The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-26
HUGo'S AMERICAN FRIENDS.

| The French Poets Treatment OF Wis
itors From Across the Atlantic.
Lucy Hooper. an the Home Journal
am afraid that the grand old man must
have been good deal bothered at times by
| my country people. remember once how
a strong-minded American female insisted
on addressing him in a long set speech in
English, of which he understood not one
| word. At the conclusion of her harangue.
to which Hugo listened with oak-like sturdi-
ness and mperturbablity, she produced q
large laurel wreath, which she attempted
to place upon his brow. He lodged it clev-
erly, receiving it instead upon his out-
stretched arm, where he suffered it to
remain till the lady had taken her depart
ura.
On another occasion a very pretty Ameri-
can student of voralization came to MARBLE
for his deectation number of songs to the
accompaniment of the guitar. Now, like a
good many other great men, including Ma
poleon l., Gen. Grant, and the Duke of Wei
lington, Victor Hugo had a positive dis
tate for music, SO he looked at his visitors
pretty face instead of listening to her song,
which was in truth hardly worth listening
to, as her voice was weak and shrill, and
had evidently been Unframed. But he bore
all these little contretemps with unfailing
patience and good nature, looking upon
them probably as inevitable elements in the
universal homage that was laid at his feet.
That homage he enjoyed with unfeigned
heartinesS.
Often as | saw him never heard from
his lips a single word of blame FIR the
United States on account of the lack Of a
copyright law. Yet, in the absence of that
law. his loss on "Les Miserables" alone must
have amounted to thousands of dollars
He seemed to look upon the extension of
his fame over the western continent and
amongst b nation speaking an alien tongue
as a sufficient compensation for any pecuni-
ary drawbacks. He drew the mantle of his
glory so closely around him that his purse
and his pocket were hidden beneath its
folds.
AS a rule, however, his American visitors
was very sympathetic to him, though he
once greatly amazed Boston literary man
who mentioned Emerson to him by asking:
sWho was EmersonP 1t is now generally
known fact also that he refused TO receive
Gen. Grant when our famous ex-President
visited Paris, ON the ground that the gen
eral had sent congratulations to the En-
peror of Germany on the success OF the
franco-Prussian war. That incident was
not made public at the time that
If occurred. but the late Gen.
to Paris, spoke of it several times to
me and deplored the state of feeling that it
evinced. Ihave been told that the message
of congratulation in question was for warded
to the German Emperor by President Grant
through the influence Of a prominent west
ern politician, who at that time expected to
be minister to Berlin. But after all it was
merely form, such as every ruler must go
through with when any event of import
ance happens to one Of his or her colleagues,
such as The birth of an heir, the marriage
of one of the members of the family, an &C
cess of territory, etc.
Mrs. j. W. Mackay was accorded long
interview by Victor Hugo few years De
fore his death. AS she speaks French to
perfection, the conversation was animated,
and the beauty and vivacity and intelli-
gence of our fair countrywoman made
deep impression on the venerable poet. He
told me OF the lady's visit the next time
that / called, and added thoughtfully:
"They tell me that Mrs Mackay has a son
who resembles her greatly. Ishould like to
live long enough 10 arrange a marriage be-
tween NV granddaughter Jeanne and that
Young gentleman But both the Young
people were then mere children, and Victor
Hugo died long before his Gdored Jeanne
had attained a marriagcable age. That
wenld have been an International match
worth achieving.