National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-08
A VISIT TO VICTOR uueo.
His Island Home-His House-Hi
Grandchildren-HIm


profitable cows, large long-bearded oysters,
and delightful climate. To most people
II Is best known as the home OF the COWS
and the exile residence OF Victor Hugo.
Mphonse Daudet once paid a fine
compliment to Islands, "They have
make noise In the world" he
size. just think Of Patmos and ST. John,
Malta and st. Paul, Fernandez and Robin
son Crusoe, Caprera and Garibaldl, Corsica
and ST. Helena and Napoleon, Guernsey
and Victor Hugo.n Indeed. one must have
lived on small island for some time to
appreciate the remark. Guernsey Is Just
four miles wide and seven miles long, and
n complete tour Of clrcumperambulation on
a temperate Sabbath day is as gentle
stimulant and creates as keen an appetite
for late dinner as the sherry and bitters
OF commerce.
Tempted to be led of into dissertation
upon this beautiful spot, we shall now have
TO dismiss its geographical consideration
with the only line suggesting half its love
linese-"a summer Isle OF Eden, lying In
dark purple spheres of sea-"
On the summit of the highest hill on the
island--and Guernsey is made Of hills--is
situated the brick building known as Haute-
vile House. in which Victor Hugo spent
the greater part OF his exile between the
coup d'etat OF 1852 and the Sedan episode
Of 1870. Upon the establishment OF re-
public the poet took up his residence in
Paris, but continued to pay summer visits
to the glorious "rock,n where some OF his
greatest works had been composed.
In July OF 1873 was visiting In Guernsey
at the house OF an old classmate, married
to q French lady, q genuine Parlslenne.
When we heard that Victor Hugo had ar
rived, having considerably granted him one
evening to rest from visitors and the fatigue
N i In "a
and waited anxiously for reply. During
the interval tried TO induce my hostess TO
accompany me on q visit to the hill, but
unfortunately her father had been one OF the
third Napoleon's generals, and she hated
Hugo with the perfect hatred which good
women can entertain for those TO whom
their fathers have done some grievous
wrong. Mrs. g. absolutely refused to go
near Victor Hugo, and when his reply
reached us in the evening her refusal was
rendered more emphatic still from the fact
that the poet had sent us all most cordial
invitation, written on the front OF an en-
velope, which was doubled and placed in
another sheath Of the same description. the
two estimated by our hostess, an excellent
fnancier, as belonging to a sort of sta
tionery worth about a franc thousand.
No Bonapartist or legltimist would have
written an invitation on an envelope No
one but q mad republican poet would have
dared to write an invitation on a cheap
eDyelopel
Finding It impossible to calm the lady's
perturbed spirit her husband and strolled
across the island and arrived at Hauteville
House about o'clock. The door was
opened by young girl with black hair and
eyes, white apron, and an apple dumpllng
cast OF countenance. OF course, she was
q native, as happy, tidy, and good -humored
as che was plump, and her French accent
was very English and incorrect, and so like
my own that felt as much at home as Rob
Roy upon his native heath.
Wo were at once shown to the drawing
room, and on our way passed through
narrow hall, dadoed on one side from cell
ing TO floor with beautifully carved oak
which had been brought from one OF Louis
the Fourteenth's palaces. On the other
sioe were arranged rows OF shelves which
contained bric-a.brac from China aud Japan,
fossils and precious stones fForl out-oi'the-
way lands known 10 history oply Us the
scenes OF eaten missionaries. There were
complicated sets OF delicate china, also
from Versailles, each article stamped with
golden arms and motto OF the Grand
Monarque.
Upon another occasion we had the op.
portunity OF seeing the dining room,
which may as well be described here. A
solid oak table took up the greater part OF
the room. The fireplace was buried In an
alcoye covered with an arch, of which the
pillars were made up with blocks OF china
about three inches square, beautifully IL
lustrated with mandarins, tea leaves, para.
soils and celestials of every grade. Upon
a Iraised dais at tho head OF the table stood
three high.backed oak chairs, with stout
square arms and without rollers, as II they
had grown in that position and we're only
intended to be moved at the sound of the
naN G.. La. - ..NA q -
hand chair was the word MATER inscribed
in rows of large brass nails; the central chair
carried PATER written In the same man
ner, and ca The remaining back glowed in
bra2el panoply-and in large letters-the
word AMICI. The other chairs scattered
around the table and about the room were
not so splendid. The seats were OF simple
cane-mostly broken, as II the children and
grandchildren had frequently used them
FOR barricades. But one great neasy CHAIR"
embedded In the wall, was tattooed with
Hugoistic phrases, cut out with blunt
knife and by clumsy artist. One of
those phrases was TU Es PuLvIs,
EGO HUGol which, being Interpreted,
means, "You are dust, am Hugo.u 1t Is
a little difficult to see why yictoris not
dust as well as /, but SO It hath been written
on the chair of the chronicles of the French
poet.
Many other inscriptions Of similar sort,
which have now forgotten, adorned
the walls Of the dining room. One COM
mon merit they all possessed-they were
not platitpdes. They were generally In
versions OF received aphorisms or bare
faced paradoxes.
The drawing room, on the second floor,
was quite palatial in Its appointments, with
more than o suspicion Of that ginger bread
magpifcence from which not even French
palaces are exempt. DIR. Talmage, who
describes SO infinitely the upholstery OF
heaven, would have been at his ease among
the golden ''llmbsn,of chairs aud tables,
but felt somewhat more interested In the
men and women who sat on or near those
useful articles. The poet was Walking
round the table when we entered the room.
In the subdued light OF wax caudles and
lamps with colored shades we had an ex-
cellent opportunity of diagnosing one,
who, all things considered, is, perhsps, next
TO the first Napoleon the most illustri-
ous Frenehman Of the century. He came
forward TO greet usyery cordially, and very
gracefully introduced us to the different
members OF his circle. woyoung matrons
In deep mourning reminded us OF the
recent death Of his only surviving bon. An
elderly ladyin the toilet aud coiffure OF the
eighteenth century performed the duties OF
hostess with o calm, solemn stateliness,
OF which :, the melancholy was doubtless
associated with the late bereavement. NJ.
Lockroy, then editor of the Rappel, aud
married to one Of the poets daughters, now
prominent member OF the French cabinet,
stood upon the hearth rug, leaning against
the mantel. He was tall, stout, broad
ehouldered man, with the massive, mobile
features characteristic OF the brainy Gaul,
and the dark, piercing eyes, which speak
love, hate, sacrifice, or revenge, with an in
tensity not dlscernible In the blue and
gray OF the more TRANQUIL Saxon He had
and his paper almost ryaled IN vltriolic
sentiments the furious columns OF Roche
forts LdRterRe. But the evening we saw
him he appeared the embodiment of genial
and hearty good nature. He kept his friends
and visitors amused with Parlslan stories Of
soldiers and Journalists, and went to good
deal OF trouble TO translate the argOt OF the
streets aud the idioms Of the press.room for