The morning call., 1892-08-28
A NOTED FRENCH AUTHOR.
Something About Edmond de G0nCOurt and
Ills Home Life.
HIS New Comedy Is Satire Against People
and Things-A Writer Who Believes in
spasmodic Inspiration.
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL

I
The other day met Edmond de Goncourt.
! who told me that his new comedy "a Bas ie
| Progres" will soon be represented in Paris.
| This comedy is satire against medicine
and doctors, politics and governments; in
| fact, satire against people and things.
] There are but three characters, father, a
| yOuDg girl and robber. and the play has
| but one act.
One night, when Edmond de Goncourt
was unable to sleep, he planned the entire
/ comedy, and in few hours it was written
| NJ. de Goncourt intends to devote the rest
of his life TO writing plays. He says: at
| requires long time to write a novel, for
| one must write every day for at least one
year. Besides. no author. no matter how
! great, can write more than FIVE or six novels.
| Alphonse Daudet writes a play in three
months. but to write novel he requires at
! least one year"
| However, NJ de Goncourt does intend to
| finish the last volume of his journal" a
/ volume relating to events from 1854 10 our
! days. but this will only be published 20
| years after bis death.
Some time ago Goncourt'5 "FiIle Elisa"
! was represented with success at the Thea
| tre Libre, but the famous censure prevented
its representation at the Porte Saint Martin
| TheateT, where all arrangements had been
| made.
! Edmond de Goncourt is 20 years old, and
! his brother Jules, his inseparable friend,
| younger by eight years, was the first to pass
| away from this world. Edmond and Jules
| were 80 devoted to each other that some
said, "TouJours freres, jamals auteurs."
sUPERBLY HANDSOME MAN.
Jules de Goncourt was superbly hand
| some, and no mother could ever have
| spoken with more pride of her child's sue
cess than did Edmond de Goncourt of his
| brothers beauty. his brothers talent Paul
! de SANITY Victor says of them: in conyersa-
| tiOn it is easier to feel the difference be-
/ tween the two minds, for Edmond was
| grave and thoughtful, while jules pos
| sessed the sharpness of Chamfort and the
| Imagination of Rivarol." Jules de Goneourt
/ was gayety itself and Edmond writes of
his brother: The children with whom he
| played, as if he were OF the same age.
| adored him and looked forward to the days
| when they we're to see him." But, alasl his
! gayety was extinguiShed, and Jules de Con-
| court, sensitive TO literary envy and jeal-
| ouSy, became prey TO the disease that
ended his life. -
| Edmond de Goncourt lives at So Boule-
| ward Montm0rency, Auteuil. His house is
| Ornamented by medallion bearing pro-
| file of Louis NY, and a FTenchmaD once
told me that he heard an amusing explana-
| ton of this profile given by the railway
| station employe to lady who had asked
| for Information. THAT medallion is the
| portrait of the proprietOr's brother. They
| were two, and often they took the train for
| Paris. They wrote, Ii Is said, for the news
| papers. They were rich. The younger is
| dead and l often see the other, who is a
| fine-lOoking old man." So in the eyes OF
| the honest empioye Louis XIV is jules de
GODcOurt
Indeed, Edmond de Goueourt is a hand
| some old man. He looks like a soldier and
| in manner he is very distinguished. Ed
| mond de GoncOuTt has two passi0nS-he
| loves everything in tie way of Japanese
! art, and he is colectionneur. Long be-
| fore 1t was the fashion to admire Japanese
| bibeluts his home was museum, and years
| before cOllecti0Dneurs were numerous Ed
| m0nd de G0ncourt had collected treasure
| after treasure, books, manuscrIpts, bibelots.
| etc. In literature he was eOlIectioDneur,
| and from his old almanacs and manuscripts
| he constructed historical works, none more
| charming than Women in the Eighteenth
| Century"
| In the AImanaeh des Prisons he read that
| woman of the aristocracy said to the
| officer who told her TO get into the cart Of
! the condemned: "On va, eanaillew' and
! this became the last phrase of his drama
| Revolution
CURIOUS COLLECTION.
! One of Edmond de Goncourt's collections
/ is very curious. 1t is a series of volumes
| with illustrated bindings. Each book is
| bound in white calfskin ornamented with
| the authors portrait. Already he has quite
/ number, and among them are the prin-
cipal work of Toudouze, with his portrait
| painted by his brother, and Princess
| Mathilde's History of a Dog" with her
| portrait in oil. signed Doucet.
| In the top story OF the Goncourt house is
| situated the famous grenjer or garnet. This
| grener is composed OF three rooms divided
| by large arches. The walls are covered by
red cloth and everywhere are small book
cases containing curious manuscripts and
| the original edition of Balzac. In the
| panels are water-cOlor sketches signed
jules de G0neoart for the younger brother
! had much artistic talent February l,
! 1885, Edmond de Goucourt received all the
| literary celebrities in Paris, and now each
| Sunday is devoted TO his friends. The
| authors dearest friends are Monsieur and
! Madame AlphonSe Daudet and il IS under
| stood that there is always place at the
| table OF Madame Daudet for Edmond de
| GOHcourt.
Once Felieien Champsaur and Jules Gaze
| were welcome guests at GoncourtS, but
both betrayed their friend by writing most
adverse criticisms of "Germine LacerteuX"
In the Figaro and FEvenement, and since
| then their names are crossed from the list.
Ii was In the same "grenier' that the
Goneourt Academy was founded. The two
brothers intended that the acadr mie should
| consist of ten members, each one to receive
| pension OF 5000 francs, and their wills
were made so that this plan might be car
RED out. 1t was scheme that Sayored of
Utopia, but the first names on the list were
Theophile Gautier Theodore de Banville.
Barley d'Aureyilly, Emile lola, Alphonse
Daude,, Paul de Saint Victor. FIaubert,
Neuillot and Jules Wales, There the dream
ended, and more than one of these great
writer's have left this world without seeing
the realization of the scheme
NO FINED HOURS FOR WRITING.
Unlike other great writers Edmond de
GoDeOurt has no fixed hours or stated time
for writing. When his brother lived they
often worked together until or o clock in
the morning. and often they remained idle
for days at time.
Edmond de Goncourt believes in spasmod-
lc inspiration, and sometimes he shut him.
self in his room for three or four days. Then
he took the key from the door and no one
bad the right to enter. Now, too advanced
| In years for work of that kind, he rises late.
walks IN his gardens, and then writes and
stndies until IL O'Clock, the hour for break
fast he Is nota gourmand. but gourmet,
and his table is always provided with deli
cacies. After breakfast he reads some new
book, generally novel, and If it pleases
him he sends a letter of praise to the
author; then he resumes his own writing.
Often inspiration comes to Goncourt W hile
walking; for instance, when he wrote
'Cherie" the whole book was planned dur
Ing long walks TO st. Cloud. His manu-
scripts are covered with corrections, and he
Is great paper waster.
In his youth Edmond de Goneourt was
smoker, and each day he smoked many fine
cigars. His greatest happiness was to smoke
aud at the same time examine his latest ac-
QUESTION In the bibe1ot line. But one day
MS eyes became dim, and the oeuist said:
III You smoke you Will be blind"
The cigar was exchanged for the cigarette
and then came tendency to apoplexy. so