New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-08
ALEXANDRA DUMAS Fills.
THE son OF HIS FATHER. BUT MAN
HIS OWN TIME.

ILKA Par Alexandra Dumas Fills, de rAGadem ,1s
Francaisei Illustrations oos de Maroid' Fp' 49,
Paris Calmann Levy 1896
LA FEMME DE CLAUDE Piece en- Trois Actes,
mas Els de PAcadem!e FRANCHISE. Quatrieme
Edition. PIP II. 81. Paris: Calmann Levy 1888
A period of about twenty years divides the Two
publications OF which the titles are given above.
LA Femme de Caude' was brought out at the
Gymnase in 1873. when Aimee Desclee was alive
10 play the leading role. She who made 1t cele-
brated. is FADING figure in the memories OF oid
Par.slans and when the drama was revived last
fall by Nine Bernhard It was greeted as long
forgotten piece. Almost a thing. ''llka, the
narrative which gives Its title to volume III
which five fragments of fiction are gathered to-
gether dates with its companions, from the later
years OF the authors life and the collection APP
pears IN book form simultaneously WITH his deaih.
The drama and the stories offer us the same point
OF departure in a study OF the general outlines OF
their authors work. Separated in time. they are
vet Identical in spirit, and in their natural ass0-
citation togethe: they throw a vivid Lght on inc
homogeneous quality of Dumas Ms as literary
type He is distinctly type. one or the most rep
resentative men whom modern French literature
has produced, an author who shared in the de-
ve;opment of two epOchs but who belongs unmis-
takatly and permanently to the mos; characteris-
tie years of one H.; duality OF experience, when
observed in connection With his unity OF temlera-
ment and mind, affords one OF the pIquant anu
intensely interesting contrasts OF French letters
Dumas fills and the contemporaries OF his prime
have been analysts, first and last and all the
time They grew up young men, amid the i'm
nervous dicta OF the romantic school, then coming
into power. They had the traditions OF Dumas
pere. of Sainte-Beuve. with which to combat And
Dumas fills particularly was devoted to MS iather'
But he held his OWL nevertheless His father
made him a writing man. gave HIM literary gft,
a literary passion, and in many ways seems to have
he'd the loyalty OF his son. But one can see. fig
uratively, the younger writer saying farewell to
the olde. at the same instant tina. the son clinss
affect,onateiy TO his fathers hand
Perhaps the issue might have been different
had the heritage of Dumas fills embraced more than
one of his fathers gifts. But the Imagination OF
the great romancer was buried with him. 10 be
resuscitated, if ever, by men OF another line. His
humor too he could not leave behind him to his
son. He could give the after his literary bent, ana
above all he could give him his dramatic instinct.
but Dumas fills has from beginning to end wanted
ina gina ton and humor We may even say that, in
contrast with his father, If not with his contempt
rares he wanted heart. He dominated by his
intellect the absence Of religious rites at his
funeral the other day must have suggested to many
who read the cable dispatches. That last Incident
was a ratification OF a lifelong devotion to an ideal
of cold mpassve thought. Did he have enthusi-
asm? Yes of a sort but 1t was the enthusi-
asm OF a mathematician enravlshed by the unfold
ing Of a problem beneath the mpersona. action OF
his mind. Alexander Dumas-we may drop the fills,
for convenience, at this pont-has been praised for
his pre-occupaton with social questions and wheth-
e. as playwright novelist the substance Of his
work has Always been lies movement des dees
among the people OF his day. For that high praise
is due for It has meant In its stimulus to public
thought service. In measure TO social develop
ment Yet n survey of his work from La Dame
aux Camelias' of ls4s to the "Ilka" of only few
years since surprises the student in It's failure to
role raw a
without which the most sagacious of moral rehec-
lions are Ultimately infert.le and void AS docu-
mentary evidence the works Of Dumas have an
interest and a value which the present generation
at least III afford to despise But az forces OF
spiritual inspiration they even now Of triiing
weight and it is nconceivable that the future will
see their author erected among the literary bene-
factors Of his The drama to which reference was
made at the outset, La Femme de Claude, offers
a pointed illustration OF this curious contradiction
between the temporary and permanent uses OF
work Of literary art. Descee filled Paris with the
canor partisans for Cesarine against her She
put life into pamphlet and gave dramatic ex-
Istence to a situation in which Dumas had sought
first Of all to enforce poemcal idea While Desclee
played Cesarine the latter living woman, and
people stirred to thought by the spectacle OF
a wife being murdered by her husband for in
fdelites which he thought 1t just to punish in that
way Was he right wrong asked the public?
Is Tue La" motto for civilized society? Then,
for Of years the play waited to be enacted
again. The question had been talked out and II
needed a picturesque and interesting embodiment
OF the principal character to bring 1t TO life again.
That Is not unfair conclusion to analysis of Du-
mass whole experience on the stage. Listen 10
"L'Etrangere" especially, II you have the good
fortune to Its delivery from the boards of the
Coincide Francase-and you will enjoy brilliant
exhibition OF dalectics touching the intelligence,
squirting the emotions to quick sympathy or de-
ding In nhaTfn xa al ling nIaag
beauty and power unless 1t be the beauty OF dis
tngulshed prose the power Of well-trained
mind. In that Las; phrase Of qualification resides
the explanation Of the regard In which Dumas
is held. even when his work Is seen to have no
soul OF cheering light. OF human warmth. of
human tenderness
We have Indicated the glacial temperature in
which Dumas most cared TO live and Its unfavor
able effect upon his work. Bending the human
heart with the imperurbable countenance the pitt
less hand Of a skilled anatomst. he commands in
terest up to the point which his Investigations
have been carried. wakes a passing enthusiasm
when some dramatic genius enters into his task
guides his scalpe with inspired precision, and cuts
the quiver.ng nerves OF the subject for him with
one imprisoned stroke Then when competent
players competent aids are lacking he gives US
pause.
But the claims advanced for certain kinds OF
heauty and power In his work remain to be tust,-