The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-21

| surprising anomaly which our countrvmen ere
perhaps less likely to appreciate than are the
readers OF the Rscue des De,r Mon,les. to find
portrayed in an American narrative that So
questercd Legitimist world which ever,
rfcnchnnH in his heart esteefns the finest md
grnndest. and Of which his native noyelists are
pronounced ludicrously ignorant
This book. however. is something more than
tour de force. soineth TX moro than vivid
| rcrroduction " the most artificial polished
aud ia-tiaions ~ human societies. II there is
anything N the law Of coutrnsts-nn is thrlc
not everything In it-vhat medium 40 apt IL
this, OF such peculiar and consuinmatc fitness
To project the central figure OF tho novel. to cn-
/ phHsiz, the frank defiance Of formula and con
. vcnion. the unrOuth, resolu,e. self-as-crtion.
the rugged Individuality OF tho typical Amcri-
'auY We shall ugrse. no doubt that tho hero OF
the story is ia sOoth the typical American for
although some persons may not account hin
the highest type. yet, ifthey will turn their cvcs
away from few scaboard cities and take I. cum
did view of the whole country they will recog-
ME in him ne type. Happily too for the drn
matte intensity Of this narrative n il precisely
/ the person whom well-bred Europeans not hav.
B ing confined their observation Of our travelling
| fellow citizens to the members OF New York
clubs persist in thinking the typical American
and whom In that capacity they cordially dptest.
/ The truth Is that the author is 80 determined to
sink his hero down to the normal undiscrimi-
mated level OF our population that he has posi-
lively nlado him an ex-Brigadicr- General Of
volunteers.
! TO Introduce this homogeneous parsonage in-
TO the core OF the exclusive Faubourg to deal
with MIN in such sort that he must needs pro-
woke the ineffahle disdain and the instructive.
! unconquerable aversion OF it's conventional re-
I Hupfutut. and vet elicit IA svu1nntDaffo H.
| ton from its deeper insight. and loyal esteem
from ito substantial worth: this. the authors
! pivotal conception. was bold and strong but the
embodiment wus plainly Dcset with uncommon
difficulties. 1t would bo relatively easy to por-
tray A. this writer has elsewhere done n por-
fetly-bred American whose appearance in a
Lcgitmlst salon could 10y no possibility occa.
sion offence. although Il night surprise and on
the other hand Il is quite possible as Mr.. Br.i.
Hartr has demonstra,ol. 20 comment the
coarsest outlaw OF our frontier to the liking oi
his countrymen. Blu, by what continual. vet
cautious. shifting of standards and measure
ments. 10y what subtle interchange Of atmos.
phsres. by what def promp,ings and shrcwd
slcnccs shall a reader be made to comprehend
how one and the same man could Justify the
love Of daughter Of tho crusaders and tho in.
vcterate r"pugnance or rather - to speak, the
u-thetic loathing. ~ her kindrcl2 In word
To formulate the dilemma from a European
point II view. the problem was TO make hero
/ or u cad.
That Mr.. James should have found the solu.
ton. that hs should have brought upon the stag.
a man OF manifest charm and honor and an in
iuhltaho cad Ia the same person, mud tha
neither OF the Two should nave killed tho other
constitutes an achievement of no mean order
And the merit OF the artist is enhanced for Us
whom t.lar p
seemingly inconsruous elements is coutriyet.
hot in IA farce or comedy. hut in a piece which il
essentially n melodraina over which from the
outset of the ation hrucds Il fatal cortniniy ot
disappointment. Obviously. the more arduou,
part III -nch u task was Ia indie at, Alnd yet hod
III ia" shadow the superficial traits which ron
d"rrl tne American stranger obnoxious Ia Ger
tiin members Of the house o. Bce.:arde W.
"annpt stay 10 mark the adroi' tou Ines by which
the purpose j. carried out |, j. seldom effected
hy plain statement or boy hints too trcnrhanth
pictcrinl: but We are allowed To- guess by nrch
lnnu"ndpr- and elimpses between tho lines that
tho hero has most of tAe tricks perver-ities.
and rawnes-cs OF mnnner when would partic-
ularly chafc highly refined community We
can perceive that his favorite posture is to sit
with his neither limbs ouistrct'hed at full
length. or with his feet propped against rail.
Ing AMI his chair tpps d ba * on It's hind legs.
That he Is in the habit OF show ring tips on the
lackeys OF noble mansion. nj which he has
leave n "nll That ho il quite as ready 10 laugh
az people a. sniiie IN them, ami breaks into a
loud Gnllaw in preaeucc 81 the most august per
sunag's, n, for instance. that erand'st dane Of
France, the Duchess, DOutreytiio: tlut n. is
hopclcssly obiuse 10 thos' aesthetic delght-anl
Determinations which grow out Of familiarity
with arr and. i'm Ally. that his nerves. although
F..Ntp ban
means proof against complaconcy. which. the
unsleakaole disgust Of his entertainers on III.
OCCASION Of aJe'e given in his honor oo1es from
hifn L, evcry pore. In short. Mr.. Newman
VI san Francisco is man who. il ne used
tohn"o IA any FORM would indi-putnbly chow:
aui 'or tAat roAsun his creator viii not suffer
lam TO smoke We mny add that this Crn~ns Of
IN" '-i soc ~ To- avcw with brutal .,ndpr his
conviction that wealth is an ali-snfflciont bliss
porto society. On the cth.r hand. nasmueh
IL h" never name. his grandparents 10 any OF
hl7 ineacgu Iintilnces. the latter ara. lcrhap-.
justified in ini'rr.ne that he ncvcr had my
Thcsv are tine Impressions which the MARQUIS
de Belogarde conc'Nes OF the Western savage,
AMI which In, Representative reader might lee
exposed to share If he had leisurn 10 ponder
hints and make deductions--a proceed ~ from
which the author Is careful 10 divert him Sur
face rrudi'i'sand asperitics nre not nllowod for
u moment 10 obscure the essential virilty,
sweetness, and nobility OF the Aiu.ri,au'sn
nature, lest wa might hi to understand the
gui appreciation, blossomins ut last into loy,l
passonnto regard. witch he wins from Madam.
de Cmtr'. WHO Is certainly most dainty and
ETHEREAL creation. We ARE constantly made To-
see that this mpcrie fly cultivated stranger iaa
good irlio" and strong man. hecAuse u thu
good people in the book are instinct vely drawn
toward him. whereas all the weak and vicious
lh7linctNely aNoid him. Neither Is this uncon-
v"n'iOnal person at all wanting in deAraoy |
amid circumstances where cNgericnc, has |
taught him that anoiher's feelings may be
wounded. or whore the firyor OF affection il. |
lumlnes his intellect and informs his t,cl We |
should Ike TO quote the Characteristic words in |
when this plain. honest man asks the daughter |
Vi an ancient house to MARI him. Bat we |
could not give them all. and they would he
spoiled 10y nutation. since Mr. Newman was
not tho sort of person to discourse in epigrnms.
We prefer TO cite as indicative Of tho hero's
rhHrncirr md attitude toward the lady Of his