The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-18
AT WORT os | NxN PLAY.
[P.ris slorniae Ness.l

AT WO0<k ON ~ 08W FLAT.
 Fp.ris Morning Ness,l
 Le Mxsin has had n inserssaipg ineer- view with N. Alexandre Dumas, a Pay4 . vasesing-place that was discovered by him. t says. as Saint Adresse was discovered by Alphonso Karr. Puys has become little centre of high society. The Marquis of Salisbury, M. Edmond Turq1es and M- and Mme- Cavalho arc among its present inhahi- tanis. The reporter found NJ. Dumas. "le maitSe," at home al three o'clock m the afternoon, his usual hour. The author received him with exquisite coar- iesy. and tor an hour and . half talked 10 him of literature and the theatre The cab.ne: of M. Dumas IS hung in blue chintz, representing leaves of the plane tree On one side thee Is . bed. and above it . complete collection of portraits of Dumas the elder, from the engraving of Deveria to contemporary photographs The writing table is of polished deal, like the rest of the furnitur the chair in which the writer sas seated vas vulgar one. covered with red rep; the pape, which he uses is blue. GU, into qusrto sheets The table was filtered with pages of unfinished work chiefly belonging 10 the comedy which he is composing. The master" declared himself to be tremea- dously occupied.
 "Have you ixed upon the name Of your new comedy y' was asked.
 Not yet. lt will rr b .bly oe the name of the heroine. Bl, nothing IS yet certain in that regard. and l have still tune enough 10 consider it
 Will your piece res, upon any phi iosophic al ioeAg Is |, a social thesis, like those which you have so brilliantly main- tained at different times r
 No, it is purely and simply comedy based upon a study of characters and situations
 Alexandre puma. added simpb
 "wha, can l say? have yielded to the temptation to create one more drama Ne, do not need to do it. do not lack money. IL would. perhaps. be more to my advantage if should never write any thing more. 1 would then perhaps run q chance, a, least, of passing for master. Bot they came to me they wrote to me: could not resist them. And besides, am writing for the Somedie- FrsocAise, and If am hissed the consequences will not be what taey would ID another theatre. A failure elsewhere might be grave affair. net only for the author but for the director, and sn two aspects, in that of repusat,on and that of money. Al the Comedie-Francaise, on the con- trary-which has the best artistes in the world, and which is independent by reason of its privileged si,uasion-she author xho fails is a man who has simply made a mistake. Besides, Nj. Perrin said to me: Take whatever subject you like, be as audacious as you deem it necessary; will not alter line of your work Con- ditions like these are extremely seductive And, after all. would like to be oblieing to Coquelin, to be useful to Mile P,ersos, who has great talent So l have com meneed my piece without fear of being in any way uammeled. am, above all else, independent, always setting forth what believe to be true and never dis owning anything that 1 have written ai whatever epoch 1t may have been done ]"
 M. Dumas then explained, in the strik- ing language he so well commands, his literary .e,thetieism. When l vas poor" said he, '' used to write romances at two sous the line. said in them whz, thought to be just-what thought what felt. nothing less nothing more How mnch cutting of manuscripts that has cos, me! lost money by II, bu, l rever made the shadow of a concession