New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-15
DUMAS AND GIRARDIN.
4 Celebrated Case of Collaboration.

.,a-eyy Lang. in The London Morning Post.
rt+erarv ouarreIs are usually diverting; more
So at least than those of dstinguished rnlllIdLy
men These heroes, redoubtable with the sword
are less dangerous to each other with tongue or
men In 1865 Paris enjoyed a literary QuarreA
which is even now full OF instructive matter
N Emile de Girardin a statesman, an
economist an old parliamentary hand VINO nag
known the younger Dumas ever since the p pdIeH
Of that famous author. In November, loot'
Dumas was surprised by a letter IN winch M
De Cirardin invited him to dine and listen 10 d
play by the statesman hlinsen. II Is as II NJ
Chamberlain had suddenly become the author
OF a drama and requested say, MI Pinero TO
come and hear it read NJ Dumas win dozen
of other notable people, accepted.
The statesman read out his first act lady.
2 matron Of ten years standing, has Tor eight
years been the mother OF her husDanq 5 par
ner's little girl But she much prefers her nus
band for the partner is jealous and the nus
band is not. The act, says Dumas, was III
cornDosed for 1t ended where it should nave
begun and began where If ought to have enoed.
This act the politician read aloud NOBODY
said anything. 80 t,,,
co1orrornised The partner writes letter urg-
ing her to fly with him: perhaps ne ought 10
have begun there. The husband enters, 90
serves his wife's agitation. and asks what Is the
matter She hands him the letter Having rea9
this part Of the act aloud, the statesman tpieH
70 Dumas and said "How's that?" (Eh blenD
IT am waiting for the rest" said Dumas. he
thought the situation new, dramatic ano inter
esting but he says-and his words ought 10
be written in gold-'a situation is lot an ldea:
Authors Of plays and novels ought never "
forget this truth. AN idea has a beginning d
middle and end; an exposition, development
and a conclusion. Anybody can invent ara
matte situation; to work IL out is another mat
ter" How was III. de Girardin TO get out OF his
situation? ANY mortal state a problem
(this was a problem play'D, but not every
mortal can solve the problem. In fact M de
, Girardin represented the husband as more than
usual calm and the second act ended with the
erring wife going to dress for the opera, dS
usual Dumas did not think TINS naourai or og
dramatic. The third and last act was very long
and very tame. The partner LETT PARIS tnaL
shall be your punisbment'-the husband cher
ished the partners little GIRL and the wife aided
| the husband in keeping up appearances. What
will the world say?' asked the wife IF the
| world comes TO know about the world will
applaud me; 1t always applauds what Is just IN
the long run" Curtaini
The statesman playwright was an opttHist.
but Dumas confessed, when his opinion was
asked, that he did not admire this denouement.
Sensible it may have been, thrillingly dramatic
1t certainly was not one ought TO aod tnat the
partners Dumont, the husband, and Alvarez,
the lover, had arranged to draw lots, and decide
which Of them should commit suicide by falling
off precfpice in the Pyrenees The husband
had drawn the lot but the wife, listening at the
keyhole. jumped in and made a scene, after
which Dumont Alvarez ct Gle. came to the
conclusion already indicated.
Dumas did not like all this, but he did like the
situation He took N. de Grardin's manuscript
that he had to build ali up anew. The next day
he carried to NJ. de Girardin the first act,
written, thirty pages-sharp work The states
man then gave him carte blanche, "a free hand
! Il wrote IN a kind Of fever, in pencil, l wrote
in bed 1 wrote as l walked about I was so
afraid Of letting the inspiration grow cold"
Dumas had no 'sleepless nights, days OF gloom
and discoura cement which according to Mr..
Pinero, most incident TO the austere profess
sion of the dramatist Dumas rushed" the
play through in eight days; 1t made forty-eight
printed pages; the work Of the statesman had
contained eighty-six pages The piece to be
read at the Theatre Francais. but before that,
II de Girardin altered the denouement again,
and mixed UP the two versions. without telling
Dumas what he had done. This third version
was accepted by majority of only vote.
: Dumas was present at a later reading: he
horror stricken" A long discussion took place,
and NJ de Grardin ended by accepting the YER
sion Of Dumas The piece, much as it stands
heaTsed, everything was going to a wish, when,
unluclily, Dumas took NJ. de Grardin to see
rehearsal, expecting him TO enjoy himself i'm
mensely. At the close NJ. Thierry asked N. de
| Girardin what he thought of the piece. The
statesman was at once his legs: IF I were
the only master Of this play" he said in par
| llamentary tones, before all the players, Il
should withdraw it. I think the stuff 1etesta-
bic" Gle trouve ca detestable.') 81 regret it
the more, answered Dumas, my dear fellow,
because nave done my best TO make the stuff
less detestable than it was"
Here was a dramatic situation of an unex-
pected and novel character; and how were they
to get out OF the situation? Dumas expected an
apology. He had striven TO provide his old
friend with play which should not make the
statesman ridiculous, the original drama
certainly would have done. II was not a cues
ton or money with Dumas, for, as he says he
could make more money by a play written
under MS own name than by piece under the
name OF politician. The men did not speak
when they met; such are the periIs of coIlabo-
rating with an eminent statesman / advise no