New-York tribune., 1876-07-01

sensitiye fastidous man. living by preference on the
shady side of life possessing the most delicate per
ceptiOns and tastes, ls well the most agreeable
culture but haunted by q melancholy SENSE
of his inefectycuess. His gayety is subdued; there
is a cast of autumna haze in his sunshine may
add that he appears to have been yoracious ieuei
of English books and to have had, III particular, an
Unsuitable annette for British fiction. On TINS last
mimi ne wac n 0attering exception to his country
men. most French people to whom have spoken oi
English no. els have made up very WY lace.
of vbot Is going on in the lighter realms OF
Partisan activity there is no very bFllhaht account
to give. People are, Of course, thinking ana 'aA"s
much Of the dark codds in the East but this cannot
At the best be cassed among light subjects. Nj
Waddinrton has lust succeeded in putting through
his bill restricting to the State the power OF con-
ferring University degrees-a sensible defeat to the
Catholic party. But neither is this light theme
The Jaufeldl of NJ. Guizot at the Academy has Just
been taken possession of by his successor, NJ
Dumas the distinguished chemist and physicist.
| am at loss to perceive on what grounds NJ. Dumas
has sought place in purely literary body; but In
his discorTs Gc reception he paid great many COM
plimenfs 10 literature as well as TO NJ unlHot-So
many that stern sclcnce should think, would ieei
triae i,It,1. sometimes feel inclined to exclam,
in emulation Of Madam Roland, "Oh, Academic
Franchise, what crimes are committcd in thy name" J"
There is nothing new of consequence at the theaters
and some of them are about to close should Hke'
however. in so far a strictly non-musical auditor
has a right to speak of such matter, to say good
word for the brilliant short season of Italian opera
which il Just coming to an cnd at the sale Venta-
dour. Verdis Aida and the same masters lately
composed Requiem" have been the only works
performed, but they have been given with great per-
,,1 hn
been the great composers own and peculiar quartet
-Mesdames Holtz aud Wadnann, and, as tenor
and barytonc NM. Masini and Medn l don't
know when l have partaken of such feast
of vocalism. The voice of Mime. Holtz is phenom-
email; it seems to belong to two persons If you
shut your eyes when she passes from end OF her
register to the other you are ready to swear that
second singer has intcryeBcd. The liquid contraito
of Mile. Waldman is most enchanting, but the
prize TO my sense, belongs TO the admirable tenor OF
NJ. Masn which seems TO contain the very soul OF
youth and tenderness Ii is deemed to be, believe,
q very vivid echo of Mario. 1t is the ideal voice OF
ones twentieth year: if that time of life could al
ways sing it would sing just will not profess
to have enjoyed very profusely the somewhat OBJ
streperous from the Italian point of view eNotic)
music of " Aida but / foEnd the Requiem" III
places irresIst by mOyiug-the more that Signor
NeTQl nllnSell SlOON titlt, tHc
with certain passionate manner. In tho way of
further gossip of this class, there has been
the distribution of the prizes at the Salon.
and the bestoWal of tho medal of honor upon
the two figures in sculpture of NJ Paul Dubois
of which lately mac ppicciatlve mention Never
was an honor better canned, and never can II have
been adjudged with more ungrudglng unaniInity.
have il at heart 20 add that the two fantastic PIE
lures of NJ Gustaye Morcau, 10 which made but a
cursory allusion the Hercules and the Hydra OF
Ternos' and the "Salomo' have proved the lions
of the Salon. confess that, with myself, they have
greatly improved on acquaintance. They are very
remarkable. full of Imagination, and if not of first
class power at least OF iirst-cass subtlcty.
Since | began MY letter the news has come of
great loss to literatu-a-the death of George Sand
She died in thai rustic chateau Of Nohant, IN the si
province Of Berry, which she had 30 often and so
rictnresquely described. She had been paniuiV
ard alarmingly i'll for a number Of days pnd the
public was prepared tor the event IL is the close OF
n very illustrious and very interesting ca
reer. of which ! must defer speaking at
length to my next writing Madame Sand
ia not. as was 1t first affirmed, to be
buried at Paris but at Aohant, to which las be-
heve) somewhat inaccessible spot q numerous depu-
tation from the literary world has oiOusy repaired
II has been proposed says the Figaro, to Alexandra
Dumas to pronounce her funeral Grafton. hope he
will decline. Madame Sand. admire her with what
modification we WILL deserves better fate than to
serve as preext FOL tins gen,iemans Seli-c0npla-
cent epigrarns Madame Sand WAS L years of age.
She had Of late lived almost eNcn-lyeiy iii the
country and at the time Oi her death l'd not btel
to Paris for two Winters, ] have hcad her tins
Winter much spoken of by persons IA. knew her
well, and always with great esteem. Her life had
had many phases, but the longest was t"dt of her
old age, which was very Tranquil and reasonable;
SO much so as to eace the memory OF ceia'I others
which had preceded it, and which had been ol a
more questionable cast She had always bocn a SIN
gular mixture of quietudc and turbulence. / am
to,d that she was fearfully shy he books are GER
tainy Of all books the least shy She had little con
veIsatOn and vet her books are Sldgulariy loqua-
clous and confidential. Her fertility was most cN-
traOrdinary, and her admirers viii he anxious to
learn whcthcG il has not bequcatIol som" docu-
mcnts-memOIr5, rcmniScenCc-, or narratives InOIo
explicitly fictitious which are yet Ia sc the hight.
HIN..I JAMES, JH.
mn II II o ~