The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-10-22
nuMkS. LIE ElCrR.
Ais rsotism Palcd Before His Great Zig
Tender Heart.

A speech Of Alexandra Dumas has
often been repeated, perhaps for the
reason that he probably often used it,
for | heard him say; The tripod of
French literature today rests on Hugo,
I.arnartinc and me- That he did say
it can attest TO, and he was in dead
earnest. 1t was spoken outright in
company where the literary clement
was conspicuous, and was received
with a hearty, good natured laugh.
For a moment NJ. Dumas seemed
taken aback at the way this speech
was received. He did not reiterate lit,
but stood still looking at the laughers
with an air of amused conviction on
his face.
Let me put aside all the egotism in
Alexandra Dumas, declaring that for
a special style of romance nothing
was ever written equal to his "Trois
MOusquetaires. Those four gallant
swordsmen, Harthos, Athos, d Artag
nan, Aramis, stand side by side in de-
Tense of their creator. If they were sim
ply bullieS, or spadassins, they would
have lowered their blades long ago.
The sparkle of their steel, the merry
clink of their rapiers, are continued IN
their talk. Take a page of dialogue
in this wonderful novel, and even the
ouis and mons have their merit
There never is a superfuous word. 1t
has all the eloquence of brevity. In
the half dozen plots that run through
the story there is no muddling; each
strand has its own distinct color, and
vet subordinate to the whole It is
The joyousness, yet the devil-may-
care way it is done, which is so pleas
ing. l think that more oil, candles
and gas have been consumed over
The Musketeers" and Monte Girls
to" than any other romance ever
written.
A king of Spain, seeing a man
laughing with book in his hand, said:
That fellow is either reading Don
Quixote' or he is crazy" If you are
told that your son or your daughter is
caught in the act Of reading some book
or other all night you may be quite
certain it is either The Musketeers"
or Monte Cristo." AS to the latter
book, am inclined to believe it has
helped to perpetuate the idea Of treas
ure trove. Thackeray may have made
one of his characters, Maj. Pendennis,
read Paul de Kock, but the great
novelist loved his Alexandra Dumas,
and | am quite certain Thackerays
taste was pure, his critical judgment
the soundest, and so / believe what
this Frenchman wrote, will always
delight mankind, and for the sorrow
of prigs, as Mr.. Lang neatly puts it.
Nv 7
citation of Dumas, has done him full
justice. What l should most like to
bring into prominence was Dumas
goodness of heart-or was it his weak
nessl He was the most charitable
man ever met. 1t was not half his
cloak he would have given to poor
man, but all his clothes Poverty did
not come to him; he sought it out. He
may have been lavish, but he indulg-
ed in eXtravagances for others, and
not for himself. All his emotional
instincts were concentrated in his su-
preme pity. Even in the height of
his literary career, when his writings
were IN eager demand and handsome
ly cared for, | have known him To sit
up all night writing, not for himself,
OuI lCI lliC DcllcllL vi OlIltTS.
Once | met him a bright spring
morning walking head up, erect,
along the Marty high road.
You look happy, NJ. Dumas" l
said.
Il am. have been up all night,
and am going to dispatch this parcel
to Paris" He tapped a good sized
packet under his arm
But why should you burn your
candle at both ends NJ. Dumasl You
will break down.
"Ahl bah! Do look SO frail2" he
asked, with a merry laugh Certain
| ly he did not, for he was built like a
Bagdad porter The fact is, poor s. s
wife was confined yesterday, and he
is clever and deserving man, but
without a sou to bless himself. He is
one of the few who never complain
but know he pledged all his books a
week ago. Nine. S. and the child
might suffer. There must be no
| gloom in that household. 1t struck
me last evening at about 10 o'clock
when had finished certain bit of
work, and then his and her position
and the baby inspired me- Inside the
package Is an order on my publishers
to send S. at once 500 francs That is
what a half dozen hours are worth,
not much TO me, maybe a good deal
to them They will never know who
sent it, and remember you are my
confidant, and no peaching."
And with happy laugh he strobe
along
To give to others was the passion of
this mans life, and he gave and gave
until he impoverished himsclf.-P. in
New YorL, Times.
story of IA Violin.
Waldcmar Meyer, well known Vi
olnlst, na, bought one Of the most
valuable victims in the world for
$3.50. it was not only made by
Stradiv"rlus, but has q history Til,
"Str4d' fiddle was made for the first
George OF England IN IiG 1t was
[cDt IN ne r1I..I f.,uit1, ,,,f,I tl... fi,.ci