New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-08
MORE ABOUT DUMAS.
a NEW BIOGRAPHY OF THE NOVELIST.
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ALEXANDER
DUMAS 0sO2-ls7O) BY Harry A. Spur. Wit
many Illustrations Octave PIP xiv. SS2 Fred
erick A. Stokes Company.


the elder and now we have another new book
inviting discussion Of the famous Frenchman.
II is welcome. One cannot too often return TO
Dumas He Is an inexhaustible source OF intel
lectual pleasure, a theme that could not pail
Mr.. Spurs book offers peculiar testimony TO
this fact He is not a skfui bographer. His
work lacks the critical poise the insight and the
literary quality which serve to give Mr.. David
sons volume a permanent value. But while Mr..
Spur is q very ordinary writer. he is not dull.
How could he be? He is writing about Dumas.
His book is divided into three parts. The first
Of these assemblies the facts of the career of
Dumas and. with much illustrative anecdote,
exhibits the main elements of his character
The second part deals With the writings and
the third embodies a general examination of his
genius. in which the author not only advances
IDEAS Of his own. but draws freely upon num-
Der OF well known commentators.
Mr. Spurs tone is unmpeachable, unless We
are to quarrel with him for being almost too
kind where his heros lapses from propriety are
concerned. He has a boundless enthusiasm for
the works and a real affection for the man. He
has not been fortunate enough to express him
self on either subject with sufficient originality
OF felicity to make quotation of his own words
often worth while but appreciate his in
dustry as a collector of anecdotes. The book is
full of stories. eloquent of the great writer's wit
and energy and kindness. Inere Is an aneCuolS
OF a visitor who on his way to the novelist's
study. heard a burst of laughter from the
apartment. and thereupon explained to the SER
want that he would wait until Dumas was alone.
Monsieur has no visitors; he is working re-
Piled the man. Monsieur Dumas often laughs
like that al his work" II is partly this in
vincible gayety Of his which makes any biog-
raphy Of him interesting reading. And how he
worked! The industry Of Balzac was colossal
enough but Il was surpassed by that Of Dumas.
who, nevertheless. was rarely if ever heard 10
groan. after the fashion Of his great contem-
porary. If he worked eighteen hours day he
saw nothing heroic in that circumstance. It
was his way. and he enjoyed himself as though
he we're at play. OF course, he could not have
labored thus continuously and have achieved
the results that we know if his damon had not
been kind. After all. the amazing thing about
the herculean performances Of Dumas is not so
much that they were herculean as that they
were fruitful of fine things. His mental proc
esses were phenomenaly rapid. The slightest
opportunity or impulse" remarks Mr.. Spur,
was sufhcient TO arouse the creative faculty
and set il in action Once in action, this fac
ulty moved not only with swiftness. but with
wonderful sureness: Dumas saw in the clearest
light precisely what he wanted to DO, ana one
thinks of him not beating new idea INTO
shape with his pen, but as reporting II, just as
he might have reported a thing known to him
for wears A good illustration Of his facihty'
which also shows him in one Of his open air
moods, is quoted in this book from Blaze DE
Bury:
One day Dumas had been out shooting since
IN the morning, and had killed twenty -nlhe
I'll Just make it thirty" he said; then I'll go
away and have a good sleep. I'm urea I've
He brought down his thirtieth partridge: and
we him making his way toward the i taF1;
before the fire in the kitchen, gazing at the
flames and twirling his thumbs.
Whatever are you doing there?" asked ms
AS you see. ] am resting
No in5possible! There is such an abominable
urroar in this farm-sheep. COWS, laborers-lts
Impossible TO close ones eyes.
Then all this time you've been twlrllng your
~No. have written a pay in one act"
As matter Of fact he mas JuSt ", rl. ,9etI
ting Regnier to read at the Coincide Fran,
calse as being by "a young unknown WRITER
II was accepted with unanimity.
II was not unnatural for man capable Of this
sort Of thing to admire himself little We
may even admit that Dumas admired himself
great deal. No doubt Villemessant was right
when Re SAID that Vanity was a part OF his
talent; just as a balloon cannot rise until II IS
alled with air" But Mr.. Lang has said. Du-
mass delight in himself and his doings lis only
the flower of his vigorous existence; 1t
As z kind Of radiance in which others, too, may
hasl and enjoy themselves Moreover il must
be remembered that for all his vanity no man
vas ever reader than he to see where he was
at fault and to make amends. He had healthy
willingness 70 learn no matter from what teach
CT the lesson came. His son gives an example
OF this. apropos Of the dramatized version Of
the 'Trois Mousquetaires."
Behind one Of the scenes we had seen the he'll
met Of q fireman who listened TO the play very
attentively during the FIRST six taoleauX- IN the
middle of the seventh however the helmet as
DO YOU see that fremans helmet?' asked my
father.
sNo; it's not there now
After the Get tie author went in search of the
fireman Cwho did not know hinll and said:
why are you no longer listening TO the
Because that act didn't interest me as much
as the others.
went straight to the Office Of Director Beraud;
he took off his frockcoat, his tie, his waistcoat
his braces opened the collar Of his shirt, just
as he did when he sat down 10 work al home
and asked for the copy Of the seventh tableau-
II was given TO him. and he tore 1t up ana
threw It into the fire
raud.
at didn't amuse the fireman; have destroyed
~. But I see exactly what il wants"
And he rewrOte il there and then
Dumas at work as in this episode, is. we
peat Dumas at playa craftsman finding album
dant Joy merely in the exercise Of his craft-a
type of efTortless productivity. Three ourths
of Mr.. Spurs stories exhibit the genius OF his
hero in this aspect But we must not forget the
remaining fourth, dedicated TO the personality
of Dumas, 10 his generosity and his fun. Was
there ever an anecdote more drpll than that of