The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-11

that II h already expected By the public
and announced hy the publishers. As to
my literary career. is Is one 81 absolute in-
dependence TOR the writer. have si.ays
rebe.ied against thp three classic ffadinons
OF French literature. that Is to say. the
French academy. the French theaser and
the Revue de Dee Deux Nondes. con-
slider the academy . collection OF medioc-
rit:es and would hold myself dishonored
TO Be one Of them.
Il am very, very nervous Tcere are
times when feel that 1t hight were set 10
me should blaze mp in red flame. some
times this nervousness Of mine plays me
tad tricks. remember that il cost me
large sum OF money one morning recently.
A kind Of dramatic agent, accompanied oy
his wife, came to see me TO ask me TO sell
them the rights Of translation Of my play,
Lutte Pour IL Vie. and they ootnere4
and irritated me 30 that In order to &c; rid
o. them | sold them this right for A.UQ
francs. The woman told me how hand
some [ Was and said that the ladies must
have been very fond Of me when was
young man. She had bat with feathers
in it and vas aitogether most
ss.rac.sinary person An ma n" aoIa is' es,s
of the right coded to them for 5000
francs, 60 that my nervousness that morn
ing cost me about $1,000 must say that
in my literary work owe nearly all to my
wife. She rereads all my books and adj
vises me on every point She - all that -
charming and has wonderful mind. en-
tirely opposed to mine. sympathetic
spirit. married at the age Of %, and
strangely enough / had always vowed
that I never would marry . woman with
literary tastes. Now, strangely enough.
the very first time that met my wife was
At party at Vile d'Avray. where she re-
cited . piece Of poetry called 10 Irem-
appearance. IS well a. the way she de-
claimed those verses. produced an inn
mense effect upon me. As We were
leaving the house, my sister, who Was
with me. and who knew my aversion for
women who dabble in literature. said
to me, Well, Apihonse. that is not your
style. is it? I.confessed. stammeringly,
that I had no other hope than that that
girl should become my wife. was for
tunate enough to win her and it was the
greatest blessing that was accorded to me
in the course Of most happy and success
full life. She IL very different from me.
practical and logical. Now. I am thor
ror Of the number Is. and would not walk
under ladder or travel on Friday for
any consideration. Our two characters
are entirely opposed, and so are our ways
of thinking. That Is perhaps tho reason
why we are such excellent friends.
II have been very happy. There Is my
son Leon. I think that in him and in
young Maurice Barres lies the future of
French literature. They are the only two
young men who give any reason to hope.
And then my other children. There is
my little daughter Edmee. the god-like
child Of de 0oncourt. What can make
man happier than to have ray of sunlight.
like my little Edmee. charming. dainty,
little 6-year-old Parisienne that she is,
about the house. There is life Of happi-
ness in her presence alone"
And as Daudet spoke, little Edmee ran
into the room. Just returned from . walk.
and clambefed upon the masters knees
and kissed him again and again. and it
was pretty sight to see the two. Daudet
said II shall die Of happiness" when he
gave them. 1t was emotional and Proven
cal but sincere and pretty.