The morning call., 1893-06-11

guest at such drawing-rooms as that of
tie Princess M%thilde, the simple aud good
hearted a phonse Daudet is the most ac-
cessibie man in Paris. l don't believe
that any one is ever turned away from his
door.
He lives in the fashionable Faubourg
st. German quarter on the fourth floor
of house which is reputed to possess the
most elegant staircase of any apartment
house in Paris. His apartment is simply
furnished and is great contrast to that of
Zela or of Dumas. Still there are not
wanting fol- its decoration objects of art.
and specially may be mentioned some fine
old oak furniture
To the right of the table where he
writes is Normandy farmhouse cupboard
of carved oak. which is treasure in itself.
The table, like that of many other success
full men of letters in Paris, is a very large
and highly ornamental one, reminding one
of an altar, while the chair which is set
against il, though less throne-like than
that Of Emile Zola, is stately and decor
ative.
Da udet's study is the most comfortable
room in the ouse. The three windows
look out on pleasant garden and as they
face the south the sun streams through the
red-embroidered lace curtains nearly all
the day. The doors are draped with
oriental portieres, a heavy carpet COW
ers the floor and the furniture.
apart from the table work and
chair, is for comfort and not for
show. Daudet's favorlte place. when not
writing, is on a little sofa, which stands
by the fireplace. When the master is
seated here his back is to the light His
VISITOR sits opposite TO him on another
couch, and between them is a small round
table on which may usually be seen the
latest book Of the day. and. for Daudet is
great smoker, cigars and cigarettes.
There are few pictures in the room, but
there Is fine portrait of Flaubert to be
noticed, while over the bookshelf which
lines the wall behind the writing table is a
portrait of the lady Of whom Daudet con-
fesSes that he owes all the success as well
as all the happiness of his life, the portrait
of Madame Daudet.
Nothing eau be more charming thansthe
welcome which the master of the hopse
extends to even the stranger who calls
upon him for the first time. The free
masonry OF letters or of Bohemia is no.
where in Paris so graciously encouraged
as here. His intimates he calls my sons"
and 1t is this term that he applies also to
his secretary and contidant, the excellent
Mr.. Hebner. His good humor and un-
varying kindliness to one and all are all
the more admirable, that always nervous
sufferer he bas of late years been almost
a confirmed invalid. He cannot move
about the room but with the help of his
stick, he has many nights when racked
with pain he is unable to sleep, and it is
consequently with surprise that those who
know him see that he never lets an i'm
patient word or gesture escape him even
un.Ss-r circumstances when one or the other
I be perfeetly Unsuitable.
Me- consequence IS that Daudet has not
siNEe enemy in the world. There are
mahy who do not admire his work, bnt
none N@hn do not love the man for his
sweetness. just as all are fascinated with
his brilliant wit 1t is one of the rarest of
intellectual treats to hear Daudet talk, as
he talks at his table or at his wife's lat
home" on Wednesday evening or on Sum-
day mornings, when from 10 to II be receives
his literary friends. He has a very free
way of speech, and when alone with men
uses whatever expressions best suit his
purpose, but every sentence is an epigram
or an anecdOte, a souvenir or q criticism,
II is sight that one must remember who
has seen Alphonse Daudet sitting at his
table or on the couch By the fireside, in an
attitude which always betrays how Ill he
is at ease and yet showing himself su-
perior to this; and with eyes fixed rarely
on the person whom he is addressing, but
on something, pen or cigarette, when he
turns and turns in his nervous fingers. he
converses on whatever may be the topic
of the day. He takes a keen interest in
politics, and. indeed, seems to prefer to
speak on these than on any other topic eX-
cept literature.
When the other day l asked him to tell
ME of his life, he said, speaking of his
early youth: II have often tried to collect
my souvenirs of my childhood to write
them out in Provencal. the language of
my native land; but my youth was such a
sad one that these are all resumed in the
title of a book of my souvenirs de
wrrh Tnh -,
Provencal. My fears Yes, fears and
tears, that is what nay youth consisted of.
! was born at Nismes, where my father
was small tradesman. My youth at home
was lamentable one. | have no recol-
lection of home which is not a sorrowful
one-a recollection of tears. The baker
who refuses bread, the servant whose
wages could not be paid, and who
declares that she will stay on without
wages and becomes familiar in conse-
quence and says thou to her master. the
mother always in tears, the father always
scoldlng. My country is country of
monuments. / played ar marbles in the
ruins of the Temple Of Diana and raced
with my little comrades in the devastated
Roman arena. 1t is a beautiful country,
however. and | am proud of my relation to
it. My name seems to Indicate that / de-
scenG from the Moorish settlers of Pro-
vence, for as you know Pro-
vencal people are largely of
Moorish extraction. Indeed il is
from that circumstance that | have
drawn much of the humor of my books,
such as ,'Tartarn.' 1t is funny, you
know. to hear of men with bushy black
hair and faring eyes--like bandits and
wild warriOrS-who are the one a peaceful
baker, the other the least offensive OF
apothecarIes. | myself have the Moorish
type, and my name Daudet. according TO
the version, which ! like best. is the Moor
ish for David. Half my family is called
David. Others say that Daudet means
DeOdat. which is very common name in
Provence. and which derived from Dec
datus means given by God.
81 know little of my predecessors, ex-
cept that In 1920 there was a Chevalier
Daudet, who wrote poetry and had a dec
ade of celebrity in the south. But my
brother Ernest, who used to be ambitious
in his book. Mon Frere ct Moi has tried
to trace our genealogy from a noble fam
lily. Whatever we were at one time, we
had had come very low down in the wor d
when l came into existence, and my child
hood was as miserable a one as can be
fancied. | have to some extent related its
unhappiness IN my book lie Petit Chose
Oh, and apropos of lie Petit Chose let me
declare on my word of honor that i had
never read line of Dickens when | wrote
that book. People h,ve said that l was
INSPIRED by Dickens. but that is not true.
II was IN English friend OF mine whom
mao at Nismes, boy called Benasset, who
first told ME | was very much like Dickens
al al PprhanS thar