The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-17
DUMAS AND HIS SILENT PARTNER.
A Remarkable Story of Joint Author
ship.
From, the Ne,o York Sun.


LONDON, Jan. 26.-There is hardly a
Frenchman living who has not read, and
read again, the books of Alexandra Dumas
pere. There are not many English or
American youths who have not, either in
the original, if they are sufficiently good
French scholars, or in such TRANSACTIONS as
they can procure, greedily devoured the
apparently endless list of his books forming
a complete whole. These may not be Sc
verely and historically correct, but do not
hesitate to affirm that from them have been
gathered more lasting and vivid impress
sions of the history of France and England
than were ever conveyed by the arduOUs
study of Hume or Anquetil. If the rising
generation, in its eagernesS for novelties,
should turn away from Dumas books as old
fashioned, it is, in its ignorance, deserving
of more pity than blame; for the loss viii
be the readers. Nowhere will he find the
same living presentment of illuStriouS
names, the brilliant recital of deeds of ad-
venture and bravery, of warfare and love;
nowhere more dash and daring. Monte
Clisto" will ever stand out as the most per-
feet novel written. Dumas heroes have
not only lived in fiction, they have trod
the stage, and during forty years testified
to the marvellous imagination OF their
creator.
his due, it is well to remember his faithful,
devoted untiring partner and collaboration.
There has Just died III Paris, after sh rt
illness, a modest, unaSsuming man of 70,
WIG was through many long years Dumas
left hand, who bore pa iently with his OBJ
scurity, and rendered services publicly I'M
acknowledged with constant conscientious
ness.
Auguste Maquet, for it was he, resembled
in person one of the heroes who were partly
his creation He had the cleau-cut face,
the eagle eve, the brisk energy of d'Artag-
nan; he was also refined and educated, one
of the last gentlemen of letters whom we
have known. Early in his career he threw
his destiny in with Alexandra Dumas. In
the shadow of that brilliant reputation he
wrote his sh re of the long epopee of the
Mousquetaries, as well as of the series of
novels of which each new one ever seemed
the sequel of the last beginning with
"Queen Margot" and ending with the
"Forty-fve."
At first the world did not even suspect this
silent collaboration. 1t was only in 1916
that a few intimate literary friends of both
authors became aware of it; but still Dumas
continued to sign his works alone, not SO
much to crafty his own vanity, but as a
matter of business the publishers recogniz-
ing the marketable value of his name as
compared with Maquet's. But there came a
day when he refused to accept any longer
the sole benefits of the association, and the
occasion he selected to proclaim his indebt-
edness to his friend was that of the first
night of the first play taken from one of
their books
Every one knows that it is the habit in
France at the end of first performance for
the curtain to rise again SO as to allow the
actor filling the principal part to come
down to the footlights and address the audi
ence in the stereotyped words: Gentle
men and Ladies. lhe piece we had the
honor of acting before you is by
manning the author When the "Y outh of
the Mo1squetaires" had ended in storm of
applause, ard Melingue, the great comedian
who was also a sculptor OF merit, and in
a later play modelled a statuette on the stage
every night-was standing at the wings
waiting to make the customary announce
ment, Alexandra Dumas whispered few
words in his ear, and then returning to Ma
uuet said hurriedly
SIS your mother in the housew
YES" answered Maquet surprised.
"Well, look at her when the curtain
rises
"Why"
Look at her, say, :" impatienly repeated
Dumas, as the clear tones of Melingue rang
from the footlights uttering the words:
''rhe play we have had is by Alexandra Du-
mas and Aguste Maquet."
Mauuet, completely overcome by this
tardy and unexpected tribute to his services,
rapturously embraced Dumas, and has
since said that for that one minute of
unalloyed tri umph he would gladly have
served another lifetime of obscure labor.
1t is difficult to ascertain exactly how the
work was divided between the two collab-
orators. 1t Is however ST. posed that TO-
gether they constructed their plot and laid
ont the scenes on a wide and solid basis.
Maquet. whilom Professor OF the Univer-
sity. consulted memoirs, old documents,
newspapers, and archives, while Dumas IN
his ramble through Paris and It's environs
reconstructed IN his mind the old Louvre,
81. German, the ancient palaces and pris-
ons. the Greeye. and Notre Dame. Maquet
wrote tho first chapter-or ieuilleton-con-
else correct, and ~ the purpose. Dumas
took hold OF IL, and infusihg II with his IRE
and genius made II brilliant. terte, witty,
anb dazzling From this superb ana un..
riyaIled collaboration spfang the so-enlied
historical roingnees aud many plays which
have Fascinated millions 81 readers ana
s,ecfatoru II mnst b. ADDED fof the
honor ~ asa epoch whlc1 has &fHiiled ana
multiplied tie MUNICIPALITIES " s0Ealied