New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
LITERARY FRENCHMEN.
GTSTAVE DROZ AT HOME.

HALF PAINTER, HALF wRITER-A wATrEAU OF
LITERATURE.
IRON An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNEl
PARIS May ,.
Jtis owing TO his grandfather that Gustave Droz
became the author he is and this grandfather, who
exercised so great an influence over the grandchild
he never saw was, strange TO sag, not man OF let
ters Int an engraver, n tashioner of metals and
Goldsmith He was native of Switzerland, but
ba came TO Paris in 1900 where he soon became
fanons for his delicate and artistic designs, and
where he rapidly acquired brilliant position Moth
ing at that time was deemed so slight as TO be M
worthy of q masters hand, witness the dainty fans
painted by the most distinguished artists OF the
Court and the art of tho fashiOning of metals was
patronized by the King himse If, whom we find
chiselling and engraving with his own royal hands
the window fasteningS at the Little Irlanon Tor
the favorte bou,loir or Marie Antoiuettc. 1t W as
the time of elegant trlhes aud Droz adorned brace
LET clasps snuff boxes shoe buckles aud even but
tons with fower-bound Cupids and snowy doves,
and shepherds and shepherdcsSes with nulterng
ribbons IN gay profusion. He did not conilne hln-
self however to the coquettlsh subjects OF boucher
and Laucret for he was the inventor OF now gem
orally ALLOTTED method of coming. and 1t was he
who designed the silver piece for Lons ANL,
which bore the name of the - Droz Ecu" and with
had it set IN the ella p of her favorite bracelet IL
was he too. who engraved the gold coin of the
First Empire and the commemorative medals OF
that period so uch in victories ana III their recon-
pense.
When the reverscs came Napoleon sent TO Droz
one of the medals with lock of hair OF the little
King of Rome, to be So arranged that 1t could en-
close the blonde curl out he sent into exile be-
fore it was completed, and the medal and the lock
of hair still remain as treasured souvenirs IN the
family side by side with the bracelet of Marie An
toinette. which was returned to w. DrOz after the
revolution.
The father Of GuStavc Droz. who had inherited
his fathers talent but exercised II differently, be-
came a sculptor and IN his sons drawins-room
there is beautiful marble figure of young GIRL
win the freshness of youth in every outline which
is one of his most noted works. The house of Gus
tave Droz is jewel. Everything about
,t-rnmitnre. hanpiags. trnkcts, pictures
-bctrays tie lover Of art HIS library
is of beautifully carved rosewood of the LOUIS
XVI period, an there are here and there cabinets
Of the same style with dark bronz' monntlngs.
bcbiud whose beveled glass windows CLEAN an
admirable collection Of jewels and medals and
Thousands Of souvenirs. Everything about his home
is antique and rcdolent of the quaint charm oil
the eighteenth century. Reared with such ~ur-
roupdings il is mo- to be wondered at that young
Droz when h was still at school, begged his father
70 let him discontinue bis studies TO begin what ho
fe,t WAS his VOCATION His father however,
manned obdu7ate and replied to his sons pleading
by an inevitable and unyarying,
"Wait 'till you obtain your degree, and wen
see"
Ard IT was not until he was received as Bachelor
&c Arts and sciences that his father allowed him to
IIo Io,ra l,tr,. ,tt, ftt,u
and stndIed for some time uader Sicoi but his real
master was his grandfathers collection. From those
bcribboned nymphs and satn-robed shepherds he
drew his inspirations and IT is TO them that owe
the picture he sent to the Jast Salon, wlthercd
gentleman of the Old school, i'll puce-colored
dr.ssinr-gown looking tenderly at little slipper
be holds IN his hand, coquetfIsh little slipper,
vcrv very tiny it is true, but large enough doubt
less TO contain his youth aud his dreams OF the
rast Droz abandoned The palette and brush. when
b,s sucress as writer obliged him to give all his
fine to his pen and he takes them up nos only
dprino his leisure moments in his summer home at
Charny.
He began literary life with weekly contributions
IN La Vie Parisieane, fashionable paper, and the
clever little articles, signed Gustave l., ltnlne-
di.tely became popular. There is an aroma ABOUT
troo \ nccular SAVIOR Of pquaLt and refined gal
lautry. when Is CudinliHE anu 'A"|'iS "A'N' '''
manner of the laughing cuplds and shepheTdcsscs
of the grandfather. DrOz really belongs to that
,,n,e md he cannot be better defined than as the
Vatican Of iteratufe. He has all his grace, his
exouisite delicacy. his smiling coquctry, andiitRe
leost Of his works breathes the delicious, capt.
waiting charm OF the dainty pictures OF the Court
painter. l.. p. 81 .h hool, 1,,
vInch he IS ana will be ocst known in America, Is
BIbaIaluV It has reached only his twenty eighth
edition but il IS far SUPERIOR to any OF MS OtntG
wnrks f. il more sOmbTe IN color, but 1t haS all
their finish and truth, and 1t Is eXqusitely t0d
that it is perfect poem There are lew Things that
can equal in the tenderness of its pathos the story
of the poor old svant who describes his lie so SIM
nly and with such touching naIyctc that IL goes 10
Gnsfaye Droz is abont forty or fOrty.two years
old and 40 exactly like body else in his appear
once that If one 10 him III the street or on
fLe Bouleyard he would never take him TO he
"sonebodyU lie has kindly brown eyes, rapidly
tbinning brown hair and a short brown beard. "A
clever Voung woman, who saw hln only once de-
6nd him "a one OF that kind of men who would be
ant to wear soft round felt hat y; and no descrp-
tIou could better convey ones impression OF MN
lie was born in Paris. and has never LETT ms native
81 cove for short excursions. HIS Childhood was
Wv, 80, m a little pinkish brick house near the Lux
spohn oura lis home now is on the Quay Votaire III
a Of those Old historical houses men III carved
noajs and ma gnfceut ceilings, which ABOUND aiVng
p INKS of the seine. exactly as they were III MS
t.io aJforbers time From the wlndOws nc secs nc
santant nrocession Of passers-by on the quaV WIZ
III ,,a;nf little boOkstalls and their IL" Tess qhh
son,enters outined against the gray IaSduc Vi VIC
nd he yes dclightedly IN his OId nlansion,
aJding 10 the already superb colleclloi Vi s - 20
auuins b,hnIots looking over his sons pr0Dems 10
ae.n him in his to-mOrrows lesson, ana "ii'inB
dawn hssty notes for his next DooK'