The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-19

of the poem the juvenile author introduced the
| couplet
| And though the throngng scenes of life shun,
For me three ustrums their course have rum.
| which the grave academcians took as a satire
/ upon the competition as from the nature OF tbs
poem its author was judged to be at least pass
the years or boyhood. They accordingly award
! ed 1T only an honorable mention" ia spite OF
winch, when the verses were read in public. VIC
tor HGSos production was received with the
| loudest applause.
In the report that was published, there appeared
paragraph to the effect that, if NJ Hugo wers
really only as old as he represented he deserved
| some encouragement from the Academic. This
at once aroused Madame Hugos Indignation
She sent categorical statement to NJ. Ray.
nouard, the secretary, who had drawn up the re-
port, and he acknowledged her communication
by saying that, if the author of the poem had
really spoken the truth, he should be very
pleased to make his acquaintance
More indignant than ever, Madame Hugo hur
ried off to her son at tffe college.
Come with me- she said; ''come and let ma
show you to these unbelievers who assert thas
you are a man. / have the register of yous
birth in my pocket" Together they FASTENED to
the secretary who was manifestly somewhat
abashed, aud could only stammer out the expla-
nation that he could never have supposed 10
possible"
This and other literary triumphs which fol.
lowed soon after, won for Victor the title OF
'lenfant sublime" and his name rang through
which he was held is found in the following an
ecdote: Once while Victor, youth of nineteen,
was reading in cafe a cuardsman, Impatient
for the newspaper, snatched it roughly from
his hand. Victor turned pale with rage and
forthwith challenged the soldier A duel Was
Immediately arranged and in the second round
the youth received slight sword cut on his
arm. When tho guardsman was informed that
he had wounded 'Tenfant sublime" his conster
nation was great and he declared: If had
known who he was, would have let him run
me through the body
In June 1921, Victor had the misfortune to
lose his mother, to whom he was tenderly at
tached. and who had been his constant compan-
ion His prospects at this time were not bril-
liant. His allowance from his father had been
Withdrawn on account of his refusal to lead
military life, and he was thrown entirely on his
own resources. For whole year he lived On
700 francs, which the proceeds of his
pamphlets and the articles in the ConservatoT.
But the publication of his first volume of poems,
collection of Odes ct Ballads, brought about
happy turn in his affairs The book had 3
large sale, and Louis XVIII, fattered by allu-
sions to himself in some of the verses bestowed
upon the author a pension of 1000 francs Vic
tor Hugo was now able to press his offer al
marriage to Adele Foucher who for years had
been the guiding star OF his life
After the marriage, which took place in Octe-
Der, 1922. the literary reputation of
grew rapidly His industry was .prodigious. AT
this period French literature had sunk TO very
low condition. Under the empire the voices OF
authors had been stifed by the thunder of can
non and the productions of the intellect were
gradually becoming more marked by feebleneSS. !,
inspidity, and insienifcance. 1t seemed as
though the power of thought had departed from
the human brain, and enthusiasm had ceased to
exist.
The first performance of Victor nugos drama
of ''Hernani,r which took place in February
$780, will ever be mcmora BILE in theatrical annals.
The excitement was intense Bazdc, Theophiis
Gautier, and other. poets, reviewers and journal
lists of young France were present in fantastic
costumes, resolved to defend the new drama
against the assaults of the Classics" Tho
scene was stormy aud tumultuous, but in spite
of the fierce cutlery no doubt could remain thai
the old strongholds were captured, and ronlanti-
cism had proved triumphant The day after the
performauce, Chateaubriand who more than ten
years before had called Victor Hugo 'I'enfant
sublime, wrote to the now celebrated author at
Hermann" expressing his admiration of his
genius, and hailed him as one rising 10 the world
just at the time that his star was setting.
The full history of the struggle which drovs
Victor Hugo into exile has been related by
himself in his we'll known work, LHistc;ss- i.seAs
Crime, which he wrote in Brussels during the
first five months after his departure from
France. Victor Hugo's years of exile were
passed for the most part In the Channel Islands
of Jersey and Guernsey The life at Hauteviie
House In Guernsey, which endured through
many peaceful years, presents series of charm
ing pictures, which reveal the great strength as
we'll as the great tenderness of the poets mature
character. His love for children was the most
beautiful trait in the nature of this strong man.
and long will his name be remembered by tho
children OF Guernsey with loving admiration
and reverence. 1t was during this period of ex-
lie that Les Miserables, Les Trayailleurs de la ,
Mer and other great works were writtcn-works !
which have become a part of the celebrated
literature of the world.
In his wife Victor Hugo found always con-
selling and sympathetic companion. Noble and
courageous in adversely, she bore exile with the
same queenly grace and composure as had char
acterized her life during the years of prosperity
in Paris. When she died, in 1868, her loss fell
like heavy blow on her husband.
Faithful to his VOW that he would never return i
to France except hand in hand with liberty. Vic 4
tor Hugo remained in Guernsey until 1870, but
at the first news of the disaster to his country
he rushed to aid her in her hour of distress On
the 9Th of September. the day after the revou
ton which followed close upon the capitulation
OF Sedan, he re entered France, after an absence
of nineteen years Pale with excitement and bis
voice trembling with emotion, he presented him
self at the railway station in Brussels and de-
manded "a ticket for Paris As the train
rolled along, his excitement increased At Lam
drecies he caught sight of French soldiers They
were wearied and discouraged men, covered
with dust, demoralized and detected, but the
terrible defeat at Sedan had not prevented them
from bringing back the tricoIor safe and sound
Victor Hugo leaned from the window of the rail-
way carriage. and, with voice thrilling III its
earnestness, he kept shouting: give la France! s
vve larmee! vive la patrie'
Exhausted as they with hunger and IA
ticue the bewildered soldiers looked up. They
scarcely comprehended what he said. bnt he con
tinued his shouting, and it was almost like an
order of quick march to them all when they made
out that they were being assured that they had
done their duty, and that it was by no fault of
theirs that they had sustained defeat
In the presence of the great disaster. whereby
the whole French army seemed vanquished and
dispersed, tears rolled down his cheeks, and his
whole faame quivered with sobs. He bought UP
all the bread that could be procured. and distrib
ute1 it among the furnishing troops.
The train arrived at Paris at 10 o'clock at
night and the man who nineteen years before
had left the city in secret, with price of 1900
francs set upon his head, was received by an en-
thusiastic multitude. and was literally borne
along tho street amidst the widest cheers OF
welcome