The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-31

"Mme> Drouet's" Part In the Poets Life and
Works.

BY far the tenderest and most lasting of Vic
tor Hugos friendships for women ended in the
death of Madame Drouet few days ago. She
was an actress fifty three years ago. when Hugo
first met her. Tall, of superb figure, and lively
intellect, she inspired in the poet passion
which tnly deepened with time and change of
fortune This friendship was stronger than the
poets will; it outlived his marriage and alleviat-
ed its disappointments. it followed him into
exile, and thrived in his darkest years Strang-
ers who called at the Rue de Cliehy were ex-
pected to ignore the fact that Madame Drouet
lived in the house. Before then she was treated
by Victor Hugo with reverential gallantry. She
had none OF the ways of an old stage beauty,
though IN her youth she had been paragon of
plastic loneliness And had TO boot. grace, arch,
ness sensibility and brieHSs wit. Her ways
showed good breeding and recttude Her mu-
steal talents were brilliant and she had de-
licious voice. She had been left an orphan at
an early age, and her paternal uncle, famous
general of the Republic, thought, to keep the
beauty out of danger, she should enter a con
vent for life. On the eve Of the day on which
she was to have assumed the veil with other pos
tulants, Monseigneur 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 her courage she
replied 1.-The truth is | have no call whatever
and do not want to num-" The Archbishop had
been told just the contrary. and in a severe tone
asked the superior why he had been kept in the
dark. She said. with more zeal than discretion:
The fact is, the young girl is an orphan and
penniess. Her relations have no choice for her
between heaven and perditon. They elect for
Goo and she elects for Satan"
La Belle Juliette, she then called, thus
escaped the convent, went to the Vaudeville and
afterward to the Porte st. Martin, and here she
met her fate, the young poet She was given the
part of the Princess Negroni in 'Lucreta Bor
gia," and her superb beauty fascinated Victor
Hugo, who, though young was even then
famous. Juliette was proud to see him at her
feet He became jealous of the spectators who
acclaimed her. Juliette felt remorse for having
tri1ed with him. and sought employment at
Brussels and st. Petersburg The poet
was beside himself 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 way2 The tenn
pest that ragged in his mind is described in the
chapter about Marius in Lies Miserables." His
Tyre got out of tune. Literary work neg
lected. The idea that wife and four children
entirely depended upon his exertions crushed
him. The actress, meeting him by chance, was
horror stricken by the change that had taken
place in ain She was a of rapid de-
cision, and then and there resolved to quit the
theater, to devote herself to the poet-and. in
deed as it then appeared to her, to poverty also;
to bear the reproaches which she knew would
be heaped upon her, to resent nothing which
those who would have a right to hate her might
say against her, and to have no ambition except
Victor Hugo's welfare. He wanted secretary.
Why not she asked, employ her as one2 The
salary for the work he required to be done would
be enough for all her wants, and could be &C.
cepted with dignity. Juliette went to live in the
Place Royale, and there became Mdme Drouet.
Although she exercised an unquestioned en-
pire over the poet, she never misused it, nor was
any member of her household ever heard to
complain Of her presence there. She was asso-
ciated with some of his brightest literary tri-
umphs in such manner that he must have con-
sidered her almost an inseparable part of him
self The marvellous description of the convent
at Pettit-Picpus, in the "Miserables," is taken
almost word for word from Madame Drouets
lips She was in the Picpus convent when
girl Many other scenes in LES Miserablesn
and in two of Hugo's poems are due to the
inspirations and suggestions of Madame Drouet
Madame Drouet is buried in the cemetery at st.
Maude. where lies the only child she ever had
a daughter