New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07

| handsome. but each in a different way. "l'i' "i'
! tall, slim figure auburn. wavy hair ana DeuIu'
blue eyes, and finely shaped mouth and nose lie
Musset gave one the Impression OF dandy cavalry
officer in multi. rather than Of poet; the MISS
| Byron which Prpault the sculptor, apphcu ~
him was, perhaps, not altogether undeserVeu' IL
judged Intellectually and physically at first sigh''
Thee feminine grace about all MS move
ments"
! Here is note on Balzac g have sald tlao
| Balzac often came after spell Of hard work. 10
recruit his forces with the 'vcau la casserole
Of the Cafe de Paris ] should have added that
! this was generally in the autumn and winter, ior
at the end OF the spring and during the summer
J the dinner hour, seven, found Balzac sun prs
| oner at home. Few Of his acquaintance anu
friends ever caught sight of him. they were oHen
in total ignorance of his whereabouts ana sucn
news as reached them generally came ulrous"
| Joseph Merry, the poet and novelist the Only one
who came across him during these periods OF
eclipse. Mery was an invetcratc gambler, ana
| spent night after night at the card-tapIe' lie
rarely left it before daybreak. Ills way lay pdSV
the Cafe de Paris. and for four consecutive morn
ings lie had met Balzac strollinS lcisurely up ana
down. dressed in a 'pantalon and picds trousers
not terminating below the ankle. but with leeV
in them like stockines) and nock coat with velvet
facines Tie second morning Merry felt sur
| pri>cd at the coincidence the third. he was puz-
lied the fourth he could hold out no longer
and asked Balzac the reason Of these nocturnal
p.rambulations roundabout the same spot Bdizac
put his hand in his pocket and produced an alma
nae, showing that the sun did not rise before ~
l am tracked by the officers of the Tribunal de
Commerce. and Obliged TO hide myself during the
day: but at this hour am free. for as long as the
sun is not up they cannot arrest me
The author, like many before him. cannot solve
the problem of Bllzac's chronic impccunloslty.
He asked Merry how Bazac spent his money, ana
Merry replied "In sops to his Imagination IN
balloons to the land of dreams. which balloons he
constructs with his hard-won earnings
and initiates with the essence or HE
visions, but which nevertheless will not
rise three feet from the earth Balzac
is firmly convinced every one of his characters
has had, has STILL its counterpart IN real ll'c'
notably the characters that have risen from hunoe
beginnings - great wealth; and he thinks uHa''
having worked ont the secret Of their success on
paper, he put II in practice. Ito emoarks on
the most hariim-scarum speculations without the
slightest practical knowledge; u, for instance,
when he drew the plans for his country house at
the Jardics Vile d'Auray), and insisted upon the
builder carrying them ont in every respect whlle
he was away When the place was finished
had to put them outside and he maintained that 1t
was part Of the original plan; but lie had never
given thought 70 the means Of ascent" An
other BaHao illustration follows. The great
writer had been asked to describe the Rue dc
Richelieu in short paper for new WORK but
half sheet required Balzac demanded AZ
his price 5000 francs more than 600 francs
page of about COO words. And this was his cy-
PLANTATION HYou will admi. that in order to de
pict landscape faithfully one should study Its
every detail Well, how would you have me
describe the Rue de Rchceu, convey an idea OF
It's commercial aspect, unless | visit, after the
other the various establishment, il contains
suppose | began by the Boulevard dies ltaliens
I'd be bocnd to take my dejeuner at the CAFE Car
dinal. would have to buy couple of scores at
l;randus's, gun at the gunsmith's next door,
breastpin at the next shop. Could do less than
order coat at the taiiOrs, pair OF boots at the
bootmakcr's?' | cut him short. Don't 20 any
further, said, or else we'll have you in at tho
CampaGnic des Indies and, as both lace and India
shawls have gone up in price, we'll he bankrupt
before we know where We are
The author has good deal 10 say Of Eugene
Sue, whom he chsraccrzcs as an inveterate
snob who was much disikcd, and who made HIM
self SO Objectionable at the Jockey Club, Of which
he wac one of the earliest members that they
turned him out Tie Juror created by Sues
books however, is fully acknowledged While
the Mysteries Of Paris" was appearing In the
Debats newspaper one had to bespelk tiir paper
several hours beforehand because, unless one sub
scribed to IT, it was impossible to get it from the
news-venders As for the readingrooms where 10
was supposed TO be kept, the proprietors frankly
laughed in your face If you happened 20 ask for IT,
after you had paid Your two SOUS admission.
Monsieur is Joking. We have got five copies,
and we let them out at ten sous each for hall an
hour; that's the time it takes TO read NJ. Sues
story We have copy here, and II monsieur
likes to take his turn he may do so, though he VIII
probably have to wait for three or four honIs
Sue took himself very seriously, and not without
reason for il seems that numbers Of his readers
identified hn with his Prince Rodolph rcgarced
him as a great pnilanthropist, and besieGcd him
with laudatory and inquiring letters about his
great schemes Of social reform
The author has great admiration for the elder
Dumas concerning whom he tells many stories
illustrating his goodness, his versatility and his in
cxhaus.ihle spirits lie also gives an interesting
piece Of inside history about Lola Montcz and the
King of Bavaria, revses and corrccts the popular
version Of Aphonsine Plcsss, the heroine OF the
younger Dumas's La Dame aux Canellias" tells
several anecdotes Of Rachel, whom lie does not
like illustrating her consummatc greed and mean
ness; opens his incXhaustible budget and produces
incident after incident concerning Auber, fehcien
David DclacroiX, Gabriel Decamps Horace Vcrnet
and whonot2 concluding with q quite fresh view
OF Louis Philippe and his family. This for the
first volume only. The second, which deals with
the Empire, is if possible, still more crammed
with amusing and interesting matter. The author
knew Louis Napoleon from aforetime and seems
10 have maintained very good terms with the
Emperor He does not however. like the En-
press. and lie attributes to her bigotry and mental
ineiiicency at least the precipitation of the col
lapse which, however, lie thinks must have come
before long in any event. But he says il was the
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