The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-09

| band became Troublesome and the wife had =,
tring dem nd FOR formal separation before IN.
courts. While the legal proceedings were po,na
Oh, George Sand cxerted all her Efforts to rct "a
gethcr ten thousand francs with a yiewto nyto
America IN case Judgment should be given
! against her but such was not the result
The FIRST years usG-35) which George sana
| ~ mt In Paris proved full OF hardship lie,
means were considerably reduced and she haa
to provide for herself and her children, par,l,
| by trinslating, partly by painting miniatures On
| wooden suun ana cigar cases. Her nrst literar,
| attempts were by no means encouraging Sew.
eral Of the literary notabnties refused to civ.
her even hearing. The only man VINO
gave her any encouragement at all war
! DelatUuche. He opened to her the col-
umns OF the Figaro. he next was Gustave
| Plauche the well-known critic Of the Re-
tue des Deur Moides, who became subsequently,
one Of her greatest admirers and introduced
| her ~ the editorial rooms Of that periodical az
well ss to the leading literary circles of those
days. 1t would seem that his admiration for
| George sand was not exclusively literary; but 10
| any Intimacy existed between them II was nos
OF long duration. SaInte-Beuve, whom blanche
introduced to her aludes in the following
| words to those early days OF George Sands ca
reer and his friendship with her:
she T4 al W in s' qsy nSGa on s
| Quai Maaauai.. ON entering the room saw 4 Young
With Sscs hsir cut soinewhst snort and dressed IN
OF asrH Sressng OF te tsr d end sho
TO cali again. In few months OF even few weeks
Us. guaranteed then against ali other sind o. st,
,ertlyas Inc was In love Win somebody else, fhis
pfcserya I've against feeling Of owe for a Young
| woman who excited admiration constituted tho
chief element OF solidty charm friendship.
1t would be useless to attempt to give here
description Of George Sands appearance. Her
face Ia too well known from the millions Of pho
tographs and engraved portraits scattered over
the world Her charms were, besides. not Of
nature which admits Of description. She had
never been a handsome woman, although sbs
| was always fascin ating one. OF figure she had
| none. Her face, even IN the bloom OF her youth,
was merely pretty one and seemed to have
been made ike Rachel's, to serve frame 10
| pair OF large brilliant, dark eyes. She never
showed any particular taste In dress, and as she
grew old her carelessness approached untidiness.
When unwell or affected by some trouble she
grew ten years older in day. List says Of her;
Her Imagination was ardent, her feeiines
reached violence. her physical organization
was weak and sickly." Like most thin and
nervous women, however, she endowed
| with immense amount OF endurance.
| and ATTY years OF the most excitable, Irregular,
and fast Partisan life did not make her looka
| whit older than she was.
Her contributions TO the Figaro far from
being successful, and by means paying. Had
| It not been for the progress which she made in
painting and drawing she would probably have
| had great difficulty in getting along In Paris.
The number OF women artists being then very
| small, however, she succeeded In soon building
up a reputation not only rs painter OF minia-
| lures, but also OF portraits. II was from the
| proceeds Of this kind Of work that she derived
the means for her existence for more than two
years.
The 1rst literary work by which she attracted
| any attention at all was the novel OF Hose OF
Blanche" which she wrote In conjunction with
Jules Sandeau, for whom Delatouche Invented
the abbreviated nom de plume of Jules sand.
| The novel had considerable success, aud the
| young woman was encouraged to make another
| trial. She wrote then " Indiana" all by herself,
and the Figure, anxious To preserve the prestige
Of the successful nom de plume, induced her 10
sign IL With the name OF George Sand.
These two names of Jules and George sand,
were for a considerable time taken as being
those OF two Brothers. The mistake was all the
more natural as George Sand had taken again 10
wearing mems clothes she used to do in her
| childhood.
Although Jules sandeau was seven years Young
er than she, an intimacy had established itself be-
| tween them, and seems TO have lasted until the
| beginning Of 1884. by that time she pu blished
| two more novels, valentine" and Leila"
which not only established her reputation as
novel writer, but vastly improved her material
resources, and gave her standing in the beat
literary circl 4 OF the day.
1t was here that she met Alfred de Musset,
and formed the well-known connection which
gave cause to so much scandal, aud led ~ the
publication Of " Ellie ct Lui." IL was peculiarly
Of George Sand to build upon her persona rea-
lions the Incidents of her numerous novels In
cultiyating this habit, she went so far that the
Partisan public became quite accustomed 10
look out for facts Of the writer's private life in
the works which she produced.
The beginning Of her relations with Alfred do
Musset seem to have been OF very poetical
nature. They went together on journey to
Italy, and Les Lettres dun Voyageuf," An
dre,' Leone Leoni," and jacques were the
results Of these travels and this intimacy. George
SANDS violent and passionate temperament did
not well harmonic, however, with, the al
ready surfeited nature OF the poet who had
spent his youth in the widest orgies OF those
days. The rupture was violent one, and many
Of the friends Of Alfred de Musset have unJustly
accused George sand of having been the Cause VI
his death.
The next man who was 10 exercise his lnnu-
ence over the development Of her talent aud TO
play prominent part in her life. was the we'll
known lawyer, Michel (de Bourgesl Their &C.
quaintance was an old one Michel having his
nome, like herself in the Berri. But their nt-
macy began only after her connection win Mus
set had been broken. 1t was generally believed
that she took Michel out of spite. Neyert" eless,
he exercised an immense influence on the de-
velopment Of her mind. He was stance He
publican, brought her into the circle Of bis co.
rellgionists, and caused her to accept most u
the radical ideas which found expression in