New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-23
IVAN TURGUENEFF.
HIS LIFE, WORKS, BELIEFS AND CHAR
ACTER.
rgoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
-- " D.D, Cantap,I,nr

much greater man than poor Henri Vivian
TurrueneF the Russian novelist-died last week at
the country house of Madame Paulue Viardot near
ST. Cloud As Russia is proud of him and the Gar
and Czarira admired the man and bis novels his
funeral when his remains arrive at ST. Petersburg
will be public l saw famous writer VINO
bore his renown more simply than the deceased
novelist. He was natural as child, belonged 10
his ideas without beng wrapped up in them. and
was gifted with tho most delicate powers OF obser-
walton and insight into character and into the
laws on which societies pivot, and had sagacity aud
strong Judgment His rcceptivity was not dis
turbed by small passions and restless egotlsin. LII
was not easy to ".ut him out" But his anger,
which was sure TO be just, was not readily
auenched. 1t did not, however, take an actively
ressntful form. and it never seemed to degenerate
into rage. There majesty II Turguenet; but
there was less of the Olympan Jove in his appear
ance than of tho giants who sprang up under
Michael Angeles chseL.
Scholarship did lot weaken Turguenefs original
ity. nor science blunt his sensibilities He was a
liDgulst and mathematician, and went deep INTO
German philosophy without losing tender rever-
ence for the instructive relgion-thus he called tne
Russian form of Greek orthOdoxy-of his native
land TurgusneH had the stature of giant lie
lowered over tall men. The head resembled that OF
Father tiber" which carved by the chisel OF
Michael. Angelo. Hair and beard were
snow white and flowed in unison like
river-gods Both were wavy. Madame
Adam moved from the fifth floor OF tne
house in which she resides on the Boulevard Pois-
sonniere. because she afraid. each time her
friend Turpueneff rose from chair, that his head
would 60 through the ceiling.
LITERARY STYLE AND IDEAS.
1urgueneff was the youngest OF three brothers.
They were all remarkable, but IN different ways
and The sons of q man of great parts. Inc edese
was old enough TO be lvan's father lie wouid DO
cenienariau were he now living. Ii Russia hao
been ripe for Cavour he could have brought ner
from autocracy to limited monarchy aud par
liamentary government He knew the motner
of the actual Emperor of Germany, the
Empress Josephine Sir Walter Scott, whom he
visited at Abbotsford. and Maria Edgeworth' IN
whose company he sometimes took tea at Lock
harris IL NAV astonish many to hear that ne
placed her at the head of the Bovelwrlting school
Her method, his opinion. was the best fIr tine
branch of literature which she cuitlVated. Az was
TO observe we'll aud 10 select from the materials sue
had at hand what was most inter sstng. and write
about it in clear. natural style. AS
his estimate of her manner and metnou
had as will be shown. strong reflex ehec'
q, ,bo writings of Ivan Turguenef, ID IS interest
know III.
was delighted with her " Irish Tales and Sketches"
70 which Scott had called his attention, and years
after he held them up rs models of STYLE TO Ivan,
who became. without exactly intending II, iol-
lower of Maria Edgeworth.
TnrgueneT had a faculty for landscape painting
which gave infinite charm to his novels In sketch
ing Russian scenery he had no equal Inc touch
was light and crisp. and in few STROKES oil INC poh
he gave all the essential features of the view that
he wanted 10 describe. His Russian types appe ar
10 1--we There was no inqusitiyeness In Inrgueheh
bo,est hlue eve But somehow he got into the heart
of heart, of the person whose moral portrait he
wanted TO depict. Though imam OF pure lie anu
single mind he viewed all the moral oohqn'ues
of his time Never writing an immodest iine' nc was
broadly tolerant of those novests who fancy they
have a special call for dealing with unclean SUD-
iects. II he was all pity and tenderness for the
| moor no had small sympathy for commonplace
| horrgeois And vet be was the incarnation OF
comon sense and had no sort OF taste for working"
| class Utopias Whenever q novelist OF talent was
| criticised in his presence. he defended MN
| on the ground that he lived by MS
works and unless he had independent
| rooans wrote To live The author. who was trusting
20 what the book market Brought him, had to please
| the crowd, the taste Of which IL never delicate
What was delightful to them was offensive TO people
of refined taste aud good judgment III the hoVe"s'
| had every one with him 1t was because he STRUCK
many different chords. The one that caused some
90 ihrate did not affect other readers. Shakespeare
had national popularity because there were things
in most of his plays to 60 home to great variety OF
| ,ni,ds He dealt in bombast for the vulgar. broad
| farce for the ignorant, who enjoy loud laugh
transeendental philosophy for the thinkers Drlllan
airtation for men and women OF the void, true
lave for vouths and maidens and in pathos for all
Rnt bfains organized like Shakespeares were a.
rare "a suns in the stellar system" The Word'
ouoted were said 20 me Ivy the Russian noVelS'' III
greatly regretted not having learned Enghst
instead of German, as TO read in the ORIGINAL ant
feel beauties that depended on the peculiar turns o
m,s,c Of the phraseology. Shakespeare Dryden
Scott. Maria EGgeworth, and Wordsworth. In I'M
English tongue he was not utterly ignorant Du
he was not at home in 1t. l see In the EhgiiS'
papers that he was. L often heaIu "''
lament that the contrary was the case
Tnrouen,r enjoyed literary society. and know and
liked most of the novelists of tho realistic
school. His private opinion was that lola was
halter observer than Daudet who looked to'
close at things to get their relative values" How
ev.r D,udet had moro charm than any other con
t.,nnoraneous writer Flaubert stood as high II
Turguenefrs estimation Miss Edgeworth ava IL
his brothers Turgueneff was essentially gentle
man as the English understood the word. one WA
sure that he was upright and down-straight' an'
from long practice of the laws Of honor ana o
great and small virtues. would abide IN them 10 I'd
last.
INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER.
MANY y ears ago he endured short term oi Ill
prsonment for political reasons, ana 'ne" Vi iUi
residence in n little country town, where all WI"
soc,ollv dead around hun, The Czarewich atter
ward Alexander H. got his punishment commute
to exile abroad, and when he became Emperor NJ
fully parioned him. But as Turgueneii had Decom
attached to the ylardots,who were settled In far,s
and had no longer close family ties IN Russia,
spent the rest of his life here The few VISITS Una
no naid 20 Russa were ovations. The student Gas