The New York herald., 1874-12-17
Ii T E R A T u R E.
What the French Authors
Are Doing.
LOUIS yEUILLOT's NEW BOOK
Christ's Message to the
Whole World.

PARIS, Dec. !. 1874.
Some extremely improper novels have appeared
this month, as usual, In Paris. One OF the most
outrageous is called
'LA FAUTE DU MARIn
by N. H. Rlviere. 1t relates the story Of French
onicer OF high literary attachments who marlies a
middle aged lady with some reluctance. and dis.
covers that she is OF too cold temperament to
further his ideas OF domestic bliss. He, therefore,
supplements her conversation with that OF young
creole widow, who 10 OF so ardent disposition
that she burns herself out and dies just at the
moment when her lovers fortune, which he has
stolen from pious aunt, Is utterly consumed IN
the flames, which have also devoured the creole
widow In this disconsolate state he goes into an
uncomfortable lodging and prepares to starve. He
does starve, In iact partly from cold, partly from
hunger; sKulks about the streets, too, with no
definite object. uncbeered by wholesome Iood or
drink. Meantime, however, the middle-aged lady
has lit up her fires and steams after him at high
pressure, declaring that she is ready to burn as
1ercely as he desires. Much alarmed by her spirit
and enterprise he decamps from one bare attic to
another, and then she sets errand boy and Old
colonel upon his track and they succeed in stalk.
ing him. The middle-aged lady, who has inherited
an enormous French fortune amounting to several
thousand dollars yearly, and which looks consider.
Of ner newly acquired substance in providing him
with copying work to do at remuneranve prices;
and fattening him little before she dscoses her
resolve to be reconciied with him whether he will
or not When he has become somewhat plump
she writes to him letter full OF lurid nashes OF
impropriety; and he is SO alarmed by 1t that he
makes at once for the seacoast Several things
have happened, meanwhile, with astonishing
rapidtty While the fugitive military man was
making nesh he has likewise made q literary
reputation as great as that OF N. Victor
Hugo, General Trochu and Colonel StofYel rolled
into one, and his wife has miraculously given
birth to o son who could run as soon as he was
porn. She conndes this child to a vigorous minded
widow, who takes the boy to her runaway bus
bands last place OF refuge, and 1irts with him in
o highly courageous manner, but IN his wife's In
terest; TILL after the lapse OF few days, the widow
catches ire and writes to her friend that she can
find safety from the military and literary mans
assduities but in light. NJ. Riviere does not make
1t clear to us whether his second widow ran away
quite soon enough, 1or she and the military man
pass their evenings babtually together at the
side without any other company than piano
ana child who conveniently goes to sleep.
However, she takes herself on at last. and leaves
the child behind her Tor the military man to wash
and dress. After this queer husband has had
time enough, In N. Rivieres opinion, TO become
sufficiently attached to his miraculous offspring,
his wife arrives at the seaside by an express train
and formally declares her Intention OF making It
up on the warmest terms possible. But the hus-
band, who has become attached to his wlfe's
friend rejects the mddle-aged ladys proposals
with extreme harshness and scolds her in two
pages OF post octave after which they have
etand-up fight Of the most worldly explosive
character, in which the middle-aged lady, who has
probably shril voice. ultimately gets the best Of
1t. She tells her husband that he cannot desert
his own son, and he replies that he has not got one,
apparently refusing to accept the miracle which
has been performed to bring him back to the paths
OF duty. His wife persists in asserting that she
has really produced an active boy OF four years
old at least In a few months, and the husband is
at length touched by this phenomenon, and sub.
mits to his fate with such resignation that when
the widow, who was sent to hun. him down. turns
up again shortly afterwards, he is quite insensible
to her advances and altogether absorbed In teach
ing his surprising child the art of warfare In q
drawing room, where moderator lamp Is burn
ing to make all things pleasant Tie novel closes
with the middle.age iady's repentance for the
early chilliness OF her behavior, and with the as
surance that the love Of her latter days is OF as
fervent 9 description - . military man could
wish. Indeed, she and the Colonel who advises her
appear to be constantly lighting email wood under
y
under the influence Of o pair OF bellows. All these
people-the fiery literary soldier and his fiery
vile, the Colonel who works the bellows, the
miraculous child and the courageous widow are
held up to 10 as models Of wisdom and virtue. So
Is the other widow, the creole whose romantic
attachment TO o married man ID explained With
much candor and pathos. SO that upon the whole,
II we are to take M. Rtviere as o moral teacher
whose lessons should be followed, we must forget
great deal which we have learned from divines
and philosophers
"DRorT Az BUT"
by NJ. Amedee Achard, and lie Mari de Char
lotte," by an anonymous writer, are only q
little less startling In the views of lite which
they bring before rs. They describe a topsy-
turvy world, wherein the Decalogue Is set
at defiance ana brought to general state OF
ruin. They must DO great deal OF harm
to thoughtless people, for they are exquisitely
written, They abound In epigrams which one
cannot help remembering, II one would, and they
put all naughtiness in light 80 rosy that even Q
stoio must sometimes regret that It Is false light
Ii we could really 60 about the world taking other
peoples wives on short leases, supping with their
daughters and. their Widows amid universal hap.
pness and festivity; II we could rob our friends
and relatives and still be rewarded with the love
and esteem OF ell around US, with renown only
made the purer because we have not deserved It;
with corn and wine and much gold neaped up In
plenty about our dwellings, though we have not
earned tt while the good, seitdenyine people
next door appeared to every one as dull dogs un-
worthy OF notice, why, then, the trade Of the
hero ana the worker would be but poor
one, not overcrowded. Thus much Ii certain let
us hope no more for decency's SAKE The French
novels. winch give SO Wild and untruthful de.
scripuon OF lie, sell largely or they would not be
published by H. Levy, who Ia q very shrewd man
OF business and knows his public II Is only doing
Justice one Of the first publishers in Paris to add
tnat n. Levy brings out other books besldes er.
his name. E&f
Gle QuATRg GRANps HIsToRIENs LATrNs,"
by M. d. Nisard, Is work which win repay the at