De Rougemont.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue X, 9 March 1901, Page 438

De Rougemont.

The famous de -Rougemont, who won the notice of the world first by his marvellous tales of travel, but even more by what was reckoned his consummate fertility and audacity as a romancer, is said to be in Melbourne, and to be contemplating a lecturing tour of the colonies. Humour does not say of whpt de Hougemont means to tell us, but, presumably, it will be of his strange adventures in strange lands. Whether be is going to revive the narration of the vivid yarns he contributed to the “Wide, Wide World” magazine, or has an entirely fresh stock at his disposal is not stated. Though he can scarcely have had time to experience new adventures since he last posed in public he has had ample opportunity to concoct new tales of thrilling interest in which he is the hero, and, after all, what’a ths difference in point of entertainment to an audience? Unquestionably the personal element is a most important point in the art of story telling. If it is the hero himself "th it tells the

tale our interest iu it is four-fold what it would be did he tell it of souteone else. But whether he ii really the hero matters nothing if he can persuade us to believe that he is. The good stories men tell gain enormously if the narrator manages to usaoeiate himself with them. And moat good storytellers usually do manage that. Thus, the clever liar becomes a much more entertaining fellow than the matter of fact traveller, who tells a plain unvarnished tale. For that reason plain unvarnished tales don't pass muster nowadays, and the most scrupulous narrator is forced to bedeck his story a trifle with the flowers of fancy. The trouble de Rougemont is likely to experience comes from ths fact that his veracity has already been so mercilessly impugned. Folks will refuse to hear him, under the impression that he is no traveller at all- To start this business the first requisite is a clean slate. 1 see nothing to hinder a pushing young man coming from the backwoods and announcing by means of posters and advertisements that he has just returned from a long sojourn with the savage tribes of Goojokealand and is prepared to tell the marvellous adventures which befell him there. If he. has a lively imagination and a glib tongue, and has prepared his part well, there is little doubt about the success of his lecturing tour. Strange enough, no one has seen fit apparently to take up the role of Rougemont, even after that gentleman had laid it aside, and now it is left to him again to take up the part under obvious disadvantages. As an aforetime light in the colonial auction marts used to say, “There's money in it.”