New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-13
MADAME HENRI GREVILLE.
THE AUTHOR OF PRINCESS OGGEROFFp
MADAME GREyILLE Al HOME II .R EARLY
STRUGGLES.


readers are apt to attribute TO them. but no one
gain, more from closer acqualntancesLip than Henri
/ Gr(yiie.
In the first place she is not Henri ir6yiIlc at ALL
! but Madame Alice Duraud. and charming woman
and ~ good housewife as if she hal never written
Soma and Princess OgheIoA.' nor heard Of
/ Les koumassine and d" Dosia."
She reminds one OF George sand. to whom Size is
! often compared, mentally and physically She is
| little below medium height, rouud and plump
with characteristic determined head. Her feat
urcS are strongly marked, and She has fall brow
| fearless dark eyes, and large frank mouth with
warm, bright red lips. always ready for hearty
CHEEKY laugh. Her lie differs greatly, however.
from that of her predecessor and if did not fear
to infringe upon tie riyacy OF her domestic affairs.
should like to sreak of the true congcnality and
the devoted attachment that exist hetween her
and her husand man of great eruditiOn and of
some rcpute sayant. They two. and little
daughter some ten eleven years DID, compose tho
family circle Madame Gr6vllc lives at Montmartre,
which Is rapidly becoming of the pTettest
quarters of Pans filled as it IS with little blue and
whlte tiled cottages or turreted villas in pctur-
esque contrast to the monotonous regularity of The
hyestOry yellow stone house, of the boule ards Her
home Is cOsey twO-Story stone house set in the
middle of large garden. and hidden from the
street French fashion. by high. uncovered wall
Every nook and corner of it-and it is composed of
hooks and cornerS-is Sun,biny and bright and
hlled with pictures and bronzcs and plants and
from each of the green embowered windows one
has a view Of Paris, extending to the furthest blue
horizon.
Madame GrGyilles draw ng-room is one of the
prettest in Paris. Its polished waxed Hour is Gov
cred with magnificent rug of Siberian fur; the
walls are hung with aquarelles and autograph
sketches by the most prominent of modern paint
crs; the countless etagcres are filed with bu>ts
and statuettes and souvenirs Of travels and here
aud there and everywhere are screens. ttte a-tttes
and causeu>es covered It'll embroidery of her own
work-yery handsome work indeed Of which she is
not little proud. There appears to be nothing III
deed which Madame GrGvIllo cannot DO. 1 found
her one morning diligently making over satin
gown that her dressmaker had not arranged to suit
her. She told me that she frequently made her own
dresses and those Of her daughter. As for her Gull
nary talent she says herself in her delightful Eng
sh she is Il" first r-rate cook Her greatest pleas
ure, however. is gardening, and she is never so
happy when size is tuning the fresh smell
ing black earth of her garden. trunding It in a
whee barrow from one Hover plot to another
She was born in Paris in 81 -, and was educated
entirely by her father. noted savant who occupies
prominent position in the Phloog cal society OF st.
Petersburg. She received masculine educa ton
aud was thoroughly cOnyeISant with French, Eng
iish and Italian when she was still quito young.
She had an eager, inquring mind. Of the sto
rieS Of hor childhood proves. She does not remem-
Der she could not real and once when she
was not quite three years Old. one gave her
certain little grccE-covered book with short stories
IN it for children She read the first page aloud
following the words with her little fat finger:
The-cat-haS-a-rat.
Caroline. -has-a-bOOk ~
and then turning quickly around to her father. this
aged critic said: Papa. when pcou!c write books
why don't they write something with some sense to
itG
Her first literary venture is interesting 70 Amer
leans When she was eleven yeaIs Old her father !
translated from FnsIi-h into French book ON |
American politics and he was hurried she offered |
to assist him. He accepted her services rather to
amu>c her ara to keep her employed than for any |
other purpo-e; bat when the part he had gwen her
to translate was finished he found il so correct and |
50 we'll done that he sent il with his own MS to
the editors. who dill not notice tho difference. She
began writing very early and some Of Ter little |
poems were published when she was only twelve
and a half years old. hen she was fifteen or six
the family Jeff Paris for ST. Petersburg where
she topped writing TO occupy herself exclusive
with teaching. There SEE married. and II was only
after her marriage that she wrote what she calls
really hur first book, lcra,' published IN the Joy
Hqi 81, 81. P,trs.UrJ. Encouraged by its success
she began writing in guod earnest and Vera"
was soon followed by sonia" which va, then
called " LoIis GTchOv.' Througi. the Fields and |
" The Princess Oghcron'
After their appearance she returned to Paris
W TN her husband. and then the struggle for exist
loo. u.t
1871. They were very poor. for they had gwen mp
her husbands brilliant position i'm Russia to return
to their country. and there WAS very httlc demand
for novels, especially from "a woman, hand. She
net with every disbursement. Paris publishers
not only would not accept tie bpokS she sent them
'ut thcy would not even reprint the novels she had
published IN Russia. She went far as 10 offer me
If her book, for nothing but 1t was not even then
ccciycd; and rs though she must bear ali sorrows
It once. it was at th time. in lo7j that her first
Mld bright little daughter. died. They were
lark days, indeed. but she wrote on braycly: and
uddenly four days after the death If George sand
of her nov els were accepted at the same time, |
mo 10y the JoayRm dcS Dcbd's and one by the Rerae
les Dc0r Wopdcs. It was as though the mantle Of
he author of Con,uco" had fallen upon her
)ncc launched. she soor became widely known, and
loI popularity increased with such incredible rapid
" that shortly after, five Of Ler novels ap-
earng simultaneously in different reviews and :
magazines. Her works are too well known 10 need c
omment, tor they can Ice placed in every one, hand
nj reaU 10y every class Of rcadcrs.-a rare quality
n a modern French author.
She belongs to no school and her simple treat /
lent OF plot and clear, flowing style, whose
trensth evident IN the least phrase. arc entirely
er own. Her pictures OF Russian LIE are as clear (
$ Iurgcueh's and are simply and admirably
rawn. Madame Gr6ve Is above all true and her :
ovels all taken from real hfe from character
nd IN cdcntS that have como under her vbSerya- q
Om. " have never she sIyS, described III any
( my books single scene however simple il may g
c. nut that have seen il myself and noted in NV
ind all Of its peculrritcs" That is what gives ;
er pages their realistic charm. and makes them +
-. -. Ill |