Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-25
The Daily Short Story
Victor Hugo's Love.


In its inception the love OF Victor
Hugo for Adele Foucher was not lack
| Ing in romance. though OF the most del
icate and innocent kind. They had
known each other as children, and little
Victor had already spent many an
evening I'm gazing silently on his future
wife. The first direct avowal made be-
tween them (and here the poet trans
gressed the continental etiquette of
courtshipl was when he was Il and she
was 16. They were playing I'm the gar
den 0or n boy or Il Is only a child in
France). and in n burst OF confidence
the young girl said. Tell me your
greatest secret, and / will tell you
mine" MY greatest secret" said Vic
tor. lis that | love YOU" My greatest
secret is that love YOU" echoed Adele.
But though they had spoken. the kisses
which we consider proper to seal the
troth do not appear To have followed
In an ode written later on the poet re-
marks. with his usual hyperbole of
phrase. "You loved me without trans
ports. loved you without madness"
adele soon became frightened at the
audacity OF their affection. and when
she shows the verses Victor has sent
her. her girl friends are scandalized.
They say that he will lose his respect
for her. but TO reassure her he signs
his letters, Your husband" He tells
her that she has become the daughter
OF General Hugo by pledging herself to
him, and the Napoleonic legend was
sufficiently strong TO make the son OF n
hero OF the empire worth loving. The
result OF even so small flight OF ro-
nance as the lovers seeing each other
alone was inevitable.
When n year had elapsed. the parents
found ont the AFFAIR. and relations We're
broken or between the two families.
Tied TO his mothers apron strings
albeit he was twenty, Victor wept,
then broke into furious diatribe, and
sat down and wrote Il novel. But
however useful the sorrow OF his heart
may have been rs material. lie did not
give up hope. The father OF his young
lady having written n Manual OF
Recruiting" he Indicted n eulogistic
review. and as this did not draw the
stern parent he sent him his ode on
the birth OF an heir to the throne.
NJ. Foucher replied with thanks. not
TO the poet. but to the poets mother.
and the chasm became n little mar
rover owing TO this ingenious use of
literature.
Love sickness began TO tell on the
poet. and he made up his mind ut all
costs to learn IL Adele loved him still.
Like most young ladies OF the period.
she was taking drawing lessons. and
he obtained an interview with her by
the pTosalc means of stopping her in
the street 1t was somewhat heroic
for a French lover to do ii. and his
bravery was rewarded: then the
correspondence again. The
lover watches her unperceived when
she goes to mass; be hovers near the
house where he sees her light burning
at night Then dramatic incident
happens. Victor Hugo's mother dies
suddenly; on the evening OF the day
of the funeral he cannot resist the
idea of seeking consolation from Adele.
He goes to the house where her father
is giving a ball; he enters unperceived,
and sees Adele laughing and talking
gayly. Believing that she does not care -,
for his sorrow. he rushes out, and some |
time will elapse and explanations have |
to be made before the wound is healed. |
NJ. FOucher calls to pay a visit of |
coincidence, but the embargo is not re- |
moved till the father takes his daugh- |
ter into the country. Victor follows |
them and. with the assurance OF a |
young man. writes to say that he has |
seen them with the greatest surprise; |
that he would instantly leave the viii |
lage had he not accepted several en- |
etc. The pity or the sense |
Of humor of NJ. Foucher was touched, |
and he permits an Interview. during |
which the poet asks for Adele'S hand. 1
1t was the romanticist period. and the =
father allows an engagement. though |
not an ''official one" in the hope that
Victor's circumstances will improve.
But for the present Victor may only /
write TO the father, and his passion Is
only expressed in very qulet-I might
almost say "official"-terms.
When the love letters begin again,
the earlier impetuosity and pessimism
have melIowed to n more manly strain.
The poet is somewhat didactic and had
a great deal of advice to give his sweet
heart, but there was a subtle, uncon-
scious dattery In his forbiddlng her TO