, 1872-11-17

for his absence, though the Boston fire. like that
OF Chicago, will be held responsible for pretty
much every contretemps that may occur. Mr.
james ,Redpath, the manager Of the lecture
courses was constrained to remind the audience
that this was the third time that Mr. Bret Harte
the HHeathen Chinee," Mr. Redpath called
him-had disappointed Boston audience,
and auggested that sit is high time
this man is taught, his place." Just
what place mr.. Bret Harte's is, Mr. Redpath did
not undertake to define. Mr. Bret Harte and he
might differ materially in regard to this. It is
not impossible that Mr. Harte may believe his
place In America to bepretty much that which
Mr.. Dickens occupied in England. Mr. Rodpath,
on the contrary, may be of the opinion that
there is not enough of AIr. Harte to spread over
the whole of Boston and North America, and
that he would have done better to remain amid
the primitive surroundings OF Red Gulch and
Poker Flat, The popular judgment will proba-
bly, conclude that Mr. Ha1te's place is certainly
not that Of al autocrat in the literary field of
America. He has been favorite, al
most pet; but be has not yet at
tanned the privilege Of disdaining other people.
Much has been promised for Mr. Bret Harte
which he has failed to accomplish. The series
OF prose sketches, which he made on the Pacific
coast, we're entertaining in themselves, hut
chiefly remarkable as promises Of something
better to come. Mr. Harte has not fulfilled the
expectations Of his friends and patrons. There
was to be an American novel; there VAS to be
An American play there we're to be various de-
velopments Of dormant genius, and elaborations
Of new humor, which have not made their ap-
pearance. hfr. Harte seems to have been rest
iT1r NJ hiH 7er1ra1a and t1Y7riatirr m 1irf,
salary, for = year or more. He has only been
heard from occasionally, and then. most
frequently, in the WY OF insulting some
profered hospitality, disappointing audiences,
OF triding with the public. Actors with an am
bition to achieve reputation for ecce1tricity;
ci1cus-rider given to excessive indulgence in
the flowing bowl; handsome tenori accustomed
to be petted by the public, and prime donne SUBJ
1ect to sudden indispositions and peculiar pet
tishness, have been known to contribute some
thing to 3 profitable notoriety by freaks Of q kin
With those which Mr. Bret Harte has sometimes
committed. Sensible people, however, have
usually associated these displays Of petu1ancy
with il-breeding, and We should be
sorry to think Of Mr.. Harte as rival
OF any OF the lyric, histrionic, acrobatic,
or equestrian heroes in this respect. Mr.
Thackeray used occasionally to disappoint the
public when announced to make speech, but
he did 30 from an unconque.able di9idence.
Besides there is degree Of success in 1itera-
ture whero the public will forgive everything.
Mr. Harte should ask himeelf seriously whether
he has reached this eminence. Meanwhile, he
should delegate to his rival Poet of the 6ie1ras
all the eztraneous aids to notoriety That are to
be attained by defiance of public sentiment
and by vagabond infringementa upon the pro-
prieties Of social life.
The burial OF the recently deceased Thecrhile
Gautier called together larger assembly Of the
prominent people Of Paris than has been found
outside Of the Academy since the funeral OF the
elder DumAs. There we're present Mime. George
Sand, the Princess Colonna, the Mines. Drohan,
Measrs. Alexandra Dumas, Arsene Houesaye,
Emile de Girardin, Taine, About, Paul Feval,
Sardou, Gustave Dore, Jules Sandeau, and many
other literary and social celebrities. Victor
hugo, in his extreme selfshness, was abaent,
just as few weeks before he had declined
an invitation to the wedding OF Gautier's
daughter, writing as answer to the invitation
that he was 's busy that day marrying 3 news-
paper to the public" But all the rest Of the
Paris world WAS there. II. Alexandra Dumas
delivered the funeral oration, and it
is spoken of as the most brilliant or
atorical effort he has ever made. He pictured
Gautier's character most eloquent1y, in
q couple Of sentences. He spoke Of him as fol-
lows: "Gautier Was Greek OF the time Of
Pericles, ,-that is to Say, he dated from
the creation Of the world. With Phidias,
Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aspasis be should
have chatted OF an evening in the gardens
OF Academies more hospitable than those OF to-
day; nnd the bees that settled upon the lips OF
Plato should have shaken their wings on the
lips of Gautier."