Stories Of The Dumas

It was during the successful period of the drama of Henry HL, one dav, that Mlle. Mars was reeeiving &ü}nds and admirers, Dumas, the eider, prcseniecB herwitha beautit'ul Sttfin-bound eopy of the drama, and an old doctor wl'.o was present, exclaiiued rail, er simply: "So you are a trajn'dy-iiKiker, Jj&ung man!" "Yes," replied" D urnas, "jjist like you; the only dSerence iatbstjaa liave yolirs bound ia deaL."' Dumas was a grcat triend of Vatout's wlio was so devotcd to. Lnuis Philrppe's, family that lie followed thora into exiie.. On heringol his death, "l'oorfellow," said Duid as, "and how did that kap pen?" "At dinner; the water tliey had to drink was very bad; the prineea were all siek, but Vatout died." "Tha courtier!" said Uumas with a sniile. Being present one evening with George Sand at the ürst performanee of an execrable piece, he was conversing loudly with her, when a liourteos, seated in front of them, turned round and sharply requested them to be quiet, "What, exolaimed Dumas, '-vou have the good lui:k to hear George Sand and Alexander Dumas conversing together, and you are not satisfied!" Dumas was a very powerful man and rather proud of his physical strength. His father, Gen. Dumas, Marquis de la Paillerie, notiüed his birth to Gen. Brane in the following torras: "My wife has just presented me with a boy, eighteen inehes long and weighiag fen pounds and a half. If he keeps on like that at 25 he will bono pigmy." The iather was also a man of great strength whose ieats were renownecl in the records of the French arniy. Ast engravinsr of the time, now in the hands of Dumas, Jr., represents kim alone on the Brixen bridge holding ïn oheek a body of Austrians. kil] ing three, wounding eight, and causing the ethers to retreat. The marquis a mnlatto; being one evening at the theatre in a box with a lady, a young coxcomb entered, and oflered to see her home after the play. "Thanks," said the lady, pointing to the general, "I am with this gentleman." "Indeed," exelaimed the young man, sneering, "I took him for your servant." He had no soorternttered this piece of impertinence tbsn the general took hold of him by the collar, and lifting him like a feaüier threw him on the stage. His grandson, the present academician, is a chip of the old block, of extraordinary physical strength, and most adroit in all athletic exorcises, which, as every one knows, does not prevent him from being as witty as liis fathcr. Somebody speaking oí Alexander Dumas to his son was sajing one day: "After all, your father has sometimes written inferior works, but he never wrote tiresome ones." "lt was through selfishness," replied the son, "tliey would have bored him first." Dumas, the eider, hada weakness for placing himself and his friends at the service of cvery new acquaintance he made. Once upon a time he sent to a friend an ornament of the swell mob. as it aftcnvards appeared, with one o? the most gushin of letters of inlroduction. "Xhrow wide open to hini the doors of your house and your haart; treat hini as yon would me," and so on. Shoifly afterwarda Dumas enconntcred his friemd, who was decidedly frigid, and on his demanding an explanation of this coolness his friend said, "Don't you remember sending me a gentleman with a very euthusiastio letter of introduoüon?" "Yes, yes; iine fellow - real hoíirt of gold - f uil of wit - clnirming eompanion." "Yes, I daré say; but he stole soy wateli i'rom off the mantlepieoe." "What? Your watch, iuu?"