The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-03
HuGO'S LETTERS
Their Sptciai intrrest In the Correspond
tnte with Sninte .ll.uyr.


Interest In the correspondence OF Vie
tor Hugo. which has been published,
says Paris correspondent OF the Bos-
:on Herald. viii be concentrated per-
haps In the letters to his friend, the
critic Salnte- Beuye, who had been un-
able TO prevent himself from falling
desperately In love with the poets
fascinating wife. In September 49,.
Hugo announced that he was about TO
b. married, the first recipient Of the
news being the famous Able dc Lam
cnnais, who struggled to reconcile rev.
olutiDnary liberalism with the strict
religion Of which he was n minister.
II wish you were here In Paris" writes
the poet To ;he priest. who was then Il;
La Chesralc, 80 that you might know
the angel who Is 10 realize all my
dreams NJ virtue and felicity. intend
ed 10 write 10 you about this before. but
| was afraid OF offending your sublime
austerty by the aYOwal OF passion
which is inIImltublr although pure
and Innocent" After the marriage HUI
80 began, 10 nppiy himself more closely
TO literature and politics, us IA shown
by cplstles to Alfred de VIgny. Lam
artlne and Armand Carrel. Ee also
worked u an opera, recognizing the
fact, as he humorously remarked, that
In llbretti the rhymes are the very
humble servants 0t the notes.
The pearls OF the cp!stolhry collec-
ton. however, are the letters TO the
author OF the "Causeries dU LundI' az
ter the separation OF the two friends.
The critic. who was n frequent and
welcome visitor 60 Hugo's house, sud
denly ceased 10 call so often. Being
pressed for a reason. he gave II, and
then went away, approaching the poet
with a want Of confidence In him. This
led TO Z letter. in which Hugo said that
the most painful moment OF his life
was when ne had to choose between
his wife and his friend. He also re-
minded the critic OF what he had pro-
posed ard promised TO him. and par
doned him Zoe his reproaches.
Here are some passages from the cur
ious letter in which the author OF
"Hernani" asks for complete separa-
tIon from the friend OF his youth:
when you are away l feel that Ike
you as Of old: when you are here 1 am
In torture. We are no longer free with
each Other; we are no longer the broth
ers that we were. ! am yours no more:
you are no longer mine. There IS Il
l.
thing TO feel when we are together In
the same room, on the same sofa. With
in touch Of each others hands" So
the writer goes on for pages. and still
signs himself -Beauvc's friend
and BROTHER, although they are 10 part.
The real bursting OF the friendly and
fraternal bonds did not take place until
about 1885, when Hugo wrote: 50
much hatred and so many cOwardly
prosecutions have now 10 be shared
with NE that I thoroughly understand
how even the most tried friendships re-
lax and fall away. Farewell. then. my
friend. Let us bury each on his side
In silence that which was already dead
in you, and that which your letter Kills
in me-. Adleu.''
II Is worthy OF note that before this
epIstollry farewell was iHditeI Hugo
had IN previous letter 10 Saintc-Beuve
predicted tho consolidation OF a rcpub-
lie In France. lie abhored the intrusion
OF tn, reds, notably OF his rival dra-
matISt. Frederic Soulie. author OF the
'ClOscrie des Gcnetr." and other plays,
rad OF Fontan. another cafe spOutcr,
who said that four splendid SuIilO-
tines would be In working order within
a month That was In 1892 and the poet
and Fon.an only used the republic a. a
fan.
Let us think less OF Robcspicrre and
little more NJ Washington" were his
concluding words In this purely polit-
iCai letter. Il may be. also noted that
the letters 10 Sninte-Beuvc are mere
literary fragments. interesting as being
from the pen OF Victor Hugo and by
reason OF the references IN them 10 the
purely domestic causes. OF the disun!on
OF two fast friends. They throw no
light, however. on these causes. which
must remain an impnretrablc mystery.
Lovers of sensational gossip have al
ready heard 4 little about them through
alleged revelations made by one of
Snintc-Bcuve's secretaries. but t,NIr
details viii probably be never known.
even to the most determined explorer
az Tho nOp.'s nrt,s1 n IifA