New-York tribune., 1914-03-29

She described the diamond necklace.
All, said the zoologist, "for several days
my baboon has had in his possession, gen
orally worn about his neck, a similar thing
| TO that described" D."
But why did YOU not tell me1" his wife
exclaimed in indignation.
Why answered Saint llilare, IL sup
posed that il belonged TO him. He seemed
to he very fond and proud of it.
I ORD DE TABLEY, poet and naturalist,
- used to delight in telling the following
story of himself. He was an enthusiastic
botanSt, and one day, sauntcring down Pic
cadilly, met a friend who told him where
specimen of rare plant had been found.
DE Tablcy bcckoned to a cabman and
hade HIM drive TO Chelsea. Chelsea was at
that time a quiet old suburb De Tabley
ordered the driver to cross a meadow and
stop by a ditch. He jumped out, plunged
ankle-doop in the mud, searched for a few
moments, found the tiny treasure poCkctcd
1t, and getting into the cab, called out,
Homel"
But the cabman looked at him thought
| fully moment, and { IN, with a nod OF
comprehension, drove rapidly back to Pic
cadilly and into the courtyard of private
madhouSe.
Here he Isl" he cried to the porter.
e I've got him"
1t was with difficulty that the porter con-
WINGED him that Lord De Tabley was not an
escaped lunatic.
InF that form of eccentricity closely re-
~ lated TO egotiSm, whereby many of the
world greatest artists and writers have con-
veyed to us their appreciation of their own
work, a most interesting case is that OF
| ThaCkeray, ordinarily a most modest man.
But there is good authority that Thackeray
never passed the house in Russell Square
wherein he lived when he wrote VANITY
Fair" without raising his hat,-a tribute
| from himself to his great work.
| WHEN the younger Dumas read the
w manuscript of Camille to his father,
that great romancer was much moved by
this evidence OF the genius OF his son. Alex
andre he is reported to have said, with
tears in his eyes and great Solemnity in his
voice. YOU have composed work that
will live as long as my own!'
In this connection one is reminded of the
period in the famous StOrytellerS S career
when. at the height of his vogue, he could
not turn out his tales fast enough to satisfy
Ills CldlllOllS plpuSlItlSf anu IL pCNsilIlS HSS-
eSSary for him to employ collaboratorS, to
whom he Sketched the plot, perhaps, leav-
ing them to do the rest. Among the most
distinguished was Paul Meurice, who died
not many years ago at an advanced age.
Thus it came about that Meurice was the
author OF one OF the most amusing novels OF
Dumas, Les Deux DANES Dumas when
travelling found this novel in hotel and
opened it to pass away the time. He began
reading it seriously, got interested in 1t, and
was amused. Presently someone came to
his room and found him with Les Deux
! DianeS in his hand.
Il am reading, said Dumas, in response
to a question, a novel OF my own which
did not know, and which pleaseS me vastly.
II was Dumas who said when LETT to him
self, Il am never bored when | have my own
company.
THE eccentricities of Dickens included
L an exceeding fondness for gaudy Jew
| elry, Of which he wore great quantity.
| Not only were his fingers covered with a
considerable number OF rings brilliantly set,
but his person was adorned with all kinds OF
fashv gems. He specially delighted in his two
g. 81.