New-York tribune., 1900-05-28
HE ALWAYS WROTE POETRY.

to me very curious, this remark Of his. and later
on / remembered it
HE ALWAYS WROTE POETRY.
II always wrote poetry. Les Musardses' can
NOT now he found but intend. when | have
time to republish it, with other verses l shali
call the book First Efforts Les Premieres or
something like that. Les Musardises' had no
more success than have any of the first volumes
Of poetry of young men. and wish TO give IL
another life
father had a great influence on me- Eugene
Rostand was the author Of different volumes OF
verse of which perhaps his Ebauches, his
.Poesies Simples' and his translation OF Catullus
which was rewarded by the Acadamy, are the
best known.
Les Pierrots' if that the title. was my
first attempt in writing for the stage IN rhyme.
have told you that De Feraudy was enthusias-
tic about it, and that he took the manuscript
away from and gave it to Claretie to read
Claretie seemed very vexed when the committee
announced their decision and when he brought
the verdict to his private room he added: Listen
You will lose nothing. Write another piece, and
will undertake that ii shall be accepted Then
grew bold and said: If l write another piece,
IT will be a play in three acts Try to do so,
said Claretie.
$50 / set TO work and 1 wrote Les Roman
esques.' 1t all written in Paris. 1 think in
less than three months. 1 twenty-five or
twenty-three at the time. 1t was light ana
airy piece, proceeding from Marivaux and under
the influence Of De Banville, piece OF sheer
badinage. 1 read it myself to the committee.
trembled as I entered the room. But as soon as
/ reached the third line was once again com
forgot that Got was there. and Febvre. and all
the rest. l thought only of my piece, and read
Pnt then came three years of waiting, during
which 1 had news whatever of my piece
That is to say. good news, for did occa-
sonally hear of it from friends and from actors
at the FRANCHISE, who told me that 1t was not
a good play. and advised me to withdraw IT.
During the last year I so tired of it all that
gave up hoping and decided to write another
play In the mean while if l wrote little.
burned much.
larjty That depends my state OF health, and
7 am never very we'll There are times when
such neurasthenia comes upon me that for
weeks and months together 1 never leave my
ROOM So there long long periods when L
write nothing. When do write 1t is usually In
the evenings =.
During the last year Of the three years" ="
ne continued, we returned to the drawing
room lin which the manuscript Of my play
Ies Romanesques' slept in the cardboard boxes
OF the French Theatre. began TO work on my
play La Princesse Lointaine While was
So engaged | heard that Les Romanesques'
was 10 be put rehearsal, at which the author
has TO read his piece to the cast. Having been
told again and more emphatlcaIly than ever
that the play bad one, L worked day ana
night on the manuscript. and what did then l
think improved the piece read 1t TO the
actors 1t an enormous success Mile
Feichernberg who played the part of Sylvette,
was especially delighted. Indeed from nrst TO
last her confidence in the success or the piece
&c money producer never wayered, which
shows I think once more that women have a
narticular instinct for business superior to men
piece was foredoomed. and one Of the actors
who was chosen to play a leading part hao re-
fused his part and had sent a comrade to take
his place.
Encouraged by the success OF Les Roman
esques' | finished La Princesse Lontaine In
deed. on the morrow of that wonderful hfst
night the Francaise, read the hrst act 10
Sarah Bernhardt. / remember that she was
lust about 70 start one Of her tours, and that
as ] read my play she was sitting on huge
trunk in the midst of wild disorder. 1t was
played the following April, and wonderful
success on the first night. l firmly be-
Iieved il would be a success. But the
critics were favorable / had been
classed since Les Romanesques' as comic
author ticketed such-for in France
every man is classed and ticketed and is not
allowed TO play more parts than one-and IT had
been expected that La Princesse Lointaine'
would be also in vein of humor. When the
critics found that il a poem. mystical TO
some extent. they expressed disappointment. At
that time the press could influence the public
as 10 my work. ] feel very sure that il could
not do so now The public also was disap-
PAINTED II was surprised that the play not
a merry one Sarcey had written Of me as a
modern Regnard. and Regnard critics and pub
ltc wished me TO remain throughout the whole
~ NV career. The failure Of La Prlncesse Loln-
taine' discouraged me. felt that j was doomed
70 he comic, or not to be recognized at all as a
nIaywright ! reYolted against this tyranny.
and / said to myself: L must set TO work TO get
the right not TO be comic when II does not suit
me- IA he So So / determined to write a relig
ious play and that is how La Samaritaine'
came to be written
too severe, and reDented toward me. and when