New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-15
EDMOND ABOUT.
TRAITS OF THE MAN AND SCENES IN HIS
CAREER

III the hop season. ana nop-plchcio i""
into the general room when their day "oiA ""'
over. they generally Vosges ino"h''''''''o
who had descended to to the valleys of Lorraine as
Landowners 20 to the rural parts of Kent In Septem'
her But there the resemblance ended. as the man
ners of the former were rustic. the bloom OF health
was m their cheeks. the women and girls were
neatly dressed in provincial costumes had not Diear
ewes did not smell of gIn and the younger ones were
bright with animal spirits. i was with le"
tourists from Paris. A couple of other travellers
descended from q farmers wagon wbIch hah given
them n lift along the road. They asked Tor am
ner 9ind sleeping accommodation One was
Notwithstanding admit with long hair and billy
cock - hat the worse for the wear. He carried on
his back satchcl and o painters box, ana heid
violin case under his arm. The second tourist had
in one hand little portmanteau ana IN the o'her
folding easel He was dressed in blue linen. over
all suit was neat about the shoes anu collar an"
wore a brown straw hat. The laudady having
more lodpers than she could well attend to, was IN
clned TO turn them away. But they said they
,yould not only pay her. but if she cleared space IN
n barn would provide music gratis, and IL there
were pretty girls IN the house do their likenesscs
for whatever they might choose to offer In mo-
ment the hop pickers camOred for hospitality to be
shown TO the newcomers, and youth proposed 10
20 round the village to inquire II there were any
beds in a private house which could be obtained TOT
them for the night. Gustave Dore was the bearer
of the VIOLIN and Edmond About carried the foid'
ing easel.
After dinner Gustave Dor6 took his fiddle out of
the case and went to q barn. All the guests iol'
lowed and village folks came in to join them old
and Young danced. About was still bachelor.
Although he had neglected at school the cult OF
Terpsichore he was ndefati gable in kicking up bis
heels and whsking round the country girls The
improvsed ba ended with n supper. when ha' lor
its principal dish sOupe anr chour The cabbage was
well garnished with smoked sausages. About was
an active trencher-man. lie laughed ana talked
while he ate, cracked jokes with the other guests
who were invited 20 share the meal and enjoyed the
rouVh LONELINESS of the hostelry and its inmates.
He then had thick head of light brown hair. and
brownish beard which in certain lights was fllr
The complex on was pasty All the gold that should
have been in the hair hal. one might have sup
posed de cended to his face and in falling got dnu.
Bnt the rreprrssble animal spirits the square mas
sye head the broad shoulders. deep chest and gen
r,l lines of the frame corrected the impression OF
unhcalthness which was given by the pastDess OF
the face.
lost sight of About after the siege of Paris until
his return to his house IN the Rue dc Douai from
Strasbnrg gaol. where he had been spending nine
DAYS for having abused che russians in the Ala me
Steele and having talked at Saverne against them In
a cafe When went to call Oh him he was sitting
over fire. nursing his wrath. and thinking how he
would fag-llate The Times (London, which had
Judged well u ilatter the Germans AT MS expense
He was also revolving i'll his mind how to turn his
unple,sart adventure into good copy. But his
anger evaporatei when. | having spoken Of The
Times AZ The Thundcrer." he kened its thunders
of "A
Helene The war furnished him with one consoa-
ton In its course The Times was surpassed by the
London penny paDers. He hated some OF me specai
correspondents. but notably skinner Forbes ana
I.,bouch-re for what they wrote about France.
However they men Of talent whereas lie
fines he thought. old prieySh Owl. "
The description of his Strasburg adventure winch
opnenrrI m successive issues of the XIX me iccle
brought fortune to About. He and group OF
snR rn cbnea aleu- I'V who Ha
started it 10 support Theirs. AT hrst there was no
dea of deriving pccunary bencht from the enter
prise Ii chiefly Intended "a p'lltlcaI weapon
10 keen with hirrs and bring round to nm the
weak kneed and wealthy bourgeoISe which neither
cared Tor King Emperor nor Republic, feared al
three and was IN mortal dread Ot civil war VI.
Dubochet. the gas king chest man III
France Barthclemy S. IlIlare. Raron dc Jauze;
Wilson subscribed for shares. Cernuschi was
astonndcd when half year AFTER me nDeF oil tine
star came 10 him with dividend of l. francs n
share nj the end Of the first bali year shares went
mn from l. 900 francs to 1000 francs. and then TO
~ noG francs a piece A new company was formed
with a stock of 5000 shares at 800 francs each
half of which were Ia go to About. He bad under
the pre- vIous arrangement half profits ana 10000
francs year salary. with 5000 francs year Tor
carriages Under the new arrangement he was 10
have no benefit beyond what his salary. raised to
1. 900 francs and his shares brought HIM. But he
reserved the power to OblIge the company 10 pur-
chase two-thiGds of hi stock whenever he chose To-
sell IT, The advertisements TO he farmed and
the price of rGcdmss TO 30 into the general fund
The expenses beyond the cost of printing ana pub.
fishing were chiefly in editorial and 'ew reporters
salarics There was no teleCraphc correspondence
| hrvond what the liavas Agency supplied. Enor-
| mon. profits were realized IRON lSao 10 lHNo.
| Subordinate members OF the stan ouiteu IL after
NocNahon's resignation to fill high offices. Abont
| expected place IN the senate and an Embassy tie
never got it. The shareholders who had political
| iutuenrc knew that the paper W Md z" down ike "a
| lump of lead If hsutted the editors chair ana so
| intrigued against HIM. rhe men in power felt that
he was too independent to he hrd Wra' IN hanG IN
resented his fidelity to Grevy. Their papers showed
! their teeth at About. and he barked ana olt mem
| hard in return. Bnt rs he dd not Ike To give the
! Royasts cause for chnckng. he only now ana then
| showed anger and bitter disappointment
Edmond About ciave to old friends and relatives.
He WAS not less anxious t. Obtain blNhoprlc ior
cousin who wasa priest than t. procure an Embassy
tn, himseIr Iueyer knew any one more ready 10 do
| service 10 no matter whom. lie was aIrolt ~ an
| art critic in letting unsuccessful sculptOrs ana
! painters down easy and was very sincere writer:
Indeed sincerity and mobility were his predominant
| qualities With his haSty temper ana Keen sense or
the ridiculous they were also qualities when had
wrong side About rarely sought u SHINE a. a VIII.
| Wtticsms flashed up in his brain and passed on nc
once TO the tip of his tongue They were IKE wild
| birds coming mp through an open trap IN an 'ln-
! closed cage Dat they flew ~ last rs they were
| coincd which was by unconscious cerehratl"n.
| Fairly breeding would have caused hun to he more
retcen. But he had none but Schooi e"nca, ION on
! Ills short written notes were exquisite III thelI
graceful brevity. The little Inscriptions he wrote
in books hat lie sent to friends were gems OF clever
ness The high square forehead OF the man seemed
| hia With IDEAS and h. drew most of what he wrote
from il. Tor he was not deeper attentive observer
Ills droery and wit played on surfaces Being OF
| r'ntnei conventionaIitieS. and he said what he
| thonvht and what struck him ahont Greece, Rome