Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-05
VICTOR HUGO. .
Ills Life, His Ways and His CharacteI

IN 1902, his father having been one of
the most distinguished of Napoleon's
Generals. At one time General Hugo
held command in the province of
AuyelIino, in Calabria, where he man
aoed, after desperate chase, to run
Fra Diavolo to earth. Afterwards he
went TO Spain, taking Victor with him.
The child already gave promise of
Genius. and King Joseph asked to see
him. Remember, my boy" quoth the
father, that if His Majesty speaks to
Won YOU must address him as Sire.
The King did converse with little Vie
for. who called. him "Monsieur." Gen.
Hugo asked his son after the audience
WHY he had disobeyed the paternal in
iunctions. Victor made n reply which
perhaps only a shy man will quite un-
derstand: IL was afraid"
About this time Victor was entered
as a student at the Seminary of the
Mobiles in Madrid. Previously his
education had been conducted under
the auspices of an old royalist, who
was a general into the bargain. In
1913 he was placed at the Convent of
the Feuillantines. He is thus one of
the most mournful and striking argu-
ments against the old creed. Brought
IN Catholic, and endowed with all
the susceptibilities which could enamor
a soul of the Catholic poetry, he has
deliberately rejected it. He is no
sceptic, but a passionate Deist, who
speaks somewhat scornfully of what
are pre-eminently styled the mysteries
of our faith.
Papa Hugo wished his son to be-
come soldier, but the boy had other
ideas. He had begun to scribble at
six or seven; v6ritable replica of
Pope
Wills, yet a child and all unknown to fame
li.p'd in numbers, for the numbers came
At fourteen he wrote tragedy-bad,
of course, but such Us many a man of
twenty-eight might have been proud
to write. At fifteen he competed for
one of those prizes which the French
Academy annually offers with the
benign intention of encouraging the
study of letters among the people
most disposed to rush into print of
any in Europe. The subject was
The Advantages of Study" Victor's
poem was unquestionably the best, but
he had been goose enough to sign "a
Poet of 15." The bigwigs fancied
they were being chaffed, never dream
ing of such n product of nature as a
boy of genius. so they refused him
the prize, but (fer they had a collect
i've conscience) allowed him honorable
mention.
Three religious, patriotic odes, all
crowned by somebody, followed in
three successive years; and Victor be-
gan to be looked upon by the Royal
lists pretty much as Mr. Gladstone was
looked upon by the Tories of forty
years ago. Indeed, there is more than
one point of resemblance between these
eminent men. They have both travel
ed the same way, only Mr.. Gladstone
has not covered the same space. He
began as a Christian and a Christian
he has remained. Victor Hugo has
measured the vast distance between
belief in the Pope and belief in him
himself alone. Again, the men are
both terribly in earnest. A Govern
ment of Hugos with real power at its
back would probably reform society,
unless, by way Of alternative, it sue
ceeded in destroyingthat time-honored
institution altogether.
In 1922 was published the first vol
ume Of "Odes and Ballads" The
success was fully equal to that Of the
two first cantOs of "Childe Harold" T"
Like Byron, Hugo awoke and found
himself famous. For time he was
happy, this lad of twenty who had
become one Of the greatest men in
France. lie now took what some
persons have pronounced the one wise
step in his life. A Mile. Foucher had
been brought up with him at the Con-
vent Of the Feuillantines, and young
Victor had risen to love her. The
parents of the young lady, however,
had looked upon him rs q detrimental
or worse; now he was discovered to
have merit, also much prudence in
money matters-a quality which has
never forsaken him-so their views
changed, and his suit was encouraged.
Frankly, this poet has keen eye to
the main chance. On his return to
Paris in 1870, after nineteen years
exile, his first act was to drive TO the
Academy and claim his arrears of
pay as one of the Forty. A thousand
francs a year, ] think, is the allowance
OF an Immortal, 80 that the sum was
worth asking for. Victor Hugo has
been accused of lack of generosity,
chiefly because his charities are unos-
tentatiously bestowed. But numerous