furnished room-quite an unusual clrcum-
stance throughout France, for all persons
who remain many months III one place
| manage to have some kind of furniture OF
IutlI OWL. l)hN ms dNSiilLS 10 iAAntS NOSS
and comfortable by means Of numerous
knick knacks and objects OF art; and he
cares for no other furniture until his
mothers death, when the half of that
which furnishes large chateau where she
lives will come to him. He pays near fifty
francs month for his room, He rises at
o'clock every morning drinks one sous
worth of milk, then writes and works until
I ,s,l..t- fhot ha ba-,sF., h
toilet, which IS
VERY ELABORATE,
That of a vieur beau, and which consists in
curling his hair, waxing his mustaches and
SO on. At 3 o'clock, dressed in the last
fashion, with gloves and cane he resorts to
the public promenade, where nearly every
day there is music At o'clock he goes
to dinner, with an enormous appetite, at
hotel where he boards for 100 francs q
| month He spends in all $50 francs
month, and the rest OF his income puts
aside until the month of May, when he
comes to Paris at the opening OF the Salon.
| He telegraphs day or so before his ar
rival to the hotel he is accustomed to visit,
and the same room is retained for him
which he has occupied since more than
twenty years. After month at the Salon
he goes south, and then returns home to
save and put aside more money for the
next years excursion. He is an example
of che most refined delicacy of sentiment
and manner as well as of perfect content
ment, for had he ambition, owing TO his
great popularity he could easily become
Senator. The most
| DIseoNsoLATE OBJECT
OF titled ambition | ever met with, was at
watering-place where a Countess had
come for consolation in regard to her dis
appointed hopes and infelicity of married
| life. Her father was sort OF candlestick
| maker in the provinces, where he collected
large fortune. He had clerk, who was
an enterprising yourg man, in love with
| the daughter of his employer, and whose
ambition was to become member of the
| firm and the husband OF the subject Of
his dreams. The ardent flame OF the young
man, to all appearances, was responded to
by the young lady, when suddenly there
appeared in their bright horizon horrible
black cloud in the shape of a titled gen
| tleman, who was almost beggar, with a
number of debts on hand, and who was IN
search of large dot in exchange for his
title. The father aud daughter we're both
so fattered with the idea that they re-
ceived the noble Count with open arms.
The marriage took place to the despair OF
the young lover, who committed suicide !;
the dot was handed over, and the debts
paid According to the laws in France. if
| the fortune comes from the wife, that for.
tune returns to her family after her death,
unless children are born. The young
Countess had two children (for one might
die), and almost Immediately they were
placed in pension, where she could rarely
see them. Her husband she has never
since laid eyes on, and is more disconsolate
than a widow and although she has a
crown embroidered on all her clothes, and
charges the washerwoman to carry her
linen to her with the crown on the ont