New-York tribune., 1902-10-04


have! Yes. and you DO understand women
IL was Marie Doryal who thus acknowledged his
gifts. and later assisted in the part Of Adele. 70
make Antony" the talk 81 the boulevards.
Mr Davidson breaks off here 10 introduce "a
political interlude. i'm which he gives us a lively
sketch Of Dumas's share in the July revolution
share in no way heroic. but not without 'he
serious and altogether creditaILe elements which
some critics have been disposed TO deny 70 IT,
He may have behaved in rather hamboyant
fashion when he wormed out OF la Fayette an
authorization 10 go TO scissors and obtain "a
supply Of powder there for Psris-a delicate and
even dangerous enterprise. But al least he car
ried the thing through and IL is unfair 70 under
estimate its significance simply because Dumas
made H. by his demeanor. somewhat amusing.
He would have enjoyed political life. and he
made several attempts TO share I'm IT, but he was
not framed for public affairs: he was born TO
amuse as a writer. and We are not sorry when
Mr. Davidson resumes his theatrical chronicle
and then passes 10 consideration Of the novels.
srrnkling his pages always with anecdotes that
illustrate the man no less than the roruancer
and playwright. the journalist and historian.
Historian do We say? The word might give
pause 10 the reader. even though ne remembered
az once the historical character Of So many Of
the novels Bur may turn 10 Dumas himself
for further justification. In fragment Of dia-
logue between him and gentleman who was
surprised at his quick recognition of a bust Of
Julius Cesar, and asked If he were a student Of
archaeology.
Il am not" replied Dumas. hut I probably
NOV az HhuIh ABOUT cesar as some othrf Pee.
pe 90 yes, l have written history of Cesar.
YOU \ historian Well, the work has never
been spoken OF among the learned and scientific
people"
Learned people never do sneak ~ me-
Yet a history Of Caesar ought 10 have made
Mine made none: people read ft-that was al.
II is the unreadable histories that make stir,
they are like the dinners which YOU can't digest,
dgestihle dinners give You no cause TO think
about them on the next day"
Mr.. Davidson gives due weight 10 these re-
marks. He realizes that Dumas has always
been read and always viii he read. and he
rightly sees in this legitimate resource for tho
eulogistic biographer. If Dumas is read n Is for
good reasons. Ii is, I'm the first place. because
he was man Of genius. and. second. be
cause he never considered II crime 10 he
amusing. .'Lamartine is a dreamer" he said.
Hugo is thinker and am a vulgarizer." He
wrote literature, but he wrote il for human
beings, not for Academicians His failure % be-
come oDe Of the Forty irked him. When Ruloz
gave him but lukewarm support in his cam
paign for fauteuil a coolness rose between
them, growing into positive feud, and Dumas
vowed that every letter he wrote for a year
should contain something disparaginE 70 HIS en-
emy. letter Of his from Havre 20 a friend
dated "Havre. 170 kilometres from that i'm
beetle de Buloz," But Dumas had I'm him none
Of the traits Of the Academician. He was too
natural, too impulsive. too racy. 10 have fore
gathered successfully with the Forty. He would
have felt in their company as ne felt al the
party which ne described 10 n friend by saying
Il should have been dreadfully dun without
myself" Mr.. Davidson then keeps firm hold
on the genial. humane traits Of his author, ex-
hibiting for US first and last. the man OF
ahounGing strength. humor. high spirits and ro-
mantle imagination. He does not blink the
other side Of the medal To do so were impos-
sible, and, indeed, unjust, since the Bohemian
ism Of Dumas contributed largely TO the de-
lightful ebullience OF his work. one may read
in this book Of his weakness where debts and
graver moral issues were concerned: one may
behold. after the splendors of his golden age the
dreariness Of his closing years. But throughout
the tangled story there runs a thread Of sweet
/ ness, Of fidelity IN friendship. OF magnanirnity
I'm the daily hattie Of life. and Of an extraordi-
. nary kindness in all relations. Mr. Davidson
has the root Of the matter I'm him. He shows
clearly in his pages on Dumas and his collabo-
rators that nothing the latter ever did for him
can rob him OF an iota of his fame Dumas
without Maquet." ne SAYS. would have been
Dumas: what would Maquet have been without
Dumas" He shows in all his dealings with the
works that he feels the genius in them. Finally
he shows, In all his dealings with the man, true
sympathy for a gallant spirit which a thousand
picadilloes could not make a grateful world for
get