New-York tribune., 1882-04-23
FRENCH LITERARY TOPICS.
THE LIVES AND WORKS OF ERCKMANN-
CHATRIAN.
IpRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBISEl
ID.

Mt the Theatre Francais of Erckmann-C Chatrlah 5
drama. "Les Ranzan.' This play is taken from
les Frcres" by the sane authors. Is IL, or Is 10
not. SUGGEST / should rather say IL mas nan
succeeded If the literary part OF the woih Is ho'
warmly appauded the actors ana actresses arc.
Nobody adrnires than l do the hoNels VI
Trckmonn-C Chatran. and particularly those which
were when they came out, hardly n"ticeu ny 'iio
nubc and because they fell Hat often sold as waste
nancr They have Virgilian sweetness and arc
nooms in prose. Erckmann furnished the rustic
narts. Chatrian did the characters and sketcheu
thc action. Both writers natives OF fhals-
hourr m old fortified town i'll the Vosges, when
uoU belongs to Germany. Erckinann, at tne
outset of his career n brieiiess advocate ho
had studied at Strasburg and been there called 10
the bar His physiognomy is German hc ls Il
man of calm not to say lazy, habits, hates 10 eipo"
mis- way in the world, loves TO take things easy
has an exquisite perception Of what Is beautllui Ill
nature uses his pen as a skilled landscape painter
does his brush and has n deep fund of quiet huInor
His father and mother wished him to be barrster
TO please them he studied law, which he hated'
When he was at Strasburg he sent To his Old SCHOOL
fellow. Chatran, accounts of rambles in the noun
tans of Alsace and in the Black Forest. They were
both Republicans, and had aspired TO become
editors of provincial journals and playwIghts at
Strasburg. Dut the press being gagged by LOUIS
Nauoleon. and the stage strictly censored they
were obliged to seek another channel for their In
tellectal energy. Chatnan is a Gallo-Semitc.
One Of his ancestors doubtless was a Jew, who mar
1ed Protestant giIl and brought up Lis family in
her creed He was struck with the great favor with
which George Sands rustic stories were received,
and thought that il he and Erchmann associated
to write novels abounding in scenes Of country life
they would succeed. Chatran is the man of action.
lie knew how to put into circulation the pure gold
of his old schoolcow and friend who was destined
to become his literary associate. Erckmann's
dreams through the collaboration of Charan were
to become OF highly quoted market value.
The former cssaycd his prentice hand for the first
time in writing brochure on Recruiting for the
Army" This was published when he was thinking
Of becoming the editor of a provincial newspaper.
1t came out in StTasburg in 1911. In the year OF
the revolution which overthrew Louis Philippe,
and III which George Sand. hOrriied at the street
slaughter in the Days of june had taken herself to
Bcni to seek fresh fields and pastures new,
drama IN five acts and two tabeaus was printed in
the little town of st. NichOas.dc-poIt in Lorraine.
1t was entitled Georges" and the authors names
were Emile Eickmann and Pierre Chatrian. As 1T
appeared in July and had for its epigraph saying
OF General Cavaignac, uttered when lac was at the
head of the Executive Committee it must have
been hastily written. Whatever stir it may have
created in its obscure birthplace, nothing was heard
of il in Paris The French capital had other fish to
fry ut that time. History in action in the
streets and at the Palais Bourbon, and the play
houses were idle. Even Rachel was impotent to
draw a crowd at the Francas. In 1880 Emile
Erckmann and Pierre Chatrian were troubled with
n patriotic presentlmcnt They saw that Louis
Napoleon was coming to the top of the wheel and
preparing to restore the Empire and they were at
Baden when preparations were being made TO re-
ceive HIM with Imperial state as he making
trip ththcr TO VISIT his cousin, the Grand Duchess
Stcphanie The associated authors felt that If the
Prince-President became Emperor military dcs-
potism would he founded. and that another invasion
would be the consequence SO, TO warn tho Asa
tians Of the dangerous situation which was beng
created Erckmann- Chatrian wrote another drama
and poid the manager of a Strasburg theatre to
bring it out in that town. 1t was named Alsace
in 1917 and signed Erckmann-C Chatran." which
might have been the name of one man only. The
baptismal names OF Emile and Pierre had been
dropped The intention Of the authors in bringing
peasants oppressed by Cos~acs Austrlans and pIus-
SLAMS upon the stage evident All the towns
people hockcd TO see the military spectacle
afforded in this dlaua, ana MAJ kcd and inwardly
In consequence, tho Prefect OF the Bas-
Rhine shut up the playhouse and ordered the
dranatists to be prosecuted. Ills zeal how
ever, went too far, and the DstIict-Attorney only
meI aced
Erckmann-C Chatrian then bought a small printing
establishment and published number OF fancful
tales and romances. "Science and Genius" was a
disguised attack on the young Empire. II came
out in 1872, and was followed by a number OF
books that are now out Of print. They were of the
sensational school, and works of pure Imagination.
Some of them were initiated from IlOilmann, and
Others from Anne Radcliffe. Schindcrhannes"
was plagiarizcd by an English writer and given by
him to London readers through the medium of an
English publishing house. Chatrian managed to
avoid losses. But the expenses Of publication
barely covered 1t occurred to the two friends
after they had read George Sands bucOlic novels,
which were in her second style, that perhaps they
were IN bad vein. Erckmann won pair of spec
tacles in n lottery lie took them as warning,
from Providence that he going astray, and that
instead of trusting to Imagination he should depend
on observation. Accordingly he and ChatTan
went to pas s a summer in the Nosgcs 10 pant from
life the Iustics there. They also made an excursion
into Germany. "Les Frcres" Lc Juif Polonas,i
LAM Fritz" and other village novels were the
fruits of their studies there.
Chatran. who obtained situation as clerk at
the Paris dep Of the Eastern Railway took with
him a letter of Introduction to Ictzcl an AlsarIan
publisher doing bu sness thcre, and submitted to
him the novels. Ec was delighted with them. and
agreed to publish them at his own risk, allowing
percentage of the net profits to the authors. THIS
was in SOC Io three years Ic found his venture
a losing one Erckmann in lSJS brought him
another work OF hcnon. llctzel showed him his
books and with tears in his eyes said that be could
not afford to send II TO press. It's enough TO make
a fellow commit suicide" quoth the author
tell You what 1t is" replied the bookseller. your
suicide would bo the making of my fortune. But
dare not advise You TO leap into the Seine for
know your ways and sure that il YOU took a
plunge into the river You would do It in earnest"
1t was only when the Empire became very unpopu-