New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-14
"REMINISCENCES OF HUGO.
THE POET AND HIS OPINIONS.

The poets ancestors left the Francho COmte in the
reign of Louis Quatorzc. who annexed 1t TO
France that they might not become French, and
settled in Lorraine, which remained an independent
state until 1878. His grandfather gave seven sons
to the French Republic. They all enlisted. FIVE
were killed in battle, one Gled major, one gen
eral. lie the poets father and his nalne ~ on
the Arch of Triumph for having defended Thion-
VILE against the allies. The poets mother was
Breton heard him about two years ago tell his
grandchildren that they had more Celtic than any
other kind Of blood in their VEINS, his mother and
wife having been from Brittany. Madame Drouet
was also Breton, and part of Madame Lockroys
family was from Lorient ] next saw Victor Hugo
at Ilau,evIlle House in 1872. sister of Madame
Victor Hugo. Madame Chesnay, was keeping house
She little elderly lady with n Celtic face-the
eyos black soeS. the hair still dark and the nose
turned up. Gothic furniture filled the house-wmch
had brick front and a spacious, plain aspect, and
roomy inside. The windows in tho rooms
facing the garden chad one of the finest sea views
ever saw Madame LOckroy, then pretty young
widow. was in the gardon. round which Victor
Hugo was dragging cbild's carriage in which
Jeanne was sitting i was taken there. Georges
came from behind clump of shrubs whore he had
been hiding. Both children were in white with
black sashes. / was afterward told that their
grandfather could not bear to see them in deep
mourning. Their father had died about fifteen
months previously and their uncle was dying of
Brighfs malady He had been transported with
great difficulty TO Guernsey. Victor Hugo. OH hear
ing was in the house came in and told me in the
Spanish fashion that it was " at my disposition
He had a soft melon hat in his hand and wore a
kind of sailors Jacket. reminded him that had
been presented % him in Paris. He said that he
had come TO Guernsey 80 console himself between
two cradles for the mserics he had witnessed. and
to refresh himself in the contemplation of nature.
We went into the CARBON. Jeanne having called tor
Panama chevalr (Grandpapa horsel to come and
draw her carriage She was a gay, rosy dot. with a
wealth of curling auburn hair. Georges was
reflective and had Lcvantine head. The eyes.
skin and hair Of the boy were dark md his profile
regular Tho poet sat down on n garden seat and
prt a child on each knes Jeanne grew inpatient
Of inaction AMI her mother took her away. Georges
nestled against tho old man and watched his face
~ he spoke. We talked about the fatalities OF
nature The poet Thought no fore" in The material
world 80 grand asa proud and in'eX!bc con science.
Tlai WA able 70 resist 10 death and he believed
survycd-that is to say cpnqucrod-ica'h lt was
immortal The man who had 10 conscience persisted
like the beast he was indeed only beast. and was
less than some animals. Darwnsm was then now,
ana hllANlt hpJ'l mn H'Hb h'A 1ifi"Sa"''"h' W
Darwin with hor preface5 TO Victor Hugo He said
she misunderstood tho law of evolution. The neck
and the pcAccmlkers were to inherit the earth and
not tho gra,ping and violent Nature labored TO
bring forth ildren worthy Of tbs Al-Father God.
All her Efforts tended in the direction Of sOd-IlNc
men and women.
HUGO apologled for not ask ny mo to dinner. His
son came down 60 the dinnsr-t,bi bat was too
great M invalid 10 meet company. If | came u
dficnucr on n day named Madame Chcsnay would
take mo over tho house. lie told me OF points OF
interest | shonld vis,t-Le Gouiirc. J"thon Point
II. Martin, Bay. lie was an Indcfltigahlc walkel
AMI likel the north side of the island he could be
alone there with the saa birds Tourists seldom
went there The sc1. he tlIocght was n great
srlo1imi.trc,s What was equu q u in developing
charActrr' England was q great stupid natiot
with a few high peaks of Intellect lun" grand
nation bate aycc qucl u"' hauts pies intellectue'
The groatuo.s WAS duo - thu schpoling syen b'
! tho sea. "Tuno and lido wntod for no man. no.
even for the richest lord.
returned on the appointed day. Tho Mcurioe
! .gI Vaclucrc hal come for a summon holiday witt
l. young poet who's" name dill not catch. and who
listened with rapt attention to che more lustrlou
| hard The conyerS tton ran on politics. Victor
lingo preached OUR shtnc,s 70 tho editors Of The
! Eappe IN Affirming their Republican and Socialis
! faith They should not put their flags IN Their
pockc's IIc insisted on the Republic being Social
| i,t Souls could not DO without bodies and bodie'
| could not bc ~ gear unless In fairly comfortable
! conditions. this was why he set on foot th
weekly dinner 70 poor children which vas ben4
! initiated in many places. We had To advance
through animal He to n high mo al consciousness
| The American missions. he heard. first began Z
feet and cleanse the poor and then to teach them
| l.. tl or tt-Iel holy " Z
a soul in jail. Health was form of psychica
liberty. Tho bourgeois political idcal-frccdom T.
spout-was incomplete. II thrrs was not serti
mcnt Of fraternity among the upper cl'sses for h
uoorcr. they should be forced e. be just CharIt.
was only Justice IN disguise.
After breakfast Madame CheSnay took mo Owe
tho house. 1t WAS lined in hail. stairs aud obbie
with felt carpets. There were many " Iis' abou
on walls and furniture, and ! was shown In III
presentation COPY Of Les Chatiments' gwen Il
! Mrnc Hugo by French Republicans an II y mad
with front Wow OF the Cathedral of NOtrc Dame
Victor Hugo until aboat five or six years ago wa
under the illusion that he was descended from TIN
noble Lorraine family OF his name. Both may hav
had common ancestry; but the poets iorciath'r
| al Nancy. and all their kindred were from tho tim
they left tho Franchc Comic. mechanics. Ill
or,nd(ather was Il carpenter. Two Of ms aunt
| were married 10 shOcmakers Victor liugos hand
! craft was rcmarkable He WAS his own upholsterel
! and often made and mcndcd furniture. But
return TO his genealogical fancics. In the dining
room there were three Old oak chairs with tho arm
and ciphers of as many Hugos of the noble Lorrain
family, ono of whom count. another u bisho
and the third the Abbcss Of Reniremont-whero n
lady was received who could not establish sxtce
quarters of nobility on both sides OF her hous'
Gothic oak chains were stretched across from arr
to arm because the seats wcro sacred to III
ancestors whose spirits tho poet often invoked
after Madame Emile do Cirardn had (in way
brought him to believe In spiritualism He had
notion that they often came to fill the stately loob