The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-10
Prominent Frenchmen Have
Many Divergent Opinions.
STRIKING IDEAS REVEALED
On This Most Mysterious Subject
Injunction From Dumas
-Daudst Says "Chut!'

Death, says the New York Herald,
that one subject of supreme Interest to
human beings, has been occupying the
thoughts of several eminent Frenchmen
recently. lie Journal, Of Paris, thought
that 1t would be a good idea to inter-
view the intellectual leaders Of France
on this subject. and as result some
striking expressions OF opinion have been
published in that paper. In an English
dress and somewhat condensed they read
as follows:
Il maintain that we should think often
OF death II we desire to have at all times
fairly correct conception Of the things
OF life. A. DUMAS. Fils.''
IF death Is an evil It is an indispensa-
BILE evil, and, as matter Of simple JUS
tice, ought not humanity to be subject
to the same lot which It metes out to
the inferior orders Of creation? We must
one day disappear and pass into Paradise,
hell, Nirvana or nothingness. But as for
that, let each one believe as he will. You
don't expect me to speak about tho he
yond, do your
WILLIAM BOUGUEREAU,
Member Of the Institute" z"
Death IS the quarter Of an hour after
life's banquet which Rabelais speaks Of
| sincerely hope that you viii ask me on
the day Of the next carnival what /
think Of life. JULES cLARETIE"
81 believe that the creative spirit Of the
worlds an OF the Infinite can neither
be conceived nor judged by human
thought The creative spirit does not de-
sire that before we die the secret Of life
should be revealed. to- us.
''ROsA BoNHEUR.'' z
~ - a..
and love are brothers; the one gives life
and the other takes II away. In word,
death Is the necessary end OF every act
and every form Of being. without It the
world would be insensible, immoble and,
according to our conceptions OF things,
a mere void. BERTHELOT,
Secretary OF the Academy Of Sciences. =
death is the close of more stibtle
tife In the flower II sets free the per-
fume, in the chrysalls the butterfly ana
In the man the soul,
"JULIETTE ADAM
IF there were no old age, death would
be an abominable thing. but, as there is
old age II. MEILHAC."
Death is only the end OF life. II Is
good, because II frees us from the imbe-
Giles and the canaille. with whom we are
forced to come into contact.
~. L. c. JEROME.
Kindly excuse me- think 50 badly
of death that could not In grave mat
ter Of this kind express a properly Iin-
partial opinion PAUL STRAUSS.
There are no thories which win enable
one to bear with resignation the death Of
others, OF those whom he loves. or at any
rate, such theories cannot be set forth in
a newspaper interview.
MARCEL PROVOST 2
Here is my reply to your question:
What do you think Of deathT Chut!!!
"ALPHONsE DAUDET"
Death Is not gate which closes; It Is
a gate which opens. The present life "a
made clear by the future life. Death Is
less sombre than exile, because the tomb
Is only an open gate to another world
where each one finds again the father
and We salute the dead man who passes
by us, considering him as traveller who
goes ahead Of us.
"ARsENE HOUssAYE.'
Death does not exist. What we cali
ieath is nothing but the passage OF 4
completed past into a future which is
A. MERCIn.l'
4 consider death as something very dIs-
agreeable and inevitable. and that we
should endcavor to obtain as much as
possible out OF II for our benent. We
should then always endeavor to live as
though we were destined to die on the
morrow HENRI GREvILLE
III death Is quick and violent there Is
no time In which to become afraid OF Il;
II It comes through old age or illness, Ma
ture takes care 10 steal away our ply
steal and moral strength little BY little.
and we cross the threshold as easily a.
one glldes out OF dream IN slumber.
The important thing for US Is to live rs
honestly and as usefully as possible. and
then, when our hour has come to 20
forth without any fuss
ANDRE THEURIET"