The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-30
HUGO;s LETTERS.
Their Special Interest in the Corre-
spOndence with Sainte-Beuye

Interest in the correspondence of Victor
hugo, which has now been published says
Paris correspondent of the Boston Herald,
will be concentrated perhaps in the letters
to his friend, the critic Sainte-Beuve who
had been unable to prevent himself from fall
ing desperately in love with the poets fas-
cinating wife, In September 1922 Hugo
announced that he was about to be married,
the first recipient of the news being the
famous Able de Lamennais, who struggled
to reconcile revolutionary liberalism with the
strict religion of which he was a minister.
Il wish you were here in Paris" writes the
poet to the priest, who then at La
Chasnaie, $50 that you might know the angel
who is to realize all my dreams of virtue
and felicity. I intended to write to you about
this before, but l was afraid of offending
your sublime austerity by the avowal Of a
passion which is indomitable, although pure
and innocent" After the marriage Hugo
began to apply himself more closely to liter
to Alfred de Vigny Lamartine and Armand
Carrel. He also worked at an opera, recog-
nizing the fact as he humorously remarked,
that in hbretu the rhymes are the very
humble servants of the notes.
The pearls Of the epistolary collection,
however, are the letters to the author of the
"Causeries du Lundi'' after the separation
of the two friends The critic, who was
a frequent and welcome visitor to Hugo's
house, suddenly ceased to call so often.
Being pressed for a reason, he gave it, and
then went away, reproaching the poet with
a want of confidence in him. This led to a
letter, in which Hugo said that the most
painful moment of his life was when he had
to choose between his wife and his friend.
He also reminded the critic of what he had
proposed and promised to him, and pardoned
him for his reproaches.
Here are some passages from the curious
letter in which the author of ''Hernani'
friend Of his youth: t'When you are away
1 feel that I like you as of DID, when you
are here l in torture We are no longer
free with one another; we are no longer the
brothers that we were. | am yours no more;
you are no longer mine. There is a barrier
between us. That is a fearful thing to feel
when we are together in the same room,
on the same sofa, within touch of each
others hands" So the writer goes on for
pages, and still signs himself Sainte- Beauve's
friend and brother, although they are to
fraternal bonds did not take place until about
1895, when Hugo wrote: 80 much hatred
and so many cowardly prosecutions have now
to be shared with me that l thoroughly un-
derstand how even the most tried friend
ships relax 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.
Adeu.''
1t is worthy Of note that before this epis-
tolary farewell was indited Hugo had in a
previous letter to Sainte- -Beuve predicted the
consolidation Of a republic in France. He
abhored the intrusion of the reds notably of
his rival dramatist, Frederic Soulie, author
of the "Closerie des Genets," and other plays
and of Fontan, another cafe spouter, who said
that four splendid guillotines would be in
working order within month. That was in
1892, and the poet maintained that such men
as Soulie and Fontan only used the republic
as a fan.
''Let us think less of Robespierre and a
little more of Washington were his con-
Guiding words in this purely political letter.
1t may also be noted that the letters to Sainte-
Beuve are mere literary fragments, intresting
as being from the pen Of Victor Hugo and by
reason Of the references in them to the pure
ly domestic causes of the dsunon of two
fast friends. They throw light, however
on these causes, which must remain an i'm
penetrable mystery. Lovers Of sensational
gossip have already heard little about them
Sainte-B euve's secretaries, but their details
will probably be never known, even to the
most determined explorer Of the poets private
life.