Paris: With Pen and Pencil: Its People and Literature, Its Life and BusinessBartlett, D. W. (David W.)
History
Paris: With Pen and Pencil: Its People and Literature, Its Life and Business
Bartlett, D. W. (David W.)
Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- Social life and customs
After the revolution of 1848 Dumas appeared among the people, who
welcomed him as a pure democrat. He started a journal which soon died. A
good story is told of him about this time. A great admirer said to him
that there was a gross historical error in one of his romances. "Ah!"
said Dumas, "in what book?" The volume and error were pointed out, when
he exclaimed, "Ah! I have not read the book. Let me see--the little
Augustus wrote it. I will cut his head off!"
He got so rapidly in debt soon after' this, that he left France for
Brussels. Monte Christo was seized to pay his debts.
He broke off with one of the most eminent of his assistants, and since
then, his romances and plays have lacked much of the interest and
ability which they formerly possessed, and he is not regarded to-day as
he once was in Paris. This may be owing in part to the sickly condition
of literature under the despotism of Louis Napoleon. In his personal
appearance he is burly; he has large, red cheeks, his hair is crisped
and piled high upon his forehead. His eyes are dark, his mouth a
sensuous one; his throat is generally laid bare, and in short, he is a
good looking man. It is said that he has thought of visiting the United
States, and would do so, were it not for the prejudice against color in
America.
EUGENE SUE.
[Illustration: EUGENE SUE.]
Marie-Joseph Sue, was born on the first day of January, 1801, in Paris.
His family was from Provence. His great-grandfather, Pierre Sue, was a
professor of medicine in the faculty of Paris, and was the author of
several excellent works, but died poor. His grandfather was not a
learned man, but was exceedingly wealthy. He was physician to the family
of Louis XVI. His father was professor of anatomy, and was appointed by
Napoleon surgeon of the Imperial Guard, and was, later, physician to the
family of Louis XVIII. He was married three times, and his wives each
bore him children. The second wife was the mother of the great novelist,
and she died soon after giving birth to her child. The Prince Eugene and
the Empress Josephine stood sponsors at the baptism of the child, and in
after life he relinquished his two given names for that of Eugene--after
the prince--by which he is now universally known.
While at school, Eugene and an intimate companion were noted for the
mischief they wrought. One of their mischievous acts was, to raise
Guinea pigs and then turn them loose in the botanical garden of the
elder Sue, where, of course, they destroyed many of the plants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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