The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-08

ny Tue catastrophe. 10 sustain the proofs and
the argument analysis follows analysis, descrip-
tions Of character gre prolonged and multiplied.
An occasional excess Of analysis and descrip-
ton Is the other noticeable defect IN Miss Thact-
eray's work, to which allusion was made aboye.
This excess is greater in her earlier than in her
later works. In " Old Kensington " breaches the
extreme That alone Of her stories seems to have
been written O order--an order requiring go many
pages for so much money But, aside from any
other temptation ~ e1aRgeration w this respect,
she is led into II by her love for the picturesque
and her minute observation Of It, No detail es-
capcs her:
Five o'clock on fine sunday-western light
streaming along the shore. low cliffs stretching
away on either side.with tuft"d crosses ana thln
struggling flowers growing from the loose, arid
soil-far-away promuutories, flashing amid dis
tant shores, which Tho tides have not vet over
lapbed all shining in the sun. The waves swell
steadily inward, the foam sparkles when the
ripilcs meet the sands.
The horizon is solemn dark blue, but great
streak OF light crosses the sea- the white salts
glcam, 40 % tue white caps Of the peasant
women, and the wings Of tue seagulls as they
70 winning through the dir
Holiday people are ont In their sunday
clothes. They 10 strOlling nong the shore. or
bathing and screaming to each Other in the
waters. The countfymen wear their blue smocNs
Of darker blue than the sea, and they walk by
their wives aud Hwelthenrts in their -cOlored
Sunday petticoats. priest goes by ;arrand lady
In irls. yellow shoes. red jacket, tyaway hat,
and cane. Her husband rs also ia scarlet and
yellow Ihonsomo more women and Normandy
GAYS II pping, gosspinR together and baskets and
inbics, and huge umbrellas. figure. harlequin
like. al stripes and long legs, suddenly darts
from behind rock and risks into the water,
followed by dog barking furiouslv. More
priests 40 BY from the seminary az Asneies.
Then perhaps Sister OF Charity, with Ter large
fiat shoes, accompanied by two grand looking
bOnnets.
Tie little Englishman was sauntorinr In his
odd loose clothes Monsieur 7, ntgine, the
maire, tripping beside him with short. quick
military steps, neat gaitets, cane, thread gloves
was the taller OF the two but the Enelishmau
seemed to keep ahead somehow, although no
only sauntered, and dragged one leg laztly after
the other. Pclottier, the innkeepor. had been
pTr4 ding up ard down all the afternoon with
his rich aud hidcous bride. Sue went mincing
along, wi parasol, and mittens, aud gold ear
rings, aud great gold ring on her fOrehnEer
aud Parts cap stuck over with pins aud orange
HOVER. sac looked daggers at Iltetne Chretien
who had scOrned PelOttier. and boxed his great
red eids, 1t was said, earrings and all As for
RENE she marched past tho couple IN her
Normandy peasant dress. with its beautiful old
lsces and gold ornamenis. looking straight be-
fore her, M she took the arm OF her grandfather,
tue old farmer from Tracy.
Besides all these grown-up people there comes
occasionally little dying squadron OF boys and
girls, rushing along, tumblinR down, shouting
and screaming at the pitch OF their voices 10
the scandal Of the other children who are better
brought M, and who arc soberly troutng in
their small bourcelets, and bibs and blonHes, 10y
the side Of their fathers and mothers. The ba-
bes are the sOlcmDes and the funniest OF all,
hs thet stare ~ the sea ana tue company from
their tight naillots or cocOons.
The county folks meet. greet one another
checrfully. ana part with Signs and jokes the
hathtrs go on shouting and beating TIC water;
the lights dance. In the distance, across the
sends, you see the figures walking IeisurCy
homoward before the tide overtakes them; the
sky cleans whittier and winter at the horizon,
and oluer and more blue behind the arid grasses
that frin-e the overbauging edge Of the cliffs
Four or I'VE little boys come running up ono
by one. hendkeTchief-ily ing umhreia-benrer
GEoad. to the martial sound OF a penny trumpet.
The little captain purSues them breathlcss and
exhausted. brandishing his sword in sn agony
% =
his refractory troops; "soldats, souvencz vOus
qu' Il lac faut jamais cpurfir Soldats ne cuurrez
pas, Je Nous en- prrrric-uns. deux| trots. ana
avav they Uarch II the relief Of a sand fort
whch Is bclhR attacked by the sea.
Ana So the dav goes on. and the children
play aud while they buiid "their castles Of dis
solving lana to wat ia tnem overflow, the air,
and the sounds, and the colUis In which all these
people arc moving, seem 10 grow clearer and
clearer; You can see the country people clam
herring the cliffs behind the village. and hear the
voices and he laughter OF the groups assem- led
on inc embarked market place. And mean
wnie u. lie Marie mud the EugishniGn are walk
nc slowly along the sands toward rracv with
long. grotcsquc shadows icngtnening Is tue sun
begins to set.
This Is very graphic II is also very thorough.
Possibly the thorOuchness q the description
imprc;ses you even more than its vivacity
You are struck by the conscientious cxactitude
with which every particular OF the scene "a
noted and clearly set forth. While considering
1t YOU forget that this Is but space. and small
came to see. somehow It reminds you Of what
has been said about the English and their paint
iuss to the Disagreement Of both: "ThcY pride
Themselves on their painting; at least they
study 10 with surprising minutencss, in the
Chinese fashion; they can paint bottle OF hay
so exactly that botanist viii tell the species Of
every stalk one artist lived three months under
canvas on heath 30 that he might thoroughly
know heath
To many readers such description, If kept with
in bounds Is very pleasing; but too much of II
becomes monotonoUo aud wcarsome. Beyond
the measure necessary Tor repose and contrast,
It delays the action OF the story, distrHcts and
| diminishes the readers attention, may excite
| his imp ttience, and, possibly his disgust In
| the achsround OF a picture made especially to
represent living beings aud evident action, we
look for general effect, not for exact copying
| Of nature, the precise portrayal OF every weed
and blade of grass, and flower, and trec. and
stone and sand bank, as II each had been care
| fully counted and measured aud placed in post
| ton according TO mathematical survey, and
the very shade OF its color mixed on the palette
! by actual c lmparison. And yet the painted
! has q great advantage over tho printed picture.
All IT. parts may be- viewed at least casually with
one glance. while in the written description the
| field Of vision Is travcrscd by one minute por-
! ton after another. Ike miniature panorama.
| To graz? AN and see II as the writer wished, YOU
must strain attention and memory allie. and
! whllc this strain continues you must call in
fancy to light aud color ana WHY the whole.
! he more prolonged and the more minute the
| DESCRIPTION the greater and moro complicated
the TASK imposed upon the reader. In most
ease, the effect On his mind is that OF a jumbo
Of no, very Ineligible sentences. The best of
ali pictures which gwriter eau present are those
sugs' Sled in "a word or described IN a phrase.
In some Of Miss Thackera, = books. as, for In
! stance, in tie one already mentioned, these
| CrrOrs are fundamental; they distort TIC whole
plan. Others are simple and pare WORKS of pr,,
! in which the reader hardly knows what most
! 20 admire the absolutely clean and Whol, some
tone, the delicaCy. variety and harmony 81 tiut.,
! the symmetrical proportions, OF the gentle, low
| Ing, henohccnt nature everywhere uanifcat n
! the creation. Forexamules LOOK az nc five short
| tales grouped under the one THE, "Fro Od
| FRIENDS" spcci.lb cinderella" aud the longer
| story called From an lstnd.' An that sho does,
whether lairly included within tho limits 81 a
symmetrical form o. not, be rs muIAs 81 firm,
strong, but very delicate artistic hand. Th.se SELL
| siwlity, nice PERCEPTION, aud refinement evory-