The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-14

Rru0 thc German.
4 general imprcssion, and I snarssi
che great Dumas entered the ARENA Ut life
hoosed and spurr<i,and only had tn stretch
out his hand tn pluck the fame his fathcr
bad pgepareh for him. We will soon see
how far reality Ia removed from this pop
ular fiction. and that this man. the same
- many OF his colleagues, experienced all
che diacosragemcnts of the beginner.
Alexander was IL years old when his
father, whom until that time he had only
seen on Sunday, said tn him: my son.
yOu are now a man. Listen vel 10 me-
When ones name IL ALEXANDER Dumas,
one lives i'm style. dimes mt the Cafe de
Paris, is generous tn the ladies, denies
himself nothing. Go, my son, have mo
anxiety for the future. AZ the of y,
IL you get married. will give you So'ooof'
for n start"
Young Dumas. who until then had the
simplest of habits, and used 10 dine with
his distinguished friend, Paul Menier', az
fathers words and needed them. HE
plunged int the vortex of gay Parisian
life and was rccklessly liberal. .. e.,
followed your advice" said te. "ianu am
s0y0OOf. in debit. Youi, Of course. will pay
"Fifsy thou-and f~rancs!" exclaimed
Dumas. .sUnfortunatc hoy! wlsers. will
l. OWING ri. hundred thousand get
Alexander now saw that he would have
to depend ON himself. Thrown upon his
own reso,irres. hold enough to write
fathers friends, he took to- reporting for
the Paris press. With the limited income
from this source, however. ne could not
think of paying n debt of JO,UO francs.
About this time there lived a young
writer-his name i. of no Importance
Che friend Of tina, Marie Rnp!essis whom.
destined tn make famous This relation
ship ended as do all others cf the kind.
me yonng man was poor; inc woman
poor. That was natural. The latter ne
lated his woes To- a friend, and that friend
was wealthy When he saw the despair
"Await me here; I will smooth ont this
matter shortly" The rich friend sought
Marie Duplcssis. and as he took loo
francs from his wallet said:
"You have made n noble young man
very miserable. You need one thousand
francs-hcrc they are: This is. Of course:
will receive him again. will l not Thc
woman. although hunted down by credit
cr;Ss was ,a"roS Sa,iyn "y .y.s" ,J M,sh . .h,s
tell him expect him. The money you
may keep"
the u of "tamiIi...' Marie Dspicssis
WAS dead. hut still the idea was not FOR
gotten by young Dumas.
Of ST. Gerrnain, he was so absorbsd with
his that he missed the last train.
He passed the night at the hotel OF the
veyed his chamber and the quiet street
would be to work here" no sooner said
self AT the white Horse" He
paid twenty. sous per day for his room and
Camelias.', for the first edition of which
he received from CABOT. the publisher. the
ths. fhairxl ('.as1nS rafu.Ss.x1 tn lNasv- sn yn,anU
Dumas sold his book outright for twenty
Louis d'ors tn Michael Levy Freres. The
Rether eighty Louis d'ors. The sum was
"a veritable fortune. tn Alexander. and he
certainly Thought he. would never make
now and then hc would meet some friend
who would ask why he did not dranatizc
bis work; A play from Ai.xapdcr Dumas
matists, ruled that realm!
The young writer dared not permit his
ambition to soar so high. However,, pressed
by the neccssitics OF daily life he sought
his fathers advice. The elder Dumas ant
that time was at the zenith at his brilliant
reputation. He read the romance of his
son and complimentesl him OH IL. But
what amounted "a book to- this great ''story
writer" whose naIne WAS alrsaady attached
An incident of small Importance. How
ever. young Dumas went To his father aud
said to him: ~ am told tai make. u play
ont of Camille:' what do You think ofit:"
"ThcrS. is no play in it," answered the
father.
After tho leading French playwright
rendered this decision Alexander bowed
his head and thought no mors. Of the stage
until the day thai Antony Bcrand said to
him: ~ have just read Dame aux Came
has, The romance contains ~ part,
Father Duval; this part would prove "a
success for the Ambigu theatre. Will you
writ : the play with me-"
"Nothing would please me more" he
answered. but Dumas son was SOON CON
WINGED that he could never come TAI an
understanding with this helper. who
dreamed of nothing hut high sounding
and meaningless phrases. Antony Ber-
and occupied himself exclusively with tho
part Of the. father. The drama Of his
~pllautasy played i'm the Duval family ;
thers. was mo- talk of Camille" except be-
hind the scenes. and AS can easily bc inn
agined. nothing came. of this attempt tn
dramatize the book. Thers. are peculiar
moments in the life of n writer. moments
when the ideal which hc almost despairss
Of reaching presents itself. Often lEr IL
possessed with AN idea for years. and
some fine day. without knowing how. thu
work flows complete from the pen.
Dumas fills experienced such "a crisis.
One bright morning after Inc had long tie
SPARED of reaching the stage Ia. sat down
at his secretary aud thrs.. weeks later fin
shed his play. When il was finished hs
requested MIR. Viellot. one of his father,
clerks, tai copy il for him.
what have yoi given Nicllot tn copy: -
asked the father.
"a play,'' timihly answered tI. son.