The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-09

in the ranks OF busy workers, especial
ly as I knew that I would eventually
triumph IL there was anything In me.
"It was while feeling in this spirit
that one night, while wandering in
the wings of the Theater-Hlstorique,
Antony Beraud, a former manager OF
the Ambioue-Comique. offered to col
laborate with me in a play for which
he had found the subject in my novel
of La Dame aux Camelias.' 1 had al
ready vaguely thought of putting the
book in dramatic form, but had been
dissuaded by my father, who, wnen 1
preached the matter to him, exclaimed
with a laugh:
"sBut, my dear boy, there Is no play
in that bookv
"The proposition of Beraud filed me
with hope. was then not alone In
thinking that the romance OF Marguer-
ite Cautier could be turned into a
dramal Better still, had found col
laborator and 1t was Beraud, VINO was
said to be an expert in things theatre
cali L FASTENED to accept his offer, al
ready foreseeing the possibility OF pay
ing, at least, a part OF my debts. But
my illusion was of short duration, Tor
/ soon perceived that i would never get
along with my collaboration, who only
saw in la Dame aux Camelias' mat
ter for a heavy melodrama. After
lengthy discussions 1 finally agreed to
aet him use the story II he signed the
niece himself and allowed me half or
his royalties.
II remained IS months without hear
ing of the famous project. when one
| day u received the scenarios OF Beraud,
which appeared to me to be one or the
most absurd things in the world. In
| fact. / have preserved II to this day
| as a curiosity. But suddenly the idea
came to me TO write the play alone.
| 1t was like an attack or FEVER! IN eight
/ DAYS the thing was done. Proud OF my
work. but Just a bit contrite at having
disregarded my fathers advice, car
| ried my manuscript to his copyist,
| with the intention of swearing the lat
| ter TO the most absolute secrecy. But
| 1 had scarcely entered into the copy
lists room when 1 was surprised by my
father, who had just entered with
| manuscript under his arm. was
forced, therefore, to acknowledge my
disobedience. Exercising all his paren-
tai authority, my father inflicted the
| most cruel of punishments on me Dy
| forcing me to read the piece to him,
then and there. Must / acknowledge
n? In the second act tears came TO
his eyes. At the close of the tnird
| act he was crying like child.
But / had to interrupt my readlng
to keep a very important appointment.
NV father promised to wait for me IN
order that he might hear the last two
acts. On my return he embraced me
heartily. He had not been able to re-
sist the temptation to go on to the end
and laughing through his tears, he pre-
dicted an immense success for me- al
the same time warning me or the trou-
BILE would have with the censors.
HE was right. lie Dame aux Ca
melias' went through many difficulties
before 1t was allowed to appear, but
II was enthusiastically received on lis
first night.
There was in me, then, the material
for a dramatist? / had to peheVe A.
since the master of the contemporary
Gus drama affirmed ii and the PUBIC
seemed to second his judgment. From
that day, set seriously to WORK.
"All i have told you," concluded Du
! mas. might be summed up In tn'
statement that / owe my position al
a dramatic author entirely to my tath
er. who. by causing me to pay for m!
: own cigars, gave me taste for work.
, Ralph Edmunds.