The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-14


My decision came upon them with the
surprise of a thunderbolt falling from a
clear sky. All kinds of compromises had
occurred to them except the only one that was
said. ALI they had never thought of that. Leave
them out! wonderful solution of the DIN
Guilty. rran they began to fight it. ms story
would be mutfisted What would Victor Hugo
say} "Oh we will call it condensation" re-
Piled "we must not hurt his feelings; he has
rather poor opinion Of we English people as 1t
Isl we mus. be diplomatic And so it came
about that wrote to the Athen9um and the
Times, and the condensation idea was worked,
but in my correspondence with Victor Hugo l
referred to the republication of the story, when
the publishers could restore such passages as
might not deem necessary TO the serial publlca-
ton. Diplomacy, as rule, means lying. Thls
was not lying but it was nevertheless diplomatic
the diplomacy of respect for great man; the
diplomacy of desiring not to wound his sus-
capabilities. Under my hand is one of the most
characteristic of the letters l received from
Victor Hugo at that time. 1t was written clearly,
with very thick up and down strokes ON thin
letter paper and addressed to me at my private
house, which was then in the pretty county OF
Worcestershire. 1t will be interesting just now
to print translation Of it:
HAUTEv1LLE HOUSE, March 81. 1870.
Sir-I do not know English, and have shown it.
misprnt taken out Of dictionary bugpipe for bag.
pipe, furnished certain English journal four years
ago, with nearly the only serious criticism which it
raised against 1.-THE Toilers of the Sea-" cannot,
consequently judge of your translation of 81 Homme
qui Rit." Your talent writer is well known to
me, and am convinced that you have done for the
best. However, approve of your publishing in the
book is not properly speaking, romance; it is meant
to instruct at the same time to interest, and 1t
pages of history and philosophy accordingly very
important, because they explain the author aim. and
| recommend them to your excellent understanding.
Several of your illustrations couldn't have succeeded
better.
VICTOR HUGO.
To Mons. Joseph Hatton. editor Gentleman's Maya
Zine
v.
THE POET AT HOME.
Among the photographs which were sent to
me about this period through Victo Hugos friend
and neigh Dor, Mr.. S. p Olivier, is picture of
Hugo in his salon. The poet is standing by the
amidst surroundings which quite realize the de-
scription of him in the third volume Of tie let
tiers of Charles Dickens The English genius
wrote as follows of his visit to the French genius,
in 1S47:
1--WE were at Victor Hugos house last Sunday
week, a most extraordinary place, looking like an
old curiosity shop or the property room OF some
gloomy. vast old theater. was much struck by
Hugo himself, who looks like genius, as he is,
every inch Of him. and is very interesting and
satisfactory from head to foot. His wife is a
handsome woman, with flashing black eyes.
There is also charming daughter of fifteen or
sixteen, with ditto eyes. Sitting among old
armor and old tapestry, and old Golfers, and
grim old chairs. and tables and old canopies of
state from old castles, and old golden lions going
to play at skttles with ponderous golden r Us,
they made a most romantic show. and looked
like chapter out of one of his own books"
In another picture of Hugo, in his arbor, he
has sad, reflective expression in his face, a.
looks as have seen Reade look, in his garden
that abutted on Hyde Park; and Hugo in the
picture, wears soft hat, as Reade often did,
loose black shooting jacket, gray waistcoat and
trousers, and open vest with small black neck
tie. never saw Victor Hugo though l received
kindly invitation to Guernsey and | often told
Reade how like Hugo he appeared to me- Hugo
was much shorter in stature), and how many
traits l thought alike in their character Reade
had that same passionate hatred of oppression
or wrong, the same sentiment of pity for the
poor; and his style was often Hugoish in its
terse, short telling sentences, though he never,
in his tenderest and most poetic dreams, had
such fancies as Hugo had every day Hear it
not, "Ouida," they both disliked dogs. Hear it
not, worshiper of Wagner, Hugo disked music
Reade loved to hear the violin played
expert in regard to the manufacture of violins
and was the medium through whom Mr.. Barnet
Phillips, the American author and Journalist,
presented him with one of the finest instru-
ments in his collection. 1t was made in New
York.
DOGS COLLAR.
for me in the Gentleman's Magazine sketch of
his life and doings at Guernsey, supplied me with
some notes on the poetsindustry and his dislike
of all dogs but ''Methodcal to fault" he
wrote, 'our neighbor Victor Hugo works in
cessanty and nothing is suffered to interrupt
his usual routine of labor One idea pervades
his mind, that his life is not long enough for him
to perform his mission in this world although
he hopes for time to complete the great trllogy
on which he is now engaged, the subjects Of
WI tO ha mr. nv nd
lastly revolution. For instance at this present
moment. the billiard-room at HaIteville House
is locked up and in it are stored heaps of tap
estry, many valuable paintings, engravings, and
objets de vertu which he will allow no one but
himself to touch, and which are intended
some day to be arranged in order; but
although his friends are anxious to have these
treasures brought to light, he always repeats
that he has no spare time to waste in looking
them over. One particular trait in Victor Hugos
character is remarkable, and that is his peculiar
hatred or dread of dogs, as rule. One dog
only is an exception, and that is a fat Italian
greyhound, which is a favorite companion to
Nine Ahenay. For some. time this greyhound
used to wear brass collar, with the following
distich engraved thereon, in which Senat epito-
mixes his position in the Guernsey world thus:
.Je voudrais que chey moi quelquu meramenat,
Monetats CHEN Mon matre! Hugo. Mon nour?
Senat.'
unfortunately, this collar was stolen, and
replaced by a new some half dozen times.
till at last Victor Hugo forbade any more collars
being expended, and thus it comes to pass that
poor Senat runs about collarless."
VII.
THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
One day when Mr. Olivier dining with
Hugo the subject discussed at table was the
education of ladies. apropos of series of lect-
ures then being given by young professor
(present at table, to the young ladies of Guern-
sey. On some of those present Directing to the
excessive love of novel reading by young girls
Victor Hugo launched out at mastery defense
of noveists, from Homer down to Dante and
Cervantes. At the same time be allowed the
evil of young girls being allowed to read certain
works by Dumas and Paul De Kock. Another
time, the inspiration of the Holy Bible was
brought forward, and Victor Hugo was accused
of not having sufficiently studied it, or else he
could not doubt but that it was the revelation of
God. NJ. Victor Hugo eulogzed the Holy