New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-15
THE CANDIDATE FOR LABICHES CHAIR.
Paris cOrr,sponaencc Of The Chicago Trsoui

Paris correspondence Of The chicago tribune.
NJ Henri Meilhac is trying to get elected to the
Academy, and every one is saying, Why notf' The
question may we'll be asked, but cannot easily be
answered 1t is strange and is not credltable tina,
from Immortality, especially since so many Inferior
men have been received lie has long desired TO be-
come an Academlcian But never until now has he
made any systematic attempt to secure election.
Nor. except on a single occasion, has ho ever shown
Was two years ago. when Halevy was elected to tho
Academy. Messrs Melhac and IIalevy have for
WessTs Gilbert and Sullivan. They havo always
been most intimate and afectionate friends. When
Meiihac displayed much emotion though invOluntary.
lie was not I'm the least degree Jealous or envons.
Indeed he rcoced In the honor which had t. his
fri1nd and co-worler But he unqucstlonaby
made sad by the thought that there was now a gulf
partners In all things And It was then that no first
began TO think Seriously Of seeking for himself AGA
dec h 6en SGsn NV e pvege to know McRao well
for many years, and can truly say that know
70 look at~a stout healthful figure with nll. smiling
face dark mustachc and imperial and black hair,
and pair of the brightest and blacklist eyes in all tho
world Uls manner Is sympathetic his conversation
the wlftest have ever heard. and his laugh truly
mingover good spirits and sunny heart of happy
schooboy. And why notl He Is rich and lives Ike
boulevard and place de Madeleine, and his balcony
commands as splendid an outlook as there IS In the
splcndor Cons rlcuous among them IS huge bill ard
and card room probably the finest private apartment
working all day will play all night or perhaps II
would be NOR, correct 10 sag that after working all
night he viii play all day. His study IS room OF
such beauty as TO inspire the occupant. There is
wonder that he writes so well, with such place to
wrc in. But II IS not inspiration, he says, but hard
work And no man works harder ! don't believe
there IS more painstaklng writer In the world. He
works and reworks writes and rewrtes, polshes and
rcpolishes and acts over each line as lapdary acts
over choice germ that he IS polishing and engraving
So he is terror TO managers. They never know when
his piece Is finished He Tresd "A pay ana puts Il
requesting hundred alterations and ependa; ;Ons
And so almost daily and nightly, up to the hour OF pro-
dncioG, NJ Meilhac is sending In corrections and i'm
provements in the lines or In tho stage business
Sometimes he has rushed to the theatre Just the
curtain rising the first act and given frantic
orders that such an adjective should be stricken ont
or such intensified In expression. And finally
when Is all ended and the first performance has been
given, NJ Mslhac signs and says, "Ah, II could
have only had little more time, how much better
could have made it, NJ. e!hso is rich. as have
said. That Is, he has a splendid income. His royal.
ties on his plays amount TO nearly 100000 year
That Is probably larger than any other dramatic
author enjoys. But he spends 1t prOdlgally. He
lives I'm an extravagant manner. lie loses fabulous
sums at cards. But above all HIS bcncfactons arc
incalculable. He seems always TO be giving; a
handful Of silver TO beggar on the street, a
hundred dollars to pay the rent OF some unluoky friend