The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-16
MARRIAGE OF I0KAL
The Novelist Fsreshadowea IL Over a Year
Ago in Fiction.

From tie St Louis Globe Democrat.
1t has just dawned upon the people OF
Budapest that the romantic marriage OF
Maurus Jokai to his youthful protege, the
actress, Bella Macy. was foreshadOwed in
novelette, which the venerable author
and poet contributed TO one of the daily
papers Of Budapest, the last install
ment OF which was published about one
year ago. Although the romance was
widely read and freely criticised, no one
Tor a moment supposed that the hero OF
the story was Jokai himself, and that
the heroine, whose virtues were extraya-
Sahtly extolled, was the young actress
who is now Frau JOkai. But that such is
the TACT there is no doubt The title of
the romance was Elm Alter Mann Ist
hen Greiser Manu." which may be freely
translated thus: A Graybeard but Not a
Dotard- The author dealt with the pas
sionate love of an old man of seventy for
young girl of twenty. He spoke of his
IDEAL IN terms OF endearment. and al
ways In the first person singular. Minute
details OF his long and happy courtship
were deftIy woven into the charming
s'ory' ana even the subsequent honey
moon In Sicily was described with all the
afu0r or the most sentimental of lovers
NO" tnat IL is realized that the apad
poet was writing of himself and testing
the perceptive and imaginary faculties
OF MS friends in most singular manner
tfere is renewed interest i'm the story as
u was published, anu back numbars Of
the Budapest paper command nre-
I.tIi. IN I2ct, SO great has been the de-
Hiahd Tor them that the publishers are
ABOUT 10 send forth the romance in ponu-
IN -
German text anu
herr ana Frau Jokai were. at last sc-
SOuHls' IN ltaly, where they were eniOy-
nc eaCh other society TO the utmost
Soht5dry 10 statements heretofore pub
I l.'a' tne poet and his youthful bride
were not comparative strangers a. the
ume OF their marriage. He had bean
Warmly ARMY attached to Fraulein Nacy for
several years though nothing more than
d case OF p!atonic love was susDected ~
us closest friends 1t is now known thai
90 90. ,n , years ago Fraulein Macy De-
20 amt ptotege OF JOkafs. She was then
IT her seventeenth year, and he hsd iuSt
passed the age of three score ard -
II vas Maurus Jokai who first anconr
aged the girl in her desire TO become a.,
a.. iess' he ~ was who provided her
with means with which TO enter a ScbncI
OF dramatic art, and when she bad -
Isileu her studies there il was his infiu-
eHC1 "hlch enabled her to obtain an en-
o enleht upon metropolitan stage
- y no" recalled by many persons in
- - 10 e5t mat Jokai was conspjcuois
IN an affecting little scene AT on of uV US
locai piayhouses on the evening OF LII
- ISst, IN which F'raulein Nagy aIso Sa
Ifeu. IL was on the occasion ~ tn -
pralioh OF The f1ftieth anniversary of The
|. , W VI dcath OF Petoefi. As a part of the
programme F'raulein Macy recited q draS
ma Tie poem entitled "ADotheoSe ,, n,h ~ a
had been written by Maurus Jokai vears
DeiCre- Inc latter was present occ,Ir,,
iEe seat IN the front Of the house ma
euring me young actress rendition of
Ne Ne ~cik ne was visibly moved. Fraulein
c>asS acclaimed with such intelligence
force, and sweetness OF expression Tho,
tie dHulencc Was worked IN RI q ni,ch
"a BatrIouc reryor, and i'm the rnidsr nj
y al Maurus Jokai left his seat and mad
n way 10 the stage. There he ernbrace1
tfaulein Macy. and with a fiood 80 $50
from his eyes he tbsnGa, - az
over and over again for the honor sbe
had done MIN. The incident af,racta1
me attention of the Budapesf nansrs
: nj was duly commented upon. buf Nm
u the writers had the least inklinp as
10 the close relations then existino he
tween the white-haired poet and fhs .Jrl
actress e sii
MauFus Jokais marriage at SEVENTY
eu4 10 an actress Of twenty years is not
ne nfst romance Of the kind in which ne
- pioeCu lut 1crOS part IL is not
forgotten that ffty-one years AGO he
married the then famous actress Pos
baborfalyi, uLder circumstances whieh
'aused sensation similar to that which !
Vas created by his recent alliance With
Eella Macy. On the evening OF Marc
., 1913, Jokai, then twenty-ihree wears
u age. made his appearance upon the
stage OF the National Theater. I'm BUD
lest and gave a rendition OF Petoea's
ralpTa Magyar" which is the Hungarian
That performance cTeatad
/ furore OF excitement. and made Joksi
famous. Rosa Lsborfalyi was one of
bis auditors. and became 50 enthusiasts
hat she rushed TO thu fOntlights. ard "a
Ioung Jokai bent forward. pinned 10 his
lresst a miniature representation OF the
aungarian colors. a few months later
Budapest was startled BY the ar |
that Laborfalvi had become |
he wife OF Magrus JOkai she was then |
hiryy eight years old. while he was ff-
cen years her junior. Despite the great /
difference in their ages the couple lived /
ogether on the whole happily for more |
han forty years. and after the death OF /
frau Jokai In lsss. her husband dedicated 1
o her memory one 81 the most touching
rorks which hesrs his name es author:
I is entitled -Utazas egy Sirdomb Ho- |
Ill" or "a Journey to a Tomb"