New-York tribune., 1901-05-11

Portraits. Fac-Simile Letter. etc. Octave. pp.
xvii -i1- Harper x Brothers.
The courtship of Victor Hugo differed in no
respect from the courtship OF hundreds OF thou
sands OF men. His family was intimate with
the family Of his beloved. Adele Foucher When
they discovered that they loved one another
she was sixteen and he year older.
Adele was quick TO suspect the existence OF
her friends sentiment. She said:
one secret greater than all?" Victor acknowl-
edged that he had secrets and that one OF them
was greater than all the rest. Just like mey
cried Adele. Well. come now. tell me your
greatest secret and I will tell you mine" MY
great secret Victor replied ''is that love
you" And my great secret is that love you."
said Adele like an echo.
They saw a good deal OF one another. but II
was not long before the parents Of both took
alarm. and for a time their intercourse was
rudely interrupted. Nevertheless. within two
years and half of the day when they had
exchanged confessions. they married. The
correspondence of which we now have trans
lation suggests that while Hugo suffered some
unhappiness during the period of waiting. IT
was never greater unhappiness than innumer-
able other lovers have been called upon to en-
dure But we must not reckon without the
terrible sericCsneEs with which Victor Hugo
took himself in all ths relations OF life. At the
already her husband Here is a passage from
one OF his earlier letters:
One word more Now that YOU are the daugh
ter of General Hugo. do nothing unworthy of
that station, suffer no one to fail in proper
attention and respect to you. Mamma is very
particular about such things and 1 think my
most excellent mother is right
1t is only boyish pomposity. no doubt. yet
there is something very Hugoesque about this
fraC fc IN tha
the young lady that she ought not to deprive
herself of pleasure for his sake. He writes:
know that you love balls; you told me your
self. not long ago. that waltzng for you
q great temptation Why, then, did YOU refuse
the offer made you a few days since? Do not
make a mistake. When. for your sake gave up
balls and evening parties it was merely to rid
myself of the trouble of going to them I was
making no sacrifice 1t is never a sacrifice to
give up thing which does not give you pleas
ure. Now have no pleasure but In seeing YOU
in being near you. But In your case since dan
cling amuses you. to give up ball Is real sacrt-
flee / am very grateful for your intention OF
making IL for me, but do not feel willing 10 ac-
cept II. I am indeed excessively Jealous but
II would be ungenerous II for that reason de-
prived you of pleasures suited to your axe.
pleasures which. doubt. could myself enjoy
If you were not all In all to me. Go, then and
amuse yourself
He was nothing II not complacent ana al
though there is considerable humility. of a sort.
IN tneSe pages, IL Is Impossible 10 shake of the
impression that this lover took an uncommonly
contented view of his own proceedings. Ordinar-
lily. this ought not to make him dull. Victor
Hugo is rarely that. no matter what he Is writ
ing about and here and there meet charac-
terestic examples of his effective literary way of
speaking. 1T cannot be offence toward God
to adore one Of his angels" Again We say "how
like him." and for the moment interested.
But. on the whole, we can see no good reason for