New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
FOREIGN NEWS
OLD, ODD CONFESSION.
Edmond de Gonc0urt Wrote
of Plans to Kill Brother.
Paris December 8


Nine. Aiphonse Daudet. widow OF the
master of picturesque realism. who wrote
''Tartarin de Tarascon." Jack" ''Numa
Roumestan" and Les Rois en- Exil."
has many Of the literary gifts Of her hus-
band. with whom she lived in complete
intellectual harmony. Nine. Alphonse
Daudet, besides her faculty OF clear per-
ception Of human character. has powers
of alert observation and a memory that
not only retains facts. faces. gestures and
conversations. but also the atmosphere
that surrounded them.
Nine. Alphonse Daudet's souvenirs
autour dun Groupe Litteraire." just
published by Fasquelle. presents a de-
lIghtfully vivid picture of French men
and women of letters, from 1850 until
1S9S-a year after Alphonsa Daudet's
death. Naturally, one is brought more
closely In touch with the little group
OF Alphonse Daudet's warm personal
friends who used 70 meet every Thurs
day afternoon at Champrosay. the
charming country place Of the Daudets,
quite near Paris.
The most striking figures among the
habitual guests at chsmprosay. which
for twenty years was a stimulating cen-
tire Of literary activity. were the Con
court brothers. Flaubert, Gambetta.
Zola, Leconte de Lisle, Coppee. verIaine,
Heredia, Tourgueneff. Guy de Maupas-
SAINT. Sully-Prudhomme, Barley d'Aure-
Willy. Theophile Gautier, Augusta
Holmes. CatuiIe Mendes and whistler
"Of Rdudalairiau aSnact dia abnliooy .,,oyIo
brimful of paradoxes"
Among other silhouettes that traverse
Mime. Alphonse Daudet's souvenirs are
the Princesse Mathilde. Victor Hugo,
Theodore de Banville, Nine Henry Gre
Vile, Nine. JuIiette Adam. MalIarme,
Coquelin and. Paul de Saint Victor. The
most intimate friends of the Daudets
were NJ. and Mime. Georges Fasduelle
and the publisher Charpentier. Edmond
de Goncourt died in Alphonss Daudets
house,
Nine. Daudet portrays the de Goncourt
brothers in a new and startling light.
She produces a weird, impassioned let
ter written by Edmond de Goncourt 10
his friend Gustave Flaubert, shortly be-
fore the death of Edmond de Goncourt's S
younger brother, Jules, who had become
insane, and who followed Edmend about
like shadow. never leaving him alone
by night or day for an instant. This
had mast painful effect upon Edmond.
1t became a terrible mental obsession.
Edmond de Goneourt confesses in his
letter tdated June, 1870 that hs had
fully resolved to free himself from this
narrowing. unearthly nightmare by mur-
dering his brother Jules
II had made the most careful prepa-
rations. At last everything was ar
ranged. All was ready, even the neces-
sary written message addressed TO the
Commissary of Police. was de-
termined TO blow my brother Jules's
brains out, and Immediately afterward
Ia kill myself with tho same weapon.
Just as I was about 70 put my
plan into execution my brother Jules
turned his pale face upon ma, and gazsd
at me with his great blue ewes. beamina
with astonishment and ehiIdlike terrorl
I broke down. IL was no longer
possible for me to kill my brotherl
This is for you Flaubert-for you alone
: 7 must live-'
Is not this equal in intense passion to
any confession ever made by Jean
Jacques Rousseau2 C.IB-