The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-31


year. Consequently. though for forty years
Alexandra Dumas could not have earned
less than forty thousand dollars per an
mum: though he neither smoked. gambled. nor
drank; though In spite OF his mania for COOK
Ing he himself was the most frugal eater-ths
beef from the soup Of the previous day drilled
was his favorlte dish-it rainsd writs and sum-
monses around him. while he himself was fre-
Quently without penny. Indeed. ono OF his
-FOUR secretaries was appointed for the express
purpose OF dealing with tho process servers.
One OF the stories reoounted In this book
shows that Dumas would have souandered
the fortune OF the Rothschilds had he pos
sessed It Not on himself. indeed: but he
would have given II away or allowed 1t to be
taken. He had no notion OF the value OF
money. Once whom he was Ill at Saint Ger
main the author Of those notes went to see
him. His son had Just left him. and he told
Sir Richard. - Cest un crur dor. Get Aierdn-
dre.' He went on to explain: =" This morning
received $50 francs. Just now Alexandra
was going up to Paris. and he says I'll take
fifty franos did not pay attention. or must
have misunderstood. At any rate I re-
piled. Don't take as much ~ that;
leave me hundred francs What do
you mean. father1' he asked.
am telling you that am going to take fifty
franos 1 bog your pardon said. i under
stood that you were going to take six hun
dred." According to Sir Richard. the novel
list would have considered 1t the most natural
thing In the world for his son to take six hun
dred and leave him fifty: just as he had once
deemed 1t tho most natural thing to bare his
arm and have dozen leeohes put on 1t, be-
cause his son. when a 10y Of 8. having met
with an accident would not consent to blood
letting. In vain did the father tell him that
the leoches did not hurt. well put some on
yourself. and then will" So the giant turned
up his sleeves and did as he was told.
Nv.
"reminiscences Of the younger Dumas would
naturally for the most part be looked for in
tho second volume Of this book. which deals
with the Second Empire. But the original Of
tho heroine Of his first successful work. La
Dame aux Camelias, lived In the days OF
Louis Philippe und Is. therefore, described In
the first volume by Sir Richard Wallace. who
knew her. and has much to say in praise Of
her. We are assured that the world at large.
and especially the English. have always made
serious mistakes with regard to the he
rone OF tho young Dumas's novel and
play. They do not oven get her
name right which was not Marie. or
Marguerite Duplesss. but simply Alphonsine
Plessis. Then. again. English readers tax Du-
mas with choosing an unworthy subject. and
By idealizing her. teaching lesson OF vice
instead OF virtue They have taken for granted
that Alphonsine Plessis was no better than her
kind. Now. Sir Richard Wallace frequently
met her In the society Of some OF his friends.
between '43 and AZ. the year OF her death. and
he AYERS that she was much better than her
kind. though probably not sufficiently good to
IN - a hNn nd % NJ nd OH -,
her pastors and masters. to slave from morn
till night for a nero pittance. in addition to
her virtue. which was ultimately to prove its
own reward-the latter to consist OF a home
OF her own. with lot Of squallinG brats
about her. where she would have had
to slave rs she had shaved before. with
outthe monthly pittances previously doed out
to her. She was not sufficiently good to see
her marvellously beautiful face. and her match
less. graceful figure set of by cambria cap
and calico gown. instead Of having the first
enhanced by the CLEAN Of priceless jewels In
her hair. and the second wrapped in soft laces
and velvets and satins: but for all that she
was not the common courtesan the goody-
goody people have thought fit to proclaim her.
the common courtesan who, according to these
goody-goody people. would have descended to
her grave forgotten but for the misplaced en-
himself corrupted by the atmosphere in which
he was born and lived afterwards"
According to the author Of those notes the fact
is that Dumas fills did not. in his story. idealize
ANYTHING at all. and least OF all the character
Of the woman he elected to portray. Alphon-
sine Plessis. We are told. had probably learned
very little in her girhood. but she had natural
tact and an instructive refinement which no
education could have enhanced. She never
made grammatical mistakes. and no coarse
expression ever passed her lips. Unlike Lola
Monies. who could not make friends.
Alphonslne Plessis could not make enemies.
She never became riotous like the
other. or even boisterous. for amid tho
most animated scenes. she was haunted by the
sure knowledge that she would die young.
Sir Richard tells US that amid such scenes she
would often sit and chat to him: she liked him
because he never paid her many compliments.
although he was but six years older than she.
The story Of her being provided for by q for
eign nobleman. because she was so like his
deceased daughter. was not. 1t seems. . piece
Of fiction on Dumas's part-it was positive
fact Alphonsine Plessis. after this provision
was made for her. might have led the
most retired existence: she might as 80
many demi-mondaines have done since.
bought herself q country house. re-entered
1.-The paths OF responsibility" have had
pew in tho parish church. been In constant
communication with the Vicar. prolonged her
life by several years. and died in the odor OF
sanctity: but. notwithstanding her desperate
desire to live. her worry nature reyoted at such
self-exile. When Alexander Dumas read the
Dame aux Camelias " to his father. tho latter
wept like q baby. but his tears did not drown
his critical faculty. AT the beginning Of
the third act" he said afterward. Il was
wondering how Alexandra would get his Mar
Guerite back to town without lowering her
In the estimation Of the spectator. Be-
cause. II such a woman rs he depict
ed was to remain true to nature-to her
individual nature-and consequently able
to stand the test of psychological analysis.
she could not have borne more than two or
three months OF such retirement. Tho way
Alexandra got out Of the difficulty proves that
he Is my son. every inch OF him. and that at
the very outset OF his career no Is better
dramatist than l am ever likely to be-" To
his account OF Alphonsine Plessis the author OF
these notes amanda n All urinary OF q minute