Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-08
VICTOR HUGOsS LOVE STORY. ssHme. Dreuet's'' Part fn the Poets
 Life and Works.

Life and Works.
 By far the tenderest and most lasting of Victor Hugo's friendships for women ended ago. She was an actress ffty-three years ago, when Hugo first met her. Tall, of su- perb figure, and lively intellect, she inspired in the poet passion which only deepened in the time and change of fortune. This friend ship was stronger than the poets will; it out lived his marriage and alleviated its disap- pointments; it followed him into exile, and thrived ill his darkest years. Strangers who I called at the Rue de Clichy were expected to ignore the fact. that Madame Drouet lived in the house. Before them she was treated by Victor Hugo with reverential gallantry. She l had none of the ways of an old stage beauty, though in her youth she had been a paragon of plastic loveliness, and had, to boot, grace, | archness, sensibihty and bright wit. Her I ways showed good breeding and rectitude. Her musical talents were brilliant and she had a delicious voice. She had been left an orphan at early age, and her paternal un- cle, famous general of the republic, thought, to keep the beauty out of danger, she should enter convent for life. On the eve of the day on which she was to have assumed the veil with other postulants, Monseig- neur Quelin visited the convent He congratulated the Breton girl on the strength of her vocation. She felt that if she did not that moment act with decision she would be buried alive forever. Mastering up all he1 courage she replied: ''The truth is I have no call whatever, and do not want to be a num-" The archbishop had been told just the contrary, and in a severe tone asked the su- perior why he had been kept in the dark. She said, with more zeal than discretion C H.. ,,1 ~lo,, and penniless Her relations have no choice for her between heaven and perdition. They elect for God and she for Satan."
 La Belle Juliette, as she was then called thus escaped the convent, went to Vaude- vile and afterward to the Porte St. Martin, and here she met her fate, the young poet She was given the part of the Princess Ne groni in f1Lucretia Borgia," and her superb beauty fascinated Victor Hugo, who, though young was even then famous. JRliette was proud to see him at her feet. He became Jealous of the spectators who acclaimed her. Juiette felt remorse for having trlfied with him, and sought employment at Brussels and St. Petersburg. The poet was beside him. self with grief on hearing of her plans for the future He was glorious, but not rich, and what right, he asked himself, had he to stand in her ways The tempest that ragged in his mind is described in the chapter about Mari
 us in ssLes Miserables." His Tyre got out of
 
 The idea that 8 wife and four chill
 dren entirely depended upon his exer-
 tions crushed him. The actress, meeting him
 by chance, was horror-stricken by the change
 that had taken place in him. She was
 woman of rapid decision, and then and there
 resolved to quit the theater, to devote her
 self to the poet-and, indeed, as 1t then ap-
 peared to her, to poverty also; to bear the
 reproaches which she knew would be heaped
 npon her, to resent nothing which those who
 would have right to hate her might say
 against her. and to have ambition except
 Victor Hugo's welfare. He wanted 8 secre-
 tary. Why not, she asked, employ her as
 one? The salary for the work he required to
 be done would be enough for all her wants.
 and could be accepted with dignity. Juliette
 went to live in the Place Royale, and there
 became Mime. Drouet
 Although she exercised an unquestioned empire over the poet, she never misused it,
 nor was any member of her household ever
 heard to complain of her presence there She
 was associated with some of his brightest
 literary triumphs in such @ manner that he
 must have considered her an almost insepar-
 able part of himself. The marvellous de-
 scription of the convent of Petit-Pictus, in
 the rMiserables, is taken almost word for
 word from Madame Drouet's lips. She was
 in the Picpus convent when girl; many
 other scenes in 'tLes Mlserables" and in one or two of Hugo's poems are due to the in- spirations and suggestions of Madame Drouet. Madame Drouet is buried in the cemetery at St. Mande, where lies the only child she ever had-a daughter