*KARR, JEAN - BAPTISTE -ALPHONSE, the son of a music master of some distinction, was born at Paris (some accounts say at Munich), in 1808. After leaving the university, he became teacher of the fifth class at the College Bourbon, in the French capital ; where he spent most of his leisure hours in writing poetry. The merit of these first attempts appears to have been but small. Having converted one of his poems into a prose romance, it appeared in 1832, under the title of Sous lee Tilleuls,' and partly from the German sentiments with which it abounds being then a novelty, it became immediately very popular. Many of the chapters of this fiction still exhibit their original poetic character. In this romance, as in most of his productions, Alphonse Karr has shown much ingenuity and some original power, whilst his style, language, and moral purpose, are unobjectionable. It was fol lowed in 1833 by 'line Heure trop Tard f by Fa Die ze' in 1834, and by Vendredi Soir' in 1836. The following year he produced Le Chemin le plus Court,' in which the private history of his own married life was unveiled to the public curiosity, and a great sensa tion effected thereby. Few of the contemporary French writers have exceeded M. Karr in this habit of communicating to the reader their own personal history.
Genevieve,' published in 1838, Clotilde ' in 1839, ' Hortense ' in 1842, and 'Am Reuchen' in the same year, compose a series of very pretty tales, under the general title of Ce qu'il y a dana une Bouteille d'Encre ;" Ilenevieve ' and 'Hortense' being still popular, and several times reprinted. Feu Bressier ' appeared in 1844, and his Voyage autour de Mon Jardin' in 1845. 'La Famille Alain,' another ingenious
story, appeared in 1848, followed a few months later by 'Le Livre dos Cent Verites.' Besides the above list of domestic, tales, M. Karr has been attached, sometimes as originator and proprietor, at other times, as editor or contributor, to various periodicals. After writing several years for Figaro ' be published, in the form of a monthly magazine, a satirical work, Called ' Les Guepes,' the first number of which came out in November 1839. There was a great display of wit and smartness in 'Les Guepes; but many things were reprinted in them, which the reader knew already, and the author's egotism was never more conspi cuous, than iu this serial. The freedom of his invective, likewise, gave offence to several of those writers who were brought within the range of his criticism, and one lady especially was so much irritated by the unsparing censure with which he examined her poems, that she con cealed herself one evening in the street where he resided, and slightly wounded him in the back with a poniard. This adventure happened in 1844, and was at the time much talked of. M. Karr has of late years devoted much of his attention to horticulture, on which subject be has written many interesting articles for the monthly serials, besides some clever reports for the annual exhibitions of plants and flowers. He was created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by Louis Philippe. His 'Voyage autour de Mon Jardin,' in which he has made clever use of his knowledge of plants and flowers, has been translated into English.