The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-30

never been elected to the number of the
lmmortals, although their names will be
perhaps more immortal than those who
refused them. Moliere, for instance, was
not a member of the academy, neither was
Pascal, neither was DESCRIBES; and today.
among the living writer's of the first rank
who have not been honOred by the academy
may be mentioned Alphonse Daudet,
Georges Ohnet. Emile Zola, Paul Bourget.
Guy de Maupassant and Catulle Mendes.
On the other hand the academy has
often chosen men for no other apparent
reason than that they had riches, or social
position, or that they had gained a certain
eminence as compilers of dictionaries or
dry books of reference. Among the pres
ent members NJ. de Freycinet, although
prominent as a statesman, has never writ
ten anything of consequence and has little
claim to literary distinction. He was sue
cessful, however. few years ago against
number of well-known writer's, including
Emile lola. The present Forty" also in
cudes the Due d Aumaie the Due Bro
gle. the Due 'Andiffret- Pasquier, and
other men with great titles but little else
to recommend them.
The academy does, however, include at
present such great writer's as Alexander
Dumas, Victorian Sardou. Sully-Prud-
homme, FRANCHISE Coppec, Leconte do
Lisle. and the playwright Paileron.
Monsieur Leconte de Lisle succeeded
Victor Hugo when the latter died in 1885,
and was the great poets favorite for his
successor.
After the election of candidate to fill
one of the vacant places there comes sew
eral months later what is perhaps tho
most impressive ceremony connected
with the academy. This is the public
afternoon reception Of the new Immortal
at the MaZarin palace. All the Immortals
are present in their grand robes of state,
with funny short sword worn awkward
lY at the side--for of all men in the world
the Immortals are least accustomed to
carrying swords-and their dress suits
embroidered with green palm leaves, the
symbols of their glory. On their bald
heads they wear the regulation three-cor-
nered hats, also embroidered with palm
leaves of the same color. They file
soIemnly out upon the platform where the
speeches are made, and look for all the
world like characters IN opera bouffe, so
ridiculous is the contrast between their
rather gaudy makeup and the melancholy
EXPRESSION of their faces.
Meanwhile the hall, which is constructed
like theater. and can hold about 500
people. has been stuffed to the point of
suffocation with two or three times that
many representatives of the upper crust
of Paris society. This is a great social
event, and the ambassadors of many coun-
tries and the various social lions are pres
CIV at IL as 40 Az eAS
of new opera.
Then come iong-winded speeches mostly
eulogies on the literary world in general
and the lmmortals in particular. The
new candidate reads in a monotonous voice
what will make a whole supplement of the
TENNIS of that evening, five or six columns
in close print. and very few people except
himself ever do read il. 1t is almost in
variably unqualified praise Of the great
man whose place he has been called upon
to occupy.
One Of the bitterest enemies OF the acad-
envy is Alphonse Daudet, whose novel
published some years ago and entitled
"LImmortelle" was direct attack upon
q body of old foges, as he regarded them.
The book made much OF sensation and.
Of course, ruined Daudet's chances of ever
being received into the number of the
elect. As TO that, however, he seems to be
more than Indifferent, his serious convic-
ton being that the French academy has
done more harm than good TO the cause Of
French letters.
There Is a regular term applied TO the
burning desire TO DE received among the
Immortals. 1t was invented by Victor
Hugo. who characterized this form of de-
sire as the green fever" which. he said,
was frequent sequence to the "black
fever" BY black fever" the author of
Les Miserables" meant the craze for dab
bling in printers ink, which marks the
beginning OF every literary career:
whereas The green fever" was go called
on account OF the green palms mentioned
already as being characteristic OF member
ship IN the Immortal body.