Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-13

sardou IL not n Shakespeare the sec
ond' hut 81 10000 II a lot Of money.
For one man 10 fsh that much cold
cash out Of an ink pot Is not usual
thing. In fact. II has been done very
few timca indeed. The only living man
who has accomplished this financial feat
IL Victorlcn sardou-sardou. the su-
premc master Of modern dramatic arti-
Zee.
London has lust been electrified by his
"fiobespierre" Irving has been carried
back 10 popularity by u. England has
been aroused hy II. and the name u lts
author II on the Tip Of every tongue.
Few Indeed are the men who could ding
on great drama Ia two or three
months gnfdou. however. had always
fevsird In the French Revolution and
was glad enough to have dramatic
aamboi on such well known ground. II
was n proud moment for Paris when
the news ~ the great Lyccuin success
flashed across tho channel II was. on
the same nlfht, an anxious hour for The
veteran English actor nH he waited Tor
the first sign Of approval from his old
Lycoum audience. II did no, come I'm
the end ~ the second act. when II did
come. II came In a storm.
nut 'riohcspicrrc." while rcdecmlnE
Irving. riorincd sardou. II showed that
the hand that fashioned "a Tosca"
had lost none Of Its cunning. II cllnchcd
his reputation a. maker of great
plays II decided that thousands and
thousands Of francs were 10 pour into
the Golfers ~ man who was already
rolling In wealth. every dollar Of II
made from the drama
Hut life WINS not always bed Of roses
for vlctorlcn sardou. There was a time
when he was the under dog. and days
there were when he went hungry and
poorly clad and lived In a garrett and
had few friends. aa II and was N"
case with many another heaven sent
genius. Thofe days were Ions. long
ago. but aardou. the opulcnt owner OF
the beautiful Chateau dc Marty. has
never forgotten those early years OF
hunger and want ana adversely In
fact Il was those youthful struggles that
gave to the artist whose duty Il IL TO
hold the mirror IN 10 nature the very
power which In later life was to bring
about his ultimate success.
Forty-threc years ago a tail. aaliow
faced youth dressed In rasEed and I'M
kempt clothes. smelling ~ drugs and
tho disaecting room. walked timldly Go
the door 81 the odeon theatcr In the
quarter Latin ~ Paris and nervourly
asked n he migh, uee the manager. The
ragged looking youth had big manu-
script under his arm. and the attendant
sized him up ~ once.
No. the manager could not be seen.
he was very busy. but the gentleman
Nigh, call again In month or two.
The young man with the manuscript
looked disappointed. lie was tired and
hungry and sick. for he had had little
20 cat for the last few days. lie finally
decided 10 leave the manuscript The
attendant took u. passed u over 10 the
busy manager. ana the manager of
course. rnw II was play by an un-
known man and tossed II lightly 10 one
side.
In the meantime the young man with
shabby clothes was working away In
tawdry little znrret. making few
francs by writing humorous ana light
hearted sketches for the newspapers. II
was very hard work. Some OF them
sold and some of thom did not,
In the meantime the bundle Of manu-
script lay collecting the dust on a little
table In ono corner Of the odeon office.
one afternoon after rehearsal Nile. de
Iirlcourt. the petite. the loyahlo. the
glrllah young actress with a face like a
flower, caught sight Of the bundle. with
/ ~ carefully penned title 81 La Ia
verne DIES Etudiants" she shook the
dust from the sheets and looked care
fully through tho bundle. her interest
suddenly aroused,
"Ah, Just lookl What beautiful hand
wrltlng' Genuine pailea dc mourhel"
The girl took the play home and read
! H. Such dainty hand. She said. must
show dainty fancy. The next DAY rho
returned with the manuscript. and the
little actress ana the Erun manager OF
the odeon had a long conversation to-
Eethcr Just what they said no one will
ever know. but tho outcome Of that talk
was that In two weeks ''rhe students
! Tavern" was put on the stage. The
young author was sent for. and "a little