The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-19
FRANCES IDOLIZED POET.
The Venerable Victor Hugo Dying at
His Home in Paris.
Sketch of His Remarkable Career-IIis Emil
nence as Poet, Dramatist, Novelist,
Statesman and Patriot.

PARIS May 1S.-Victor Hugo is i'll with heart
disease and congestion of the lungs
LATER.-Victor Hugo is sinking rapidly.
Crowds of sympathzing friends at present sur
round the residence of the venerable poet, anx-
iously awaiting the result of his affection
LATEST. Midnight -Victor Hugo is dying
His family are present at his bedside. The doc
tors say that only miracle can save him. An
incessant stream of carriages is passing the
house. Deep grief prevails.
In Besancon, an ancient fortified town near
the eastern boundary of France, house which
stands facing the Place st. Quentin is orna-
lmented with medallion bearing this inscrip-
tion Victor Hugo 29th of February, 1902.
This house is dear to the whole French nation
as the place where, eighty-three years ago, its
great and honored poet was born.
Victor Hugo's father was soldier of the First
Empire, who rose to the rank of general. He
was man of great strength OF character, of re-
markable intelligence, and the author of some
important military works. He married daugh
ter of merchant of Nantes, and the third son
of this union was the one whose Industrious
career has rendered the family name immortal.
victors boyhood was that of soldiers son.
While still "a feeble infant in long clothes he
lar fact that he never again visited his birth
place. His father received orders to take com
mand of garrison in the Isle of Elba. Thus it
fell out, as Alexander Dumas has remarked in
his Memories, that the author of the
lode la Colonne' in the very island
where the great Napoleon should COM
mence to live should commence to die.
The first language, therefore, spoken by Victor
WAS 1talian-the Italian of the Isles-and the
first word he was known to speak after the
articulation of papa mamma, which is common
to children of every tongue was the term cattiva
naughty, which.he applied to his nurse.
When the young Victor was less than four
years old his father was ordered to Naples,
where Joseph Bonaparte had just been noni
mated king. and Madame Hugo, with her three
young sons, took up her abode in Paris. This
early home in Paris is the first place of residence
of which Victor Hugo has any distinct recol-
lection but a goat in the courtyard, and we'll
overhung by weeping willow, around which he
used to play with his youthful companions left
a vivid impression on the boyish mind. He
went to school, but was treated with
special consideration on account Of his
low-spirited at this early age that only his
mother could make him smile. Between the
young Victor and mis- mother there existed pc
cuiar affection, which continued during his life.
She was woman of very remarkable character
and her influence contributed largely to the
early development of her distinguished son.
After a two-years' sojourn in Paris, Madame
Hugo joined her husband in Italy. and the boy
Victor lived in an ancient palace built preci
pice, where, through cracks in the wall made by
earthquakes, he could peep out on magnificent
landscape, and indulge in wonderful day dreams.
But soldiers family is never at rest, and Vic
tors father was soon compelled to follow Joseph
Bonaparte to Spain, while his family again re-
turned to Paris.
Approaching the advantage of airy and ample
space for her boys to play Madame Hugo sought
a house with garden. A commodious residence
was soon found in the ancient garden of the
Feuillantines, where young Victor passed many
happy years, which have ever since been to him
a dear and hallowed memory. His only com
panions were his mother, his two brothers, and
an aged priest, who was kind tutor. and taught
the boys good deal of Latin and very little
early home:
Large the garden, weird its pathways all.
From curious eyes concealed by upreared wall;
The flowers, like opening eyelids, peered around,
Vermilion insects paced the stony ground;
Mysterious buzzngs filled the sultry air.
Here meie field, somber thicket there
Madame Hugos tenderness for her young sons
did not prevent her from maintaining strict dis.
cipline and healthy and vigorous teaching, which
vurd
boys Every word she uttered was listened to
with respect, and every command obeyed with
out murmur. Though there were many fruit
trees n the garden, the boys were forbidden to
touch the fruit.
''But what if it fals9 asked Victor
leave it on the ground"
And what il it is getting rottenT
'Let it get rotten"
And as far as the children were concerned the
fruit on the ground would lie and rot.
The owner of Madame Hugo's house was La
lande, the astronomer He lived next door and
his garden was separated from that Of The
Feuillantines only by some light treilis-work.
Fearing that he might be annoyed by the chill
dren, he proposed to put up more substantial
partition.
''You need not be afraid" said tho mother;
"my boys will not trespass upon your property
l have forbidden them"
No barrier of any kind was erected, yet neither
of the three brothers was ever known to set foot
upon the landlords ground.
1t was in the garden of the Feuillantines that
Victor saw his godfather Gen. De Lahorie
Implicated in conspiracy against the empire
a price was set upon his head, but during two
years he lived in seclusion in ruined chapel
in the garden, until at length his hiding place
was discovered. and he was arrested and shot by
sentence of court-martal The appearance Of
his godfather, grand and solitary figure, walk
ing about in the lonely paths of the old garden
made lasting impression on the mind OF the
sensitive boy Child he would say, Child
everything must yield to liberty'-a precept the
poet never forgot.
1t was in the garden Of the Feuillantines that
the boy Victor met Adele Foucher who after
ward became his wife. At that time a little girl
of thirteen or fourteen, she often came to play
beneath the shade of the old trees, and an affec-
ton began then between the two children which
lasted through life.
AT very early age Victor Hugos dramatic
genius began to show itself AT the Pension
Decotte, where he was placed at school, he