The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-17
A1PHoNsE DAUDEr DEAD.
The Great French Noveiist Dies while DinipE
with HIs Family.
Special Gable Despdfoh TO THE SUI

spsotar Gable Despatch TO THE sun.
PARIS. Dec. 18.-Alphonse Daudet. the dis
tinRuished French novelist. died suddenly this
evening while dining with his family. Death
was caused by syncope.
M. Daudct had suffered for nearly ten years
from ataxia, which consigned him to something
like q living death. He was dining with his
family between 8 and 0 o'clock at his residence,
81 Rue dc Bellechasse, when he suddenly
dropped his knife and fork and fell back in his
chair.
Tho vicar Of 81. Clothildo, NJ. Daudet's parish
church, was summoned. and he arrived in time
to administer tho last sacrament. When M.
Daudot's physicians. Drs. Patin and Tourette,
arrived, q little later, they could only certify
that death had already occurred.
Tho news Of NJ. Daudet's death reached some
of the theatres. and caused much grief.
The sudden death Of Alphonse Daudct In his
nfty-seventh year deprives France Of one Of the
very few authors OF the first rank that she had
left. 1t was only a few days ago that tho
opera made out Of his novel "Sapho."
with Massenet's music and Calv6 as tho
| heroine. was brought nut very successfully
at tho Paris Opera Comiaue. Alphonse
| Daudet was born at Mines in that South Of
| France that no SO often described In his stories
in 1910. He went to Paris as q boy of II with his
elder brother Ernest, and for a time the two led q
wrctchedly poor existence, depicted in lie Petit
Chose" This changed soon on the two brothers
becoming secretaries Of tho Comte dc Morny.
Napoleon his President Of the Council Of
State, Daudet was enabled to publish his first
books. which were poems and plays. lie Petit
Chose his first prose tale. published in 1868.
was. followed by the collections Of delightful
stories called ''Lettrcs dc mon Moulin and
"Contes du Lundt. by "Tarterin do Tarsseoni"
sna n hsne " y shs ney ieun %n ss R Ssfs Si nine.h MS
by Daudet became an event in Partisan life.
AaSab. " "%Tss R cim sn E { He55's and D' "S SG u Ro QUE
meStsn." in which many Of the characters were
T tSin Sissui Sss'0Hff h In novels r%Tss 'S %eSs s anasF
enough. however, to need no snch assistance to
popularity; This can hardly be ssid ,S Of
French Academy. and thereby, cut of all
change Of admission to that body; Near,
y al w h5S s aoII Moderately %STs tgFn aGdoe in,S pt oSs
the most Widely read Of lis later novels. in
When Maupassant died Daudct was very i'll.
and 1t was said had broken down hopelessly In
mind mind, He recovered rec ho OS, E ,o and oo Visited ted
had IA the the merit merit of. Belonging to no literary
reputation IN in the nnlueE;y Goncourt academy.
Only recently tho French courts decided that
p De sSes0q ne sp mS c might IL his be % MiTi. p to sss
torship Of De Goncourt, then, announced
existence and the academicians named: AS his
connection with the project was the only thing
that Il saTsd liz i from from being tbn F cadsmS wid II ais is Tx neely
Another name Is now. added to tho list OF
holders Of the celebrated forty;frst seat in the
emit OF q very high character and wrote some
things that will live.