The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-28

Now Light upon George Sand.
Few persons arc now disposed to dispute
sainte- Beuve's canon OF criticism that in order
to rightly and fully interpret a book you must
be thoroughly conversant with the authors life.
1t must be owned however, that. accepting this
theory OF exposition. we often find criticism
thwarted by dearth OF tho requisite informa-
ton. They who would apply. for instance,
Sainte- Beuve's canon to the writings Of George
Eliot are confronted by an almost complete
lack OF minute and significant biographical
details. Touching the private life OF the
other great woman OF letters OF Our
time we have heard a great deal. but 1t
is doubtful how much OF what passes
for knowledge on the subject is trust
worthy. George Sands attitude toward the
world was at one time rebeious and defiant.
and it naturally called forth indignant and re-
sen.fu structures alike from the honest cham
pions Of good morals and the hypocritlcal ad-
vocates of conventional propriety. She had
many rivals. some malignant enemies. and
some uncompromising partisans in the liter
AIRY profession. and all have undertaken to de-
cipher her novels by her character and per-
sonal experience. One remarkable incident Of
her life. her relation to Alfred de Musset. had
given rise to so much unpleasant comment
that she herself consented TO give the public
version OF it in Ellie ct Lui and the converse
OF the picture was subsequently presented
by q brother of the poet. Paul do Mus
set. in "Lui ct Ellie" Finally. more
exhaustive record OF her literary career
and private life was prepared by the author and
given to the world in four volumes under the
title Of Historic de ma yie." But except in
the case Of Rousseaus Confessions" autobi-
ographies-and especially autobiographies
composed by literary artists-do not commend
themselves on the score OF authenticity and
completeness. They exhibit a picture which
the author has manifestly wished we should
accept as portrait but upon inquiry the like
ness proves to be so highly fattered and ideal
lied that plain people who knew the original In
the flesh would wholly fail to recognize it
Even about George Sand. therefore, much re-
manned to be learned by students OF her writ
ings. who disiked to accept implicitly the
charges Of her enemies or the interested testi-
mony submitted in the Historic de ma Vie"
Such sources Of information are now supple
mented by q collection OF letters. apparently
quite comprehensive. and of which first
volume has been published under the title Of
Correspondence de George Sand Paris. Calman
Levy. We find 1t difficult to understand the
principle OF selection which has governed
the compiler of these letters. for there are pas
sages here printed which q friend would
have excised. and there are omissions
which II seems incredible should have
been occasioned by an absence OF ma
terial. But whatever exception may be
taken to this volume on the score OF cynical be-
trayal or dsingenuous suppression. 1t does
unquestionably throw much light upon per-
son whose professional success and unconven-
tional behavior made her an object OF keen
scrutiny. but whose character remained a
- .l,.
These letters bear on their face the marks Of
genuinencss. spontaneity. and supposed i'm
munity from the public gaze. OF some 1t is
plain from illusions made by tho writer
herself that she supposed them to
have been burned. and there are many
others which she would certainly have spared
no effort to destroy had she dreamed that they
ever would he published But although the
test 10 which her character and conduct are
thus subjected is a very hard one we do not
think that he will suffer greatly in popular
esteem by It's application. The current i'm
preston of George Sand is not one OF unmixed
admiration and approval. but those letters
while they do not justify. tend to explain her
shortcomings, help us 10 understand the pres
sure exertedby her temperament and the unfor
tunate circumstances of her married life and
show us that the unfaithful wife was devoted
/ mother and n generous. steadfast friend.
The letters published in this volume begin in
1912 when Mile. Aurore Dupin was years old
and they stop with June. 1886. when Nine. Du-
devant had won her suit for limited separa-
ton from her husband. As is well known. she
had been practically separated for more than
five years before the legal sanction OF the fact
having left her home at Nohant to enter upon a
life Of literary work and questionable relations
with the other sex at Paris in the beginning Of
the year 1891. 1t seems to us that the letters
written to her mother or to old family friends
during the years of married life in the country
before her departure for Paris are of more
than common interest from a physiology
cal point Of view. They supply, appar-
entity, the key both to her indefatigable
literary activity in later years and to her in
corrigibe propensity to infringe the moral and
social code The testimony Of the letters
written between 1925 and 1881. which, as we
have said, is perfectly unconscious, and there
fore trustworthy indicates that Nine. Dude
want was the victim OF disorder one Of whose
symptoms is an indispensable longing. and
whose pal ative Is the fatigue that comes Of pro-
longed intellectual or physical eNertion. Dur
ing those years OF her married life which wero
spent in the dull narrow groove OF rural exist
ence iher husband was small gentleman
farnor) she is bcset with incessant sleepless-
ness. intense nervous irritabilty, an uncon-
trolabe desire for motion and action and
vague haunting desire OF pleasures and
occupations she has not learned TO name. We
see her pacing her room night after night.
traversng the country lanes on horseback at
breakneck speed. and remaining in the saddle
| for many hours together. taking long walks on
| foot which would have daunted the most sea-
soned pedestrian. IN short. seeking in all ways
to satisfy u fcverlsh craving for activity. The