Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-06-25
HUGO,S LOVE STORY.
Hme. Drouet's Part in the Poets life and
Works.

Wine. Drouet's Part in the Poets fife and
Works.
BY far the tenderest and moys last
iag OF Victor Hugo's friendships for
women ended in the death of Mime.
Dreuet few days ago. She WIS an
! actress dfty-three years ago, when HUI
60 first met her. Tall, OF superb sig-
ure, aEd lively intellect, she inspired in
the poet passion which only deepened
with time and change of fortune This
! friendship was stronger than the poets
will; it oHtliyed his marriage and alle-
waited its disappointments; it followed
him into'exile, and thrived in his dark
est years. Strangers who called at the
Rue dc Ciicby were expected to ignore
! the fact that Nine. Drouet lived in the
! house. Before them she was treated
! by Victor I3Ngo with reverental gal
lanhy. She had none of the ways of
/ an cid stage beauty, though in her
| youth she had been paragon Of plas-
| tic loveliness, and had, to boot, grace,
archness, sensibility, und bright wit.
Her ways showed good breeding and
recttude, Her musical talents were
| brilliant, and she had delicious voice.
/ She had been left an orphan at an
/ early age, and her palernal uncle, a IA
nous general OF the republic, thought,
| to keep the beauty out of danger, she
| should enter u convent for life. On
| the eve Of the day on which she was to
have assumed the veil with other pos
tulants, MGR Queliu visited the con-
/ vent. He congratulated the Breton
| girl on the strength Of her vocation.
| She felt if she did not that moment act
with decision
SHE WOULD BE BURIED ALIVE FOR
EVER.
/ Mastering up all her courage she re-
| Piled The truth is, | have no call
whatever. and do not want to be a
nun. The Archbishop had been told
just the contrary and in a severe way
/ asked the Superior why he had been
| kept in the dark She said with more
zeal than discretion, The fact is, this
young girl is an orphan and penniloss.
Her relations hava no choice for her
between heaven and perdition. They
elect for God, and she elects for sa-
| tan.
La Belle Julictte, as she was then
called, thus escaped the convent, and
went to the Vaudeville, aud afterward
to the Port St Martin, and here She
| met her fate, the young poet. She was
given the part Of the Princess Negroni
in "Lucreta Borgia,' and her superb
beauty fascinated Victor Hugo, who,
though young, was even then famous.
Juliette was proud to see him at her
feet He became jealous of the spec
tators who acclaimed her Julette
felt remorse for having triled with
him, and sought employment at Brus-
sells and ST. Petersburg. The poet was
beside himself with grief ON hearing of
her plans for tie future. lie was glo-
rious, but not rich, and what right, he
asked himself, had lie to stand IN her
way? The tempest chat ragged in his
mind is described in the chapter about
Mariu5 in LES Miserables.
HIS IYRE car OUT OF TUNE.
Literary work was neglected The
idea that q wife and four children en-
tirely depended. upon his exortions
crushed him. The actress, meeting
him by chance, was horror-stricken BIZ
the change that had taken place in
him She was 2 woman OF rapid de-
cision, and then and there resolved to
quit the thcater 10 devote herself to
the poet-and Indeed, as il appeared to
her. to poverty also; 10 bear the re-
proachcs which She knew would be
heaped upon her, to resent nothing
which those who would have q RIGHT to
hate her might say against her, and to
have no ambition except Victor llugo's
welfare He wanted q secretary Why
not she asked. employ her us one?
Tho salary tor the WORK he required to
be done would ue enough for all her
wants, and could be accepted with dig
nifty JuIietg went to live in the Place
Royale, and there became Nine. Drou-
ct.
Although size exercised an unquos-
toned cmpira over the poet, she never
mi,uscd IT, nor was any member OF his
household ever heard to complain o
herpresencc there. She was associated
with some Of his brightest literary tri-
umphs in such manner that he must
have considered her an almost INSOFAR
able part Gf himself The marvellous
descriptions of the convent at Petit-Pie-
pus, i'm the "NIiserables, Is taken all
most word for word from Nine. Drou-
cts lips She was in the Plcpus con-
vent when q girl. Many other scenes
in Les Miserables'' and ia one or two
Of Hugos poems are duo to the insPi-
ratious aad suggestions OF Mime. Drou-
ct Mae. Drouet is buried in the Csm-
etery nc ST. Mande, wEsre lies the snly
child she ever had-a daughter.
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