Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1899 — Treating Himself. [ARTICLE]

Treating Himself.

The Parisian critic, M. Jules Claretie, narrates in the Athenaeum an amusing story of the elder Dumas: At the height of the great novelist’s vogue he could not turn out books fast enough to satisfy his clamoring publishers, and it became necessary tor him to employ collaborators, to whom he sketched the plot, perhaps, leaving them to do the rest Among the most distinguished was M. Paul Meurice, who is still living and writing In Paris at an advanced age. Thus It came about that Monsieur Meurice was the author of one of the most amusing novels of Dumas, “Les Deux Dianes.” Dumas when traveling found this novel in a hotel and opened it to pass away the time. He began reading It seriously, got interested in it’ and was amused. Presently some one came to his room and found him with “Les Deux Dianes” In his hand. "What are you doing there, dear master?” "I am reading,” said Dumas, “a novel of my own which I did not know, and which pleases me vastly!” It was Dumas who said when left to himself, "I am never bored when I have my own company.” It Is easy to see that he was not more so when he had that o too there—and did not know It