The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-08-13

houn gave the ripost years Of his life And III the
Constitution does not say 30 much in so many
words. but only an endless string of holly con-
| tested assertions, deductions and conclusions
leads to this result, then the sole effect OF the
| Impressive logical demonstration will be that
another huge monument OF human folly has
| been erected"
Unpublished Letters OF George Sand.
The second installment of the Correspond
dnce de George Sand paris Calmann Ldvyl COW
ers the period between July. 1896 and the close
OF the year 1S4S. or these letters. as OF those
published In the preceding volume the same
remark may be made viz. that the principle
OF selection Is undiscovemble. The reader will
encounter here many Phrases and some SEN
fences which Il friendly hand would have sup
pressed for they exhibit the author In an un-
seemly deshabille and reveal shocking COARSE
ness OF sentiment. On the other hand 1t seems
incredible that q compiler who desired to ex-
hioit Nine. Dudevant just as she was could
| have found among the materials at his COM
mand almost nothing bearing on the most in
teresting episodes of her private life. as for ex-
ample. her relations with Dc Musset nd Chopin.
The omissions In the present volume
are particularly exasperating, for we seem
continually on the eve of some frank dis
closure. and yet are necessarily disappointed.
Many OF these letters are written from
the island OF Majorca. whittier George Sand
and Chopin went for an idyllc sojourn,
but the reader not made acquainted
with the facts from other sources would
mistake the narrative for tho journal OF
an invalid and his nurse. It would seem thata
journey with George Sand was apt to be fatal
to her lovers. De Musset fell i'll In Italy and
Chopin was attacked so grievously by con-
sumption In Maorca that 1t was scarcely pos
sible to remove him from the island. 1t seems
that pulmonary troubles had never been known
among the natives. who accordingly regarded
Q consumptive person with superstitious hor-
ror supposing his disease TO be infectious a no.
ton. by the way. which some modern scientists
think not without foundation. The result was
that. after the nature Of Chopins malady was
known. 1t was impossible to obtain a servant,
nor would any OF the Majorcans approach the
house In which the patient lay. George Sand,
consequently. had to cook wash. sweep. and
do all the household work besides waiting on
the invalid; and this while the money on
which they lived had to be earned from day to
day by the production Of a certain amount Of
manuscript for the Rerue des De,r Aondes.
The publisher. N. Buloz made It a rule never
10 send remittanoes until he had the manu-
script In his hands. and George Sand though
at times she ehafes little under his frmness
does not deny that in the long run the rule
worked well for all parties.
The noble side OF George Sands character Ia
revealed to us whenever she speaks of her two
| children. The situation Of these children was.
OF course. very painful one. the parents being
separated. but II Is clear that Nine. Dudevant at
all events. had Loyalty refrained from any at
tempt to prejudice them in her own favor. 1t
would seem that others were less judicious for
in November. 1886. she writes to her husband
as follows: l assure You that a great fault |
| might even say a great crime. was committed in
telling this child tshe refers to her Naurcel
what he ought not to know. For my own
part can conscientiousy aver that I always
| tried TO make him divide his affections equally
between you and me- At prese t our personal
quarrels are no longer in question. What con-
Germs us Is matter of preaminent Importance
the health OF our child. In heavens name. do
not make him the object of n rivalry which
| would excite his sensibiiites. already too keen
| Just as encourage him in his fond nGss Tor you,
| do not You check him in his fondness for me.
| Come and see him here as often as you like. III
is asrg5MG gree t ior you To- meet me- nothing
have no SUCH repugnqnce. The condition in
which find Maurice silences every. other feel
morally and physically. Second me: you love
your son as, much as love him: spare him
| bear: We're to speak i'll OF you to him should
do him great deal of harm. Let tho precau-
These entreaties had no effect on N Dude
yant, who was so little disposed to initiate the
| loyal conduct OF his wife IN respect OF their
| children that rs we learn in n letter written
| in August. 1887. he chose the hour while George
| sand was watching by her mothers deathbed
| to attempt the abduction of her son. and a
| month later he actually succeeded in abduct-
ing the danshter, who: however. was restored
We hear in these letters u good deal about
| tobacco. for George Sand was II great smoker
| having adopted the habit. apparently. us we'll
| AS that OF coffee drinking. in order to enable
her the better TO work late at night At ono
| period covered by this volume she was in the
habit Of writing regularly until O'Clock in the
| morning She was. indeed. veritabo slave Of
| the pen. She received what was then consid-
cred a very high price for hcr copy
and. looking ut the purchasing power "
| money at the time we must pronounce
| her earnings very large but she had so many
cal s upon her. and was OF disposition so free
| and generous that she seems to have been
| always in arrears. always toiling to get ont of
debt. An extraordinary woman. certainly.
| this. whose essentially robust and Virie quail
ties are revealed to MS in her private CORE
tcrnal instinct. there seems to be nothing fcmi-
nine about her but she displays the most en-
gaging and admirable traits which men prize in
u comrade. Could she have had u mans eiu =
cation. she would have written like u man. by
which we do not mean to say that she would
have written better. Az 1t is. she says many
true hngs, but she reaches them by intuition
and therefore does not always convince haI
audience. There is not. rs she herself points
out single syllogism in all her works though
she was the most volumnous writer OF her time
with the single exception OF the elder Dumas.