New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-15
BALZAC AND HUGO
M. Claretie Tells the Story of
Their Famous Luncheon.
Paris. SeuteOlh

Last Monday was glorious day for
Ealzac. Admirers of the author of the
Human Comedy now have two objects
for Interchangeable house at Passy,
known as the Balzac Museum. and the
cottage at Jardies near Ville-d'Avray,
where Balzac lived eight years and
where, also. Gambetta died in 1889. This
little chalet will henceforth be treated
with the same venera ton as Shake
speare's house at Stratford, Goethe's
house at Weimar. or Mozart's house at
Salzbzurg. Its history is as picturesque
and pathetic as one of Balzacs tales.
During his life. Balzac was the con-
stanJ victim Of the sings and arrows of
impecuEious improvidence Perpetually
worried by creditors. his various abodes
were known only TO his intimate friends
and were provided with devices whereby
he might elude the bailiffs He seldom
ventured out in the daytime, and his
correspondence, always addressed to
some trusted companion, reached him
secretly through the medium OF two or
three deliveries. This perpetual war
with the bailiffs seems to he carried on
even beyond the grave. 4 few weeks
ago, the tax collectors threatened to put
bailiffs in the BalzaC Museum to sell
the precious relics. menentos. portraits.
busts manuscripts, writing table. arm
chair and even the famous old coffee pot,
in order to satisfy a claim of some 5000
for arrears of taxes The museum has
but a pitiful endowment. and the meagre
entrance fee of 10 cents for each visitor
is barely sufficient for the upkeep OF the
house, and the salary of the custodian.
Consequently, the Balzac relics came
within an ace of being disposed of at
forced sale during the dead season by the
great mans everlasting enemies, the
baiIiffs. This cata strophe was. however,
averted by the prompt action of NJ
Aristide BRAND. the Prime Minister, who
by ruthless cutting of red tape. placed
the Balzac Museum on the list of IN
situations of Public Utility" which are
exempt from taxation.
on Monday the Society OF the Friends
of BaIzac'' celebrated this victory by
making a pilgrimage to the little cot
tage of Jardies. Your correspondent was
Il guest pt the anu Ni'JSS -
the opportunity of meeting several men
of letters who in their youth had seen
Balzac, or who had known and talked
with his intimates. Among those pres
ent we're NM. Henry Maret. president
of the society; Jules Claretie, Camille lie
Senne. Irene Mauget, De Royaumont and
other veteran "Balzaciens.'
When BaIzac moved into the insig-
nifcant little cottage of Jardies, with
its green blinds. and where during his
eight years residence there was never
anv furniture beyond what was strictly
necessary. and where the windows had
no curtains. he proposed to construct
superb country seat. with beautiful pict-
ures. exquisite statuary, sumptuous fur
niture and superb tapestries. But this
remained flight of his imagination.
For several years visitors to Jardies
could read on the bare walls and floors
OF the rooms in the cottage inscriptions
in colored chalk in BalZac'S handwrit-
ing: Here. a casing of Paros marble;
here. sculptured marble chimney
piece of the Renaissance period; here,
a ceiling painted by Eugene Delacroix'
here an AubuSsOn carpet; here,
rose colored Beauvais tapestry; here,
a mosaic floor Of the most rare and
variegated woodwork of the Indies
These dreams were never realized. The
ground upon which the chalet was built
is very rugged and billy. The only pro-
lection from the sun consisted of a
couple of sicIly shrubs that BalzaC
planted himself, and of which he was
very proud. What splendid trees he
would exclaim, they prevent me from
seeing Turc" "Turc" was yellow
sheepdog who had wonderful scent
for bailiffs, and who retired silently TO
his kennel whenever creditors rang the
bell at the gate
Balzacs garden offered no shade in
the summer time, and was like d minia-
ture Sahara desert, where one roasted
in a blaze of sunshine. His guests We're
artists. writer's and journalists. Leon
Gozlan, the Marselles journalist, author
of THE Tempest in Glass of Water"
was frequently invited to Jardies Coz
Ian. who died in 1866, was a friend of NJ.
Jules Claretie. who related TO the
Friends what GoZlan told him about a
visit made by Victor Hugo to BalZac
one Sunday when GoZlan was present.
Gozlan said that Balzac used 10 dine a
q o'clock He often saw him leave the
table at = I'm order To go to sleep. He
would get up again at midnight and
begin his work which lasted until 5
O'Clock IN the morning Victor Hugo
came only once 10 Jardies. Although
BaZac was usually rather disdainful
toward contemporary writers, he made
an effort to be- agreeable TO one who was
already becoming his rival in celebrity.
Hugo was expected 10 lunch owing To
an interruption of the Versailles rail
road he was obliged 70 take carriage
at st. Cloud. This made him late. Bal
zac was extremely nervous He kept
running from the cottage door Ia the
garden gate ana looking along the dusty
road In search of his guest. At last.
when he returned impatiently To his
little dining room, exclaiming: What In
the world can have happened" the door
hell rang. Turc barked loudly The
poet appeared Balzac rushed Ia vel
come hts guest Victor Hugo wore =
tall soft, graz felt hat covered with
dust a faded niue coat with brass but.
tons, a large flowing black crEVat, and