The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-02


in the Natalis Of Mile. Guignon" and in tho
Fortune d'Angcle."
That sympathotc quality. whose absence Ia
conspicuous in the works Of Droz, is one OF
Thourict's gifts. Nothing could be moro touch
ing in gentle penetrating way than the stories
last named indeed. thns been well said that tho
hearts Of his modest hcrOincs under the prcs-
sure OF love ami sorrow paiptatc like bird i'm
prisonod in the hand. 1t cannot be denied that
his books lack the intense color, and the energy
to which we are accustomed in the great French
novclists, yet his persons are drawn with nota-
bic easc and lightncss. Now and then. too. we
have a single scene which seems 10 prove the
posse ssion Of greater vigor than We ascribe to
him. and II is not impossible that andre Thou-
riot may follow the example Of Octave Fcuillct.
who. tired Of bong praised for elegance and
adroitness. made NJ his mind one day to dem
onstratc the existence Of more virlc qualities.
Alphonsc Daudct is another striking instance
Of talent slowly disciplined and crowned by u
tardy success. 1t is almost niteen years since
lac undertook tho vocation OF novelist. and no
ono certainly, contemplating the short sketches
and bits of description which long employed
him. would have credited him with the powers
Of concentration requisite for a largo compost
ton. Even his first oxtcnded work, lie Petit
~
strung together by the slightest thread Of MS
sociation. All these ventures and simple re-
citas. however turned out to be merely the
rough draughts that a painter makes OF each
Of the figures which he will presently group
upon the canvas. IL is beyond question that
Daudot's skill Is the fruit If assiduous. pro-
troeted. and hard work. and it is therefore as
toni-hing that the impression derived from
reading "Fromont Jcuno ct Rislcr Ain6
Is ono Of spontaneity. Indeed. tho au-
thors assimilation OF tho clements fur
nishcd 10y severe study Is Justly regarded
a. an almost unique literary phenomenon.
Not that the assimilation is absolute Some per-
sons affect to trace in his style the influence Of
Victor Hugo or lay n finger here and there on
one Of Michaeis phrases. It is much moro
easy to recognize in the tone Of his sentiment
and the nature Of HIS situations familiarity
with the English humorists. especially with
Stornc and Dickens. But his obligations Of this
sort are slight and vague compared with his
q ut ~ Gustavo Flaubcrt-an Indebtedness
80 obvious and 80 much remarked upon
that VI. Daudct was constrained to dedicate his
second successful work. Jack" to the author
Of D." Madame Bovary." Inferior as is " Fromcnt
Jeunc.' the novel which the American trans
lator has chosen TO call Sidonic." in respect OF
the brutal. acrid truthfulncss with which NJ
IltuDcIt IlITuSeu VICE, Ullu Oncc LOT III Ill-
loricd the adultoress. 1t has dramatic merits
which are wanting in the more famous work.
II is worth noting, too. that as Daudct has fol-
lowed Flaubcrt in projecting the gangrene Of
bascness and meanness which is the memorable
ougrowih of Illicit passions. so he follows
Theuriet in rcyiling Bohemia. that pleasant.
lawless land which Honri Murgor glorifed, and
which has kept its prestige so long in literature.
NJ. Daulet, however can WELD other nstru-
ments besides the scourcc. He has shown him.
self capable Of tenderness in which the crca-
tor % Madame Boyary was strangely deficient.
He Is not likely. therefore TO be cursed with the
s,erh.y which is apt to stay the hand Of those
who are mighty only in contempt. On the
whole there Is perhaps no writer now living in
France before whom wider future is thought
to open. Yet it is equally true that neither he.
nor any other Of his compatriots. is Of the stun
| whereof Fielding or a Bai1ac is made There
is not one who may claim 10 be the painter Of
! human nature. or even tho painter Of the
| French nation. who can project within the
| frame OF few individual lives an image Of q
whole social world. Tho race Of writer's who kept
| in wow and went near to cmbody that ideal
| has ceased TO exist in France. We must con-
| tent our, Ives with the initiative, anecdotieal
| transcript Of this or that little cotere. and we
may account ourselves fortunate to encounter
| artists go painsiaking and effective "a Daudet.
| Thyuret ana Droz. NJ W. II.