The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-14

Alphonse Dnudst.
The following incidents i'm the career
II Alphonse Daude, are related by IN.
/ II. BJysen who enjoys the privilege of
| 4 personal acquaintance wi.h the dis
/ unguished French author whose new
novel. Por. I4rascon. translated by
Henry James. Is now appearing in liar
PEGS Magazine: "Alphonse Diudet.
little. delicate man, with beard parted
10 the chin. heavy Iiugiets like a lion
name surrounding h.- head soft.
dreamy eyes. and extremely robust
-hest-sucu Dee ls. When boy
his father failed, AMI for some
time Aiph0u-e lived with him
in peuury at Lyons. But an elder
brother procured position IN glass
store al Paris and AlphOnse went
90 live with him. They took the
cheapest lodgings in the city. for money
was exceedingly scarce. In fact. Dlu-
drl travelled 90 Paris in freight car,
wearing pair Of rubber boots. inside
0f whicn were neither slippers OF stock
ings. Tna journey occupied two days,
aud the boy dld not taste food during
the whole time. Finally. when Paris
was reached. he was nearly frozen. as
well as starved. There they dwelt far
up I'M the attic Of a building FIX stories
in height. But neither of the brothers
lost heart. Both had an Astounding
faith that the younger pos -essed genius.
One day "a stray volume of DaudDts
poems found Its way into the Tuiierles.
The Empress Eugene was delighted
DO d I..e
n-iaw. Can't wc DO something for
the boy Who wrote these,f The duke re-
piled. We can 30 every thing for him ii
your majesty SO desires. Then tiud
out about MIN and offer him assistance.
she cried. The next day AlphOnse
looked down from ms attic window
ln surprise to see great carriage. bear
ing the royal cOat-Of- arms, stop before
me door. In moment huge, inn
Dresslve. digniiicd. liveried llckey came
p0nderOusly creaking up the stairs.
As he knocked heavily ON the door
IL udet reeied forward half In "a faint.
What could II all mean, What would
happen Nothing. the lackey said ex-
cept the Duke sent his card 10 VI. D,.u-
bet. who would please call ON the Duke
one week from that day. An, what
preparations were made for that visit
Surely Daudet could not 10 to the
palace I'm rags and tatteIs, 50 he search
ed the clothing stores Of all Paris, try
ing TO hire a dress suit, but owing 20
his peculiar physique, none could be
found. After many trials he sue
ceeded in getting hold OF a tailor
who made him suit on the
strength OF the duke s card for Daudet
had 30 money - pay for it-and on the
appointed day he went 10 the palace. 4
score of others were present, but he
waited his turn, and IL came. He was
ushered into where the duke sat.
Can you writef' Yes, sir, replied
DAudet. Very good; | want secre-
tary. Pay. five thousand fracs. Good
morning. TIE boy was nearly over
come. lie had never imagined that
any one was paid that much year
about a thousand dollars. But he sud
denly remembered that he differed in
politics from the duke. and. drawing
himself up, announced the fact. Ia
stead of being deeply moved by this he
role course. the duke said. On. 20 ami
get your hair cut. Idont care an,
thing about your political beliefs. '
TIE new edition Of Mr.. Ruskin's
poems, 10 which reference has before
been made. will BE- a larger work than
was originally expected. III. Rus kins
unpublished poo ms lurn Ous 20 ho 80
numerous that the book will run into
two volumes. These will contain all The
poetical Writings OF Mr.. Ruskin deemed
worthy Of publication. and there will
thus be 10 excuse or room left for any
Buxton Formau of the future. |. is
possible that a thiid volume will b.
added, containing several early prose
pieces by Mr.. Ruskin which have never
yet been printed.
Milton Is not the first precedent We
have for the receipt of c0py-money.
however. The Bible commentator. Or.
Henry Hammond, was first in the mar
ket fourteen years earlier, having been
paid by the kings printer for annota-
ti0ns on the New Testament.
The ivy which surrounds Thackeray
grave in Kensal Green Cemetery, aud
which had spread over nearly the en-
tire surface of che plain tabular stones
obscuring the modest inscription, has
recently been neatly trimmed. Time
is beginning 70 leave traces on the mon
ument erected IN the same cemetery by
admiring friends nearly forty years
ago. The massive head Of che poet and
humorlst-immediately underneath
which is his self-choscn epltaph, "ilo
Sang the Song OF the Shirt stands
sorely in need of cleaning. while tho
figures on the pedestal. one side of
which represents a touching scene in
The Bridge of Signs. are no less in
need of renovation.
"A Kentucky Colonel, y by 0pie Read.
viii be published next month in book
form by +. j. Schultz, OF Chicago. It
was originally written as a serial for
the Arkansaw Traveller.