New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-26


her youth, which to her were far from having the
enfcapce that the partisan critic has endesvored to
give Il. The scene already mentioned in the church
OF La Cbatre proves, by the way, that Marie Aurore
Of SoIony did not let her grsndchild grow up with
ont religious instruction has been declared 90 many
times.
7, !, difficult 10 conceive how solid character ike
the Grandmother should have suddenly consented to
send the beloved child into convent lCoHre# de'
Aaqlaises) to perfect her education.
The separation from her grandmother, whom the
Girl loved best Of all was still harder to bear on &C
count of her love for the Castle Of Nohaut In the
Letters of Traveller which has been referred to by
George Sand herself as one Of those books in which
she has written out her "reminiscences more or less
idealized we find passage drawn from her childhood
in Nohaut
"Wbo of US, says She "does not remember with
love the first works which he devoured or slowly
relthed /sarOTrbs)f Hos the cover OF dusty book
on the shelf OF forgotten case never called up me
sweet image of your Young years Have You not be.
heved that you saw the broad meadows lying before
you bathed in the rudy glow OF evening, Inst as
they were when you read 1t for the hrst uins An,
how quickly night fell on those divine pages How
cruelty the darkening twilight made the letters swim
10 and fro over the fading leaf!
at is over; the lambs beat; the sheep arc in their
folds tie cricket takes possession of the cottage and
the plain. II is time TO go.
"Tbe path is stony; the bridge narrow ana slippery,
the cliff steep.
lyon are covered with sweat, but your haste is all
in VAN; you will come too late; the supper VIII have
been begun.
ain vain will the old servant who loves you put oil
ringing the bell az long a. be can; you will have the
humiliation Of coming last, and the grandmoths, m
exorable on point of etiquette, will give YOU win
cad soft voice q very gentle, very tender reprOach.
You think it would be easier to bear harsh rePrl-
mand.
"But when, at evening, she asks the story Of your
day and You have to blush and confess that you Tor
col yourself reading in meadow, and she asks for
the book and you tremble, and draw out OF your
pocket-whati Estee and Nemorin. then tho
Grandmother smiles Be comfortedi your treasure
will be given you sgaIn; but never more VIII you
dare forget the supperhour.
"Happy times o my dark valley o Corinne
O BeTnaroin de ST. Pierre! lhad . Mnleyoye
o Atalal meadows by the river u youth that
has pas sed away o my old dog, who never forgot
the supper-hour and used TO the distant sound
Of the bell with painful bark, full of regret and
daintnessl"
George Sand mourned for her grandmother, for her
dark valley for her rich library. Her grandmother
collection Of books, which she still possesses at her
Castle of Nohaut has, by the way, the Distinguishing
peculiarly that lacks no romance which had been
written by woman up to that time.
That George Sand dared not read all these is shown
by the touching and graphic description of her even
ing confession; but the censor was no Puritan Co
rhine and Alfalfa the good old grandmother could not
think dangerous.
The story of George Sands sudden conversion in
the CouUeat des Angaises from her excessive piety,
has nothing improbable in it; but still 1t can be
scarcely more than one of the many fables which her
biographers have taken the liberty to invent.
She left the cloiser close the eyes of her loved
grandmother; returned again after her death to
take leave Of it forever, girl of seventeen, the
bride of NJ. Francois Dudevant.
How unfortunate this marriage became is well
known; renowned lawsuit has borne witness to
that Since George Sand has obtained her DIVORCE
she defends her husband against the attacks OF her
friends. She does this out of regard for her children,
or from feeling of wounded pride at being justified
and commserated at the expense Of another. l will
not incur reproach from this authorizes, whom l
esteem md love so much | shall be silent 10 her
wears of sorrow in the house Of her husband; but
cannot repress the remark that all who knew George
Sand and her life during that period are unanimous
in their opinion of the character of NJ Dudevant and
his conduct toward his young wife. Nine. Sand had
nothing TO reproach herself for when, in the year
1884, She with both her children left the house Of
her husband and came To Paris. The separation
took place with the consent of Nj. Dudevant, and he
settled on the woman who had brought him large
estate, an annuity of twelve hundred francs. This
pfu sum- of course, not sufficient for the main-
tenance Of q woman with two children, although she
took wretched attic tenement IN the Ouai st.
Michel
While yet Nine. Sand was living with her hus-
band, she made the acquaintance Of two men, who
first revealed to her the intrinsic wealth of her genius
and her heart One was Neraud, called Malgache;
the other, Jules Sandeau who in Paris became her
first coaborateur and intimate friend Neraud gave
her instruction in botany; and she called him NAL
CACHE on account of his long fairyta of Madagas
car She describes him in the " Letters of a Trav-
"eler as an excellent traveller full of jest and caus
tic wit brave as French student and fond OF Rabe-
lois His affections were divided between politics
and botany One day he fell in love with an exotic
plant and this love led him TO undertake botanical
excursion of few days, from Berry to Madagascar.
For years his mother had no news from him. and he
came back-just fresh as he went away-on foot
with his botanical case on his shoulders Since then
the poetical Magache has changed very much; for
NJ. Neraud is now Spectator in stocks, and a fortd
nate Spectator.
The insuficiency Of the annuity compelled the
young mother TO think of some business which might
exc out her narrow means. She first endeavOrsd
10 avail herself of her feeble talent in painting. She
painted portraits for five francs fancy boxes
Her Fon Maurice preserves with devotion such a to-
bacco-box painted by his mother. Jules Sandeau
directed her attention TO literary labors. She re-
membered that Latouche, the renowned publisher OF
the Figaro had been friend of her family, and
she resolved go him. 1t is not true that she IN
troduced herself to the Editor of the Figaro in
pany with Jules Sandeau. Latouche asked speci-