The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-07


graph IS almost a
verbatim transcription OF the words OF
man who spoke to me once with real
distress IN his htart-a man who had
suffered grievously. and who thought
mat he could trace his suffering 20 the
influence Of the famous story. Certainly
Dumas did not look like a criminal when
! saw him at his house yesterday.
lie is tall man. white mustachcd ana
sturdy looking. He might have been
retired colonel. as he stood there I'm his
dead-black frock coat and pot hat. lie
/ has recently lost his wife by death. and
the bereavement has been a great shock
10 him. Before her death he frequently
went out and was known as rather
gay member Of that exquisite Bohemian
set which exists in Paris and is only feeb-
~ initiated elsewhere. But since his wife
died ne has scarcely seen any one except
bis most intimate friends. Alexander Du-
mas fls never was a dissipated man, as his
father was, but he has never been q quiet
man until now. il is said that he has even
given up playing billiards And he has
been known for many years as one OF the
best and most enthusiastic billiard players
in Paris.
Dumas position I'm literature IS unique.
1t is hard 10 recall to memory any son
who has been handicapped as he was by
the super-emincnco Of his father and VINO
has still made the world regard him as
important on his own account. Not only
did Dumas overcome this handicap but
he achieved greatness i'm the very line I'm
which his father led the world. No one
Will contend, probably. that the son is
as great as the father but no one Will
contend that the son in any measure owes
his own vast reputation to the vast repu-
tation of his father
Dumas is not as popular a playwright
as is SardOu. In Paris. though. bis plays
unQuesuonably rank next 70 those of the
author of Theodore" out Of Paris they
| are less known because they are so purely
local. Dumas is of Paris Partisan. lie
| knows one life only-the life Of Paris.
lie looks at 1t in one way only-through
the eyes Of Paris. IL would not be sur
| prising n his plays. succeeding wonder
| fully in Paris, created no stir at all else
| where.
When he told me the true story Of the
writing Of Camille" he called my at
| tention 10 that fact himself The pas
| sion may be deeper. more universal, IN
that play than in any other that / have
| written. he said. Hence its success be-
/ yond Paris.
1t has been said that he wrote "Ca-
| mile because he was dreadfully ina debt
| and was pressed by his creditors WITHIN
a week / have seen an article which
claims that he was a most indolent youth
and that he could be induced 20 work by
no other lash than that OF grim necC ssity.
| IL even minated that he would have
/ been Imprisoned for debt II DE had not
made money In some way or other. AN
] of which is absurd. In the first place
/ imprisonment Tor debt was not one OF the
! curiositics Of French law al the time. Ia
| the second place, young Dumas was only
twenty years ola when d. wrote "Ca-
Mile and was the son of a man who, II
be spent his money recklessiy, also earn
ed IL ia royal sums Dumas pore has
been spoken of as the most generous arI
the least practical Of any Frenchman who
| ever lived. II he would throw his money
| to strangers ia the street. and there seems
| 90 be little doubt that he did indulge in
! such 1agaries. il seems unlikely that he
would not also throw il to the son whom
| he worshippcd. The son assures me that
! be did throw 90 10 him. Whenever the
| Old gentleman had money the son had
| as much as he cared 10 ask for. lie was
! frequently i'm debt-thc atmosphere Of his
| home life was not such as 10 make him a
| careful and severe young man IN his per
soual expenditures. But he always had
| money to pay his debts wteI ever his
| father sent to his publishers and demand
ed his pay.
He wrote Camille" because he con-
ceived the idea for the play and thcrght
] that IL would be a good one lie had
| been thinking IL over for a week. Its
actual execution was one Of the most
| prodigious literary feats In history. The
actual writing Of the play occupied just