The Portland daily press., 1896-03-06
puMAs's ARC HITEcTURAL FOLLY.
The Chateau of Monte Cristo and Its
Boundless Hospitality.


emily Crawford in the Century,
At his architectural folly .of Monte
Cristo, near ST. Germain-en-Laye, which
he built at cost of upward OF 700, 600
francs, and sold for 35, 900 francs in 1S48,
Dumas had uninclosed grounds and gar
dens, which, with the house, afforded
lodgings and entertainment not only to a
host Of Bohemian ''sponges," but to all
the.dogs, cats, and donkeys that chose ito
quarter themselves in the place 1t was
called by the neighbors "la maison de
Bon Dieu." There was a menagerie in
tia, the vulture, whose transport from
Africa, whence Dumas fetched him,
cost 40, 600 francs Git would be too long to
tell WHY; n big parrot called Duval; q
macaw named Papa and another christ
ened Everard; Lucullus. the golden
pheasant; Caesar, the gamecock; pea
fowl and a guinea-fowl; Mysou H., the
Angora cat; and the Scotch pointer,
Pritchards
This dog was character. He was fond
of canine society, and used to sit In the
road looking out for other dogs to invite
Cristo. He was taken by his master to
Ham to visit louis Napoleon when a
prisoner there. The latter wished to keep
Pritohard, but counted without the in
tslligence of the animal in asking Du-
mas before his face to leave him behind.
CD Mt I, uf
the governor Of the prison withdrew the
authori zaUion he had given his captive
to retain him. Some of the dogs that
Pritchard invited in stayed altogether;
others remained only for a meal.
One day Michel, the gardener. said to
his employer, t'Does monsieur know how
many dogs there are in his property?"
"No, Michel. DON'T" well, there are
49," An unlucky number. Take care
that they don't all eat together, for if
they did one would be sure to die in the
year." ooh, it's not that that troubles
me-" pursued Michel. "What is it,
them" "I'm thinking that all these
brutes are able to devour in one day a
whole OK, horns and all" "You don't
mean to say that they'd eat the horn 50"
ooh, if monsieur takes the matter as a
joke 1 have nothing more to say. But
Iydon't see any joke in it." "Well, then,
just let me lay the whip on 10 of them,
and the house will he rid Of them right
away" "Wait bit, Michel. You see
that all these dogs, insquartsring them
selves here, pay compliment to the
house. Give them grand dinner tomor-
row and at the end Of the dessert tell
them to clear out. If they don't 90,
show severity" Michel was withrawing
when Dumas relented "Hold p he cried.
"You see, when the bon Dieu gives us
riches, fine house and position, he also
imposes charges upon us. Since.the dogs
which, after all, are his creatures too
are in the house, prefer that they stay.
I don't believe that anyone was yet
ruined by what poor brutes ate. How
ever, sec that the number OF ID is
changed" "Will monsieur let me turn
one away, and then there will be only
1922 No; encourage Pritohard to invite
mother, which will bring them up to
IA" But it will then be pack. !"
"With all my heart provided the dogs
don't quarrel and 60 mad" They never
did bark and bite, but lived in fraternal
kindness until Monte Cristo was sold :.
Dumas, before he left it, got 13 friends to
take as many dogs, and kept Pritchard,
| who died with him of old age.