Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-06-03

Ihe Following brlef sketch OF this intel
lectual giants life-work will afford the
reader some idea of the immense activity of
his career of more than four-score years:
Victor Marie Hugo was born at Besancon,
Feb. 26, 1872, his father being a colonel in the
French army. From Bcsancon he was carried
to Elba, to Paris, to Rome, and to Naples before
he was 5 wears old In 1893 he returned to France
and received a~classical instruction at q religious
house. The first volume Of his "Odes and Bal
lads" appeared in 1872. and his tales Hans at
this time. In 1926 he pub ished 4 second volume
of "Odes and Ballads" which exhibited q change
IN his literary and political opinions, and in 1897
he composed his drama Cromwell" In 1929 he
published his Last Days of a Condemned
Criminal. " the terrific interest Of which secur-
ed IN immense success. NJ. Hugo pre-
pared . further attack on the stiff and unnatur-
"Hernant," first played at the Theatre Fran
Gals Feb. 26. 1880, and which caused
went 50 far as to lay a cause Of complaint
against his attempted innovations at the foot OF
the throne. Charles X. senstbly replied that -as
to matters 2 s % IT. he ., wss mo no more aeTe, than q Il private iU,r
1880. his Marion de Lorme." which had been
suppressed by the censorship under the restor-
alton, was brought out with success. LIE Rot
s'Amuse" was performed at the Theatre Fran
Gals in January, 1882. and the day after It's pro-
duction was interdicted by the Government.
After publishing q number OF m pieces Of
= AVuG AC Wo AAVo tlC beC
in lsii, and was created a peer Of Francs by
Louis Philippe. In 1sta ne was chosen Fresi.
dent Of the Peace Congress, Of which he had
been q leading member. In 1852 Victor Hugo
went into exile in Jersey, Guernsey, and else
where. and refused TO avail himself Of the gem
eral amnesty issued Aug. is, 1889. On the fall
OF the empire, however, he FASTENED back to his
native country, entered heartily into the repub-
lican movement and was returned to the Ma
tional Assembly at Bordeaux, which. he
soon Quilted in disgust, sending, on March 9,
1871. the following characteristic letter to the
President. NJ. Greyy: Three weeks ago the
Assembly refused to hear Garibaldi; to-day 1t
Hugo then went to Brussels, but the Belgian
Government. alarmed by his violent writings
and his avowed sympathy with the COmmun-
lists. expelled him from the country. He then
sought refuge in the seclusion of the little town
Of vianden, in Luxembourg, where he composed
.'L'Annsee Terrible Returning to Paris in
Fcrre, Rossel, and the other Communists to no
effect. Al the next elections he was defeated
by NJ. vautrian. NJ. Victor Hugo has given an
account Of this period OF his career IN ,Actes ct
after he quilted France in 1882 His satire Ma
poleen lie Petit appeared In Brussels in 1882;
Les Chatiments., atthe same place, IN 1858; ana
rests principally on his "Notre Dame de Paris"
which has been TRANSLATED into most European
LANGUAGES. snd is known in English under the
title OF the -Hunchback OF Notre Dame q book
the Roman Catholic clergy never forgave him
for. His semi. historical and social romance,
LES Miserables," translat d into nine Ian
guages, was issued at Paris, Brussels, London,
New York, Madrid, Berlin, st. Petersbure. and
Turin the same day, April 5, 1862. This was
followed in 1864 by u rhaps0dical work on Shak-
last novel, "L'Homme Out Rit," appeared in
1861. NJ. Victor Hugo was q prolific writer, the
principal of his works being Claude Gueux," a
Bias. Lies BurgrAves.' and Marion de Lorme,'
plays; and lie Rhin. q book OF travels. His
most recent works are La Legende des siecles.'
account Of the coup d'etat Of Louis Mar con;
'Le Pape,'' a poem; la Pitie Supreme" .
poem; "Religions ct Religion, a poem. which,
beglnning IKE Les IN = tone OF
passes from catholicism to nihilism, and con-
cludes by an affirmation OF a theism without
"catchechisnls, korsns, and grammais;" Les
'.TOrquemadA, . dramat.c poem, 1889.
On the goth OF February last Victor Hugo's
s3d birthday was celebrated by the Parisians in
heartedness caused him to be loved by al the
poor, oppressed, and condemned, for whom
be ever pleaded, especially for those con-
from the guillotine. In liter ture he will
live ~ Frances greatest lyric oct, and
a. the founder OF the romantic school" as it
letters Of old-time pedantry. "Jappeile nm
cochon par son nom Pourquoi non?" he
has said in one OF his VERSES. much to
the horror OF old French purists. Victor Hugo
has been the poet OF France, victorious or
defeated: the poet OF the warrior In the fight,
and Of the dying soldier. Ne has celebrated
with q powerful pen the legends of French his
tory, more especially that OF Nal oleon: In Les
Orientales" he has been the roet OF natures
c~olors; in the -FeuiIles d%'Autonne" he has sung
happiness and true love; In Les Contempla-
tions" he has been ttc poet OF ~reyeries and
youthful grace: in Les C~hRtimeDts" he has
been a sort of republican Isaiah, the poet OF
vengeance; in Hermann" he has sung GRANDEUR:
in Les Pauvres Gems. pity: military yalor in
"Quatre. yingt-trei e. the sacrifice OF tender
10 Mer, aud the smile in La Coccinelle"; but
atove all that he has pictured, sung. and Inn
mortslizcd that living, toddling. brilliant, adOr-
able, and adored being and poem, The Child"
Children have played q prominent part in hts
works. In the midst Of his Gigantic labors, among
ables,s Of the hAughty Castilian ride OF Ruy
Bias Of that terrible tragedy -Lucrexia Bor-
gia,S OF the grandeur Of "NOtre Dame" OF tho
sun rings Of Marion" of the s0mb T reverte
OF Charles ", Of the nmrtyrdom Of Gillistt. one
n moved to tears BY his pictures 81 children,
Paris gsmtn Gevr0che feeding his brother. or
petite jeanne who is smiling while shells are
exploding around the innocent prattler. Victor
Hugo was also m artist with his pencil, and. has
left several interesting sketches In the shape OF
landscapes His death i : loss 20 humanity,
TIME IN hin country. Tender besrted - ne WAS.
Victor Hugo was much tried In his lifetime.
One Of hfg daughters WAS NJ with her
husband almost under his eyes when khe had
been hardly married 3 year: both his sons and
his wtfe were taken fro = ntm. He iavssnea AZ
many Of his later poesns are dedicated. Jeanne
and sGeorges- have heen immOrtalized In the
vsrss o. their immortal grandfather.