He began his career as a junior clerk at the Ministry of War and achieved success in 1869 with a play, Le Passant. Initially a Parnassian, he soon turned to a form of poetry that was closer to everyday reality. His best-known collection is Cahier rouge. But it was in the theatre that he achieved his greatest success. Académie Française in 1884. Autograph letter signed"... et qui voudrait vos conseils pour une démarche auprès du Ministère de l’Instruction...". Four copies of different editions of the frontispiece of "Mon Franc parler", all with dedication and signature.