New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-22
GEORGE SAND.
rrrrR FROM HENRY JAMES, JR.


WORKS.
r,pov A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIP TRIBuNE'l
p,p,s June 2s-The newspapers, for the last fort
=, have contained a certain number of anecdotes
.hort Madame sand but they have been generally
NJ rather trivial sort, and have not gathered any
that are worth repeating Private HE IN France
- ,+,,,ts than among ourselves-is still &C
ha,-lodced 70 have some rights which the reporter
"a ,,o interviewer are bound 10 respect. French
mon often makes surprising condolences to the
rrlIc about himself. but as a rule he IS not adj
dictsd to telling tales about his neigh1Or Madame
Sa,,5 in the memoirs which she published 20 years
ago lifted the vail from her personality with toll
sTahlv unsbriuking hand though to the admirers OF
what is called scandal she gave very little salts
faction; and yet for the last 30 years Of her life
she was one of the most shade-loving and retiring
NJ celebrities Her lfe indeed. almost entirely
IN her books and II is there that one must look
for II She was essentially a scrbblcT; she
wrote INCREASINGLY from the publication OF her hTst
novel 70 the day Of her DEATH and she had always
been fond above all things of quiet lie, even
during thst portion of her career IN which our
Anelo-Caxon notions Of "quietness' are supposed
70 have been most effectively violated. She was
very intimate at one time with Alfred de Musset,
and have heard that TINS charming poet. 10y night
of his membership Of tie genus irritable sometimes
found IL more than his nerves could endrre to see
tho sufbor Of "ConsueloD sit down 70 her perpetual
manuscript at the most critical hours of their some
what troubled friendship But Madame Sand wrote
for her bread and her remarkable power OF uasina-
tive abstraction must help explain the very large
amount of work that she achieved. She was also
very intimate with Prosper Merimee, and have
been told that very early one cold Winter morning
be perce we'd her. with handkerchief on her head
lighting the fire to resume her literary tasks lie
also il appears had nerves; the spectacle disturbed
tbem-he himself was not thinking OF getting
about his labors yet awhiie-and from that mo-
nIent tie intimacy ceased. Madame sand mad spent
a large portion o. her life at Nohant IN the Berry
:, the rlain old country-house which she described
50 charmingly in LHistoire de ma Nie," and Ter
which and Tor is q believe) rather meager setting
Of natural beauty she appears TO have had
singularlv intense affection As she advanced III
IF. Noh3nt became more aud more her home, ana
her visit, 10 Paris were brief Her house was very
bospitablo and under her own roof sne was never
,yitI,out socfetv. She Lad worked very hard, and
stcbaI made no fortune: she still earned her in
co.1e-au income which az the bottom. as they say,
Of an oh French province is still Considered easy
but which in america. IN England. would not be
thought in far proportion to tie writer's industry
and enHneuce. Madame Sand made, l believe
betve-u six and seven thousand dollars year. She
Poodle who knew her well have told nae that she
looked q great deal on the ground, and seemed pre-
occupiad that one felt shat off from her by sort
Of vail or fin. Occasionally els vail was
lifted she found her voice. and talked To very good
plrposc This Characterization corresponds with
phrase which one Of her heroes, In l forget what
novel; applies to one OF her hcroln's- the heroine
being idcahz"d portrait Of Madame NahH A,i'e'i,
II, calls her a spttar bon eR'oHt-"a g"ou-ha'dTt"
sphinx" II spite OF her advanced aga-SAe was -
Madame Sand, vgor had not failed al the tiIhe OF
the Sudden illness which ended IN her death. heI
activity was -rcat ard her faculties unimpaired.
saw letter the other day, written few weeks be-
fo.a she died, in which she declared that her eye
sgal was better than when she was 20, and that she
weat up stars "a fast as her dog. She was carried
OF by an acute attack Of mai1dy which she hI' "a
first neglected. Her last audible words on her death
bel were characteristic of who had loved nature
p3s,ioaatelv aad described it almost mcomparabiy
49," La. Sc. rs.Isre-' The allusiOn was apparently
10 some Wild heritage in the corner OF the village
churgayard in which She expressed wish to rest.
In spite Of her complete rupture early IN me
with C8tholiClsn-in spite OF SPTl"i"h' m''u-
emoiseile La Quintue," and numberiesS other tA-
prcssions Of religious indepcndence-Na'l'' Hahu
was buried from the little church OF Noh"hN ana
the cure performed the service hei fanny A"u VI.
good taste to ask permission Oh TIE bi'-'P u
BoUrges and the Bishop had tie good taste Z" answer
that if size had not positively refused INC sacIa-
ments he saw no objection. "hat maze ], E''''
taste IN Madame SANDS i4liiy 40 |'S P."i ''s','
was the fact that sire was greatly '".''0" '' '''
country people that she Aad DteI he'1 IL sie"' -
teen by the pnor generation ihat ines people "e1
numerically her CHEZ mou'neIs' anu '4a' d. "'u'"
have peIple<od and gTicyed them not 70 see hsr
buried in the only fashion OF winch they rtc'2-