Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1894 — "Leaves of Theo.” [ARTICLE]

"Leaves of Theo.”

The9phile Gautier, the French author, was gifted with an extraordinary memory. Whatever he had heard or seen remained engraved upon his mind. On the day on which the two first volumes of Hugo’s “Legende des Siecles” were published, the author dined in Gautier’s company at the house of another friend, all allied more or less closely to the tribe of romanticists, admirers of Victor Hugo, and counting upon finding a feast of good things in his new work. In the course of the talk Gautier remarked, “Let us prove what we advance. I will reoite ‘Les Lions’ to you." And in a clear voice, his eyes gazing steadfastly as though he were reading from afar a book visible to himself alone, he reoited the whole piece, not repeating himself once, never hesitating, and not mistaking a single syllable. Yet he had read it that morning for the first time. Many times his friends, doubtful upon some points of history, language, geography, anatomy or art, referred tho matter to him, and received immediate satisfaction. They used to say then, “We have only to turn over the leaves of Theo. ”