From the New Quarterly Review. Mémoires d'Alex. Dumas. 2ième Serie. Vols. VII and VIII.

the discussion which is a little lengthy, is not a little dull.

In the eighth volume there is a description of the causes that ultimately led to M. Dumas's fighting a duel with a brother author, M. Gaillardet. We give an abridged version of the affair, which occupies in the original about a hundred and fifty pages.

M. DUMAS continues to pour forth his Memoirs in an apparently inexhaustible stream. He has now arrived at the year 1832; and as the events described become more recent, so does he elaborate his details, not only as to M. Gaillardet was the author of a piece the events themselves, but with regard to the called "La Tour de Nesle;" of which he gave birth, parentage, education, and career of eve- the manuscript to Harel, the manager of the ry one in the remotest degree connected with" Porte St. Martin;" but though the piece anything that happens to him.

had "got some ideas in it," it was not suited For instance, in the seventh volume we to the stage; and after being handed over to have a history of a bal masqué given by M. Janin, who re-wrote it, improved it, but did Dumas to the artist-world of Paris. For this not make it the drama that Harel wanted, it ball, eight of the most celebrated painters of was brought to Dumas, who by the way, was the time offered their services to decorate just recovering from a severe attack of cholesome unfurnished rooms lent him for the oc- ra. Dumas read it, found that Janin had casion. He interrupts the narrative to give a given up all interest in it, though he had, with highly finished memoir of four of these paint- M. Gaillardet's consent, been made partner ers-Alfred and Tony Johannot, Clement and sharer of the profits, promised to take the Boulanger, and Grandville-who died young, play in hand, and at the same time, to reinand in the height of their fame and populari-state M. Gaillardet in his position of sole auty. The account of the preparations, artistic thor, desiring himself to keep a strict incogniand otherwise, for the ball, is amusing though to, reserving however the right to publish the rather long.

piece in his "Euvres Complétes" at a future period. All this being arranged between Dumas and Harel, the former writes a rather grandiose letter to M. Gaillardet, presenting him with the" touches he had had the pleasure of making to the work." To this M. Gaillardet returned an indignant answer, saying he neither desired nor would consent to have any assistant in his drama of the "Tour de Nesle." Hereupon great consternation, but the play is put into rehearsal notwithstanding; and after a violent scene between the two authors, an arrangement is made that it is to be played and printed with the name of M. Gaillardet only, but that the name is to be followed by stars, showing that some one else had had a hand in it.

The supper has a chapter to itself; for M. Dumas, who never does anything in an easy way where a difficult one can be found, chose to be his own purveyor, and with four or five companions set off for the forest of Ferté Vidame to shoot a stock of provisions. The sportsmen, among them, killed nine roe deer and three hares, of which, says our author, "I shot two hares and five roes." On returning to Paris, however, it seems to have struck him that there might be a suspicion of monotony in a repast composed exclusively of four legged animals from the forest of Ferté Vidame, and he therefore entered into negotiations with Chevet to furnish him with a "gigantic fish," and other comestibles, all to be paid for not in coin, after the manner of the vulgar, but picturesquely in hares and roe-deer, the victims of his unerring aim. The ball, of course, 66 goes off" with immense success. It lasted far into the next "I returned home," says Dumas, “without day, and ended in a monstre galop, at nine one feeling of regret. The next day several o'clock in the morning, from the Rue des of the friends who knew the share I had in Trois Frères," the head of the said monster the success of the "Tour de Nesle," came to reaching the Boulevards, while the last joints congratulate me. Among them was Collin." of the tail were still undulating in the street." The rest of the volume contains a sketch of a play by Scribe, and an account (out of chro- he. nological order,) of the examination of several dramatic authors before the Commission appointed to prepare the laws for theatres, and the regulations of dramatic censure. Scribe, Emile Souvestre, Victor Hugo, and Dumas, all differed more or less as to the question of leaving theatres unshackled by restrictions; and

The piece is played, and creates a furore, and the name of M. Frederic Gaillardet is proclaimed in the midst of enthusiastic applause.

"Do you know what Harel has done?" said

"What he has done?"
"About the play bill?"
"No."

"Instead of proceeding mathematically from the known to the unknown, he has proceeded from the unknown to the known."

"I don't understand-"

Why, instead of putting Messrs. Gaillardet

and ***, he has put Messrs. *** and Gaillar-1 det."

"The wrecth!" cried I; he is going to drag me into a fresh quarrel with M. Gaillardet; and the worst of it is, that this time M. Gaillardet is right."

Then follows a long account of M. Gaillardet's indignation which results in a lawsuit and a duel. The law-suit is gained by M. Gaillardet; the duel is as follows:

An article in the Musée des Familles" spoke of the "Tour de Nesle" as M. Gaillardet's best work. Accordingly, Dumas "finds himself insulted," and sends his second, or rather according to French usages, his seconds to Gaillardet, and a rencontre is fixed for the 17th of October, 1834.

But here is a difficulty-Dumas objects to pistols. Perhaps he is merciful and fears his "unerring aim." He would like a duel with swords. Give them two crowquills, and let them fight it out. No; Gaillardet has a penchant in favor of pistols. He does not, like Dumas, "shudder at the weapon, and think it a brutal one, only fit for a robber," but he insists on his right to substitute it for the sword; and Dumas, "who, however, at that epoch was a remarkably good pistol-shot, accepted the proposition."

Now, when an Englishman is called upon to fight a duel, he generally makes his will the night before, goes to bed and sets his alarum, that he may be sure to wake in due time in the morning; but this would be taking the thing in a much too matter-of-fact way for M. Dumas. He must needs invite the seconds of M. Gaillardet to see him shoot, at a pistol gallery; where he says, he shot an inch above, below, to the right and to the left, of the mark with the first four balls, and with the fifth broke the figure that served as a mark in pieces.

The seconds looked at each other! one of my rules was neither to fence nor shoot before any one. I made this exception in their favor.

The rendezvous was for noon at S. Mandé. I went home to take measures with regard to my son and daughter, in case of my death. As to my mother, I left about twenty letters, dated from different towns in Italy. If I were killed I provided that she should receive them from time so that the truth might be concealed from her.

So, having composed this impromptu edition of "Impressions de Voyages," M. Dumas goes to bed, and notwithstanding his objection to pistols, we are bound to believe that he goes to sleep. Breakfast is ordered at the Café des Variétés. He takes some swords with him, in case, as he fondly hopes, the objectionable pistols may be superseded. Here is a truly Dumasian bit:

Upon my word, I can't." I am in a hurry, and cannot afford to be late." "Where are you going?" "To fight Gaillardet. "Bah!"

"Better late than never."

"Oh then, I really must beg of you, my dear friend, to write my verses now."

"And why, may I ask?"

would be so valuable for my wife to possess the "Because, if you are going to be killed, it last lines you will have written."

"You are right. I forgot that. I would not, for the world, deprive Madame Bonnaire of such a chance." We went up stairs I wrote a few lines in the album - Bonnaire went away enchanted.

M. Gaillardet, like a wise man, arrived on the ground dressed all in black; but, like a foolish Frenchman, he had put some cotton in his ears! M. Dumas resolved to aim at the cotton.

Bixio the surgeon begged him to kill his adversary if possible, because he had heard that a man, mortally wounded by a bullet, always turned round before falling, and he wanted to know if it was true.

Once more the seconds of M. Dumas endeavor to dissuade M. Gaillardet from a duel with "the brutal weapon, the pistol," but he is franc piece, and regulate the choice of arms by resolute. Then they propose to toss a fivelot, but the adverse seconds reject this. Dumas desires that a statement to that effect may be drawn up. It is done, and there is nothing left for it but to fight. M. Dumas again interferes to settle the "conditions of the combat." He is told that he has nothing to do with it; it is the seconds' affair.

At last every preliminary is arranged, and the men are "put up." M. Gaillardet fires at M. Dumas, who walks towards him " a little out of the straight line."

turns and fell. "One does turn round," said

tol, and looked for the piece of cotton in M. he, and died. Gaillardet's ear.

It could not be seen. M. Dumas fired at hazard. M. Gaillardet threw his head back and

On reading M. Dumas's account of his hostile rencontre, we come to this conclusion, that it would have been in better taste if he had not shown off his shooting at a mark to his adver-was not hurt. Another statement is sary's seconds, before he had proved what he drawn up to the effect that the two authors could do against a living adversary; and that having fired at one another without any harm though an Englishman may not, for many reabeing done, the seconds thought they had bet-sons, be more anxious to fight a duel than was ter not go on, for fear they might hurt each Alexandre Dumas, yet that, if obliged to do so, he would perform more and boast less than the witty and agreeable author of the Memoirs before us.

other.

Bixio was disappointed, but in 1848 he was wounded mortally himself: he made three

From The New York Evening Post.

"The three sisters were buried side by side; white roses lay upon their breasts, and the coffins were crowned with flowers,"

O! bear them to their rest!

White roses on their breasts and in their hands;
Through slumber deep and blest
They pass in beauty to the eternal lands.

Theirs was no outworn life

Of failing hopes and unremember'd vows;
The world's sad care and strife

Had traced no sorrows on their marble brows.

O, call them not too young!

We translated the following from the "Journal du Commerce," of the Isle de Bourbon:The zoological gardens have received a specimen of the only one known to exist, of the Monkey-rats, described by De Blainville. It is called the Aye-aye, and comes from the unexplored bushy tail, and its teeth, it would be taken for forests of Madagascar. From its appearance, its a sqirrel. But it is of the size of a large hare; its color is entirely black; and on its back is long and thick hair-like bristles. Its tail, extremely long, has hair at the end, which spreads out bilaterally or horizontally. This tail serves as a sort of parasol to shelter its head when it lies rolled up in a corner. It appears to avoid the daylight, and its eyes, which are large, round,

God's peace was on their lips-their life was yellowish, and as it were start from the head,

love.

Long was their stay-too long
For angels who had left their homes above.

The weeping Spring shall come,
And spread the paths they loved with glistening

green;

The jay shall build her home

In arbors where their favorite seats have been.

They shall come back no more ;

indicate that they are made for the night. Its muzzle is smooth and not very prominent; its mouth smallish; its ears large, spread out, and devoid of hair. Each jaw contains two incisive teeth, which are very sharp, and adapted teeth, but after a void space it has molarsfor gnawing hard substances. It has no canine which, however, it will not allow to be counted. Its fore members have five fingers, armed with claws; four are excessively long, but the fifth is small and appears as if wasted away;

Morning shall miss their glad, sweet smiles, and the thumb is shorter, and apparently not capadeep

The pine's perpetual roar

ble of much resistance. The hind legs have also five toes-four large and long, and supplied

Break o'er the spot where side by side they with crooked claws; and the thumb, which apsleep.

And will ye still complain,

Whose cheeks with unavailing tears are wet

They shall be yours again!

Beyond this prison-house of dark regret.

If perfect sight were ours,

pears capable of resistance, has a flat nail. It is said that the animal digs itself a hole; but it escaped one day, and was found perched in a tree. It is fed on a certain description of larvæ."-Lit. Gaz.

The Scientific Congress of France of next

Ye could not mourn them lost, but humbly say year, is to be held in the town of Puy en Veley,

The Father gave these flowers,

And the dear Father taketh them away."

O! bear them to their rest;

White roses on their breasts and in their hands,
Through slumber deep and blest
They pass in beauty to the eternal lands.

and the Archæological one at Chalons sur Marne.

When I hear of "a man of sterling worth," I think that it is frequently the worth of pounds sterling that is meant.

TRAVELLING BABIES.

of its little limbs shewed that it was in life, and probably in health.

THE English at home are a curious people- One of the ladies present, who had tried the not much like what we guess them to be from same experiment and had also failed, seemed at their countrymen in France. They are indig-length determined to satisfy her curiosity, and nant at the mistakes we sometimes make in de- obtain a peep at the mysterious darling. Apscribing their manners, and judging of their proaching it softly, she addressed the mother in character; but it seems to me-although I must her sweetest tones: confess I have been but a short time in the coun

try-that accuracy is impossible, and that it is so not less from our want of comprehension than from their excessive oddity.

Now, a little while ago, when peeping listlessly into the ladies' waiting-room at a railway station, my attention was attracted by a lady, her little girl, and nurse.

The child appeared to have seen at least six or seven summers, as the novelists say. She amused herself by running and dancing about shewing her activity and childish joy in various ways, until the train bell rang, when a stop was put to her amusement by mamma and nurse jointly calling: "Come, baby, come! here's the train!". The gigantic baby paid obedience, when lo! the sturdy limbs, which a few moments before had displayed such vigorous powers of movement, were quickly enveloped in an immense shawl, and the poor, helpless baby was carried in nurse's arms to the carriage.

"Is this a baby you have?" and at the same time in a dexterous but gentle way removing the shawl from deary's face, she obtained a visible instead of a verbal reply to her question, by obtaining a view, amid the mother's blushes, of her little one, who was probably the image of its father-a'poodle dog! All were amused, and even the parent smiled. But the finale was yet to come.

A train was heard to arrive, and she immediately arranged her baby-dog's wrapper, and held it in a far more mother like way than before ;— the experience of the last half hour being evidently used to advantage.

While the train was getting ready to renew its course, she promenaded the platform; but Doggy, who had hitherto been an example to all babies became restless. Whether the change from the warm atmosphere of the waiting-room to the keen, wintry air outside affected his lungs, or induced him to wish for a romp on the platThis was a simple circumstance, you will say. form, I know not, but certain it is he began to Yes, but quite unfathomable. How should I de-cry, and from low imploring whines raised the scribe it as a trait of manners? How should I tone to sharp, resolute, I-will-have-my-own-way reason upon it as an indication of character? I barks. In vain did mamma strive to appease stood gazing into the window with an air of such him, and hug him to her bosom, he determinpuzzlement as attracted the attention of a re-ed to display his powers of dog language. Just spectable looking person near me.

"That is curious !" said I to him-for an Englishmen is so like a ghost, that he never speaks till he is spoken to.

"Not curious at all," replied he: "children in arms go free."

Some time after, in another room of the same kind, where there were persons of both sexes, I stumbled upon another baby; and this by the way, is not wonderful, for in England babies are great travellers-there is no such thing as going anywhere without coming in contact with them. It was a cold, wintry day, a bright fire glowed on the hearth, and the room was almost filled with passengers. My attention was drawn to a young female, who was perambulating the apartment with somethiug in her arms which might be conjectured to be a young baby.

at this crisis one of the guards walked up to the lady, and striving, but in vain, to peep into Tiny's face, he remarked: "Poor little thing! it wants something you must give him when you get inside." The train was now ready, and mamma and baby vanished.

What could be the explanation of this scene? The Sphinx could not have read the riddle; but an old woman standing near answered my question in the same words I had heard on the former occasion:

"Children in arms go free."

"I know that," said I.

Several of the ladies seemed struck by her The Lands of the Saracen: or, Picture of Palescareless mode of carrying her living charge-tine, Asia Minor, Sicily, and Spain. By Bayard for though she occasionally bent her head, as if Taylor. G. P. Putnam and Co., New York.to soothe the little one, still there was a certain [We can safely commend to our readers a book want of tenderness in her manner, which did not from Mr. Taylor, without having read it. It bespeak either the affectionate mother or faith-is sure to be instinct with the life of actual obful nurse. A lady who sat near me, asked of servation and thought-and not a mere compianother: lation from other books.]

Do you think it really is a baby that young person carries?"

"I do not know," she replied, "but if so, and she is its mother, I pity it."

Mr. Rutherford's Children-second volume.By the Authors of the Wide, Wide World, Dollars and Cents, etc. [So Miss W. is not a single lady after all.] Wife and Children have been I rose and walked past the questionable parent, pointing out the advertisement of this booklooking at her burden as I did so; but it was too and urging us to send for it. But we determined closely muted in the shawl for its features to be to wait, though this was not easy. Messrs. Putseen by a passing glance, although the motionsnam and Co. have our thanks.