New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-07
THE NEW ACADEMICIAN.
SCENES AT THE ELECTION OF PIERRE LOTT
HEARTY, KINDLY MAN.

M
20 tho nlaco in the Academy left vacant by the
death NJ NJ Octave Feuillet The otner candi-
dates were NJ. Zola, NJ. Ferdinand Favre. 81. de
pornir NJ. Stephen Liegard and NJ. de Keraniou.
NJ Thureau- Dangeau withdrew few days previ-
ouslv. having heard that the Academy meant 10
eject n novelist. Though the doings OF the Fory
are now of small Importance compared TO what
they were in the reign OF the late Emperor, the
fame of two of the candidates and the name won
bv NJ Ferdinand Favre, made the election highiy
interesting one II. lola leads a school winch
can never get up TO the master, he being man
NJ genius: and which like most cphemeral things.
has speedily grown old and will soon DC OUT oil
date. Still it is composed Of great number oil
Young writers who are able to make o hoise LII
journalism. Their influence greatly helped to get
NJ lola elected short time ago to the chairna'l-
shin Of Ia Societe DIES Gems de Lettres. In whlch
capacity he has the literary world NJ France, snorC
q, that section embraced in the Academy, behind
him.
Manuel, the poet, did not come forward this
time. his wife, to whom me Is devoted, being IN
ill-heath.
There was a throng of young writer's 10 the
vestibule of the Institute waiting to know the
result of the election. waterspout which Durst
over Paris, tearing up old trees In the puDnc
promenades, delayed the proceedings, and there
seemed chance of the election being put OIL when
the Academcians began to drop in. IL was IN
terestng to watch them. Most Of them are very
old men, out of touch with the time In winch
they live NJ. Camille Doucet, one OF the moso
amiable of old gentlemen, was the first 10 enter.
He was followed by NJ Cherbuez, who, in all
but technical nationality, is Swiss OF Geneva
and has an indescribably Protestant air. Then
n
who is remarkable for pseudo Greek face and
thick head of curly hair-followed in succession
by Maitre Rouse, the advocate who defended
the Due d'Orleans when he was on his trial a
year ago last February, and the Bishop of Autun,
an ecclesiastc of ascetic and refined countenance
with the cleaning deep-set eyes of one capable
Of intense enthusiasm, emotion and cerebration
Jules Claretie, manager of the Francois, arrived
after short interval. He is from almablhty
and pliancy. all things to all men, Close behind
him were the Comte Melchoir de Vogue and NJ
SuIly Prudhomme. NJ. Renan suffering from an
attack of gout walked with evident pain Adj
miral Juren de Ia Graviere. the stanch supporter
Of Pierre Lott. for whom he secured the Orleanist
vote and NJ Jules Simon, a tranquil o,d gentle
man. who seems DESTROYS of making himself small
so as not to get in the way of any one else STOOD
aside when they heard the Due d'Aumale's voice
behind them But he insisted upon their passing
on before him. The Dues lame leg dragged heav-
lily and when he got up to Renan he spoke OF
being also tormented with govt. The only place
where he felt well was in Sicily. But he pre-
ferred Paris and Chantily. because of his books,
curios and friends, TO that heaven-favored lsle.
NJ Pasteur also dragged lame leg, his right one
being dead from an old attack OF hennplegia.
Halevy, the author of many light, bright ana
humorous novels and lbrettos. was one OF the
electors present. He is Of the Spanish-Jew ype'
and one of the saddest men in existence. lie re-
CARDS the world irreparably out OF JOINT
Haleyy has a r,leful countenance and might fifty
personate Don QuiXote in drama. Dumas, the
younger. tries to walk like a young man. One
saw as he advanced up the Gallery Of Busts what
q deal of effort it cost him to do so at brisk
mace The lines of his face have taken rigid
character which does not betoken good health.
His curly and woollen hair Is white as snow
NJ Legouve. woman's rights man of an old
fashioned. sentimental and very picturesque Sort
entered on the heels of NJ. Sardou. The latter
had the busy air of one who might have come
70 attend q rehearsal of drama he had written.
NJ. Legouve walked gingerly He is old enough
70 have fallen in love with Malibran, the famous
cantatrice. and to have got Madame Ristori to
he had written for the latter but which she did
not like. This Academican's feet and limbs
keen to the postures in which dancing-master
taught them to get themselves, perhaps as much
as sixty years ago. He still dresses in the light
bottle-green surtout and drab trousers which
were fashionable in Louis Philippe's reign, and
wears with them wide crowned and broad
brimmed pot-hat. In taking off his hat NJ
Mariner uncovered a black skull cap. NJ. John
Lemoinne is not taller than the late NJ. Theirs
and is built like him. The Uranium, II well
filed. must hold one of the largest brains IN the
world He, NJ. Bolster and VI. Sardou, thin
man with not flesh enough to hide the anatomy
Of the muscles of his cheeks and lips, had been
caught wholly unsheltered by the water-spout
and were drenched. Sardou is clearly nervous
and impatient. lie was greatly out of sorts and
begged those colleagues to whom he spoke to get
quickly through the business Of the day and leu
him 90 home In these times of influenza
ducking was grave event lie
chafed visibly on looking round and finding that
twelve Academicans entitled to vote had not yet
arrived, but was Modified on being told that NJ
Duruy was too seriously ill to come, and that NJ.
Bertrand was still away from Paris. Then MN.
Coppee, Herve and Taine came up the Gallery oil
Busts. NJ Tame has q cast in each eye. lie
wears beard, strikes one as being prosperous
bourgeois who enjoys his prosperity and rather
q podding than brilliant pers0n. NJ. Nerve Is
an intimate personal friend of the Comte de Fars,
has the Creole complexion OF one born In the
tropics, and is native of the Isle OF BOURBON
in the Indian Ocean. NJ. Emile Ollyiers halr,
which twenty years ago was raven black, Is nearly
white. lie did not seem to belong TO the set OF
littcrateurs which was gathering together But
N. d'Haussonville, now chief political agent OF
the Comte de Paris, was on terms OF c0rdai III,
tetcourse with all He was in good spirits, and
laughed and talked as he went from group TO
group This nobleman is great grandson OF Nine.
than To carry away q crowd at public peeting.
lie strikes one as being a dandy, and he keeps
a square, unframed eyegasS stuck in the corner
Of one Of his eyes. :,
The rector of the University of France. NJ.
Geard. had solemn professional aspect. lie
too is woman's rights man and helped TO pre-
pare the law by virtue of which there are now
forty Government high schools for girls: NJ Leon