The Portland daily press., 1883-09-28
Turgeneff.
Appearance and Traits of Character-A
Big Child-His Paris Friends Hand
writing and Conversation.
BY ONE WHO KNEW HIM.

niLi W give COutr6ub ulTecIIOuS dpVue Ils
funeral. The Viardet family, with whom
for years he lived on a brotherly footing
have acted on the wish he expressed before
he was laid low with sickness. His body
after death was laid out in the simply fur
nished room that he occupied at Bougival.
The villa in which he spent with his friends
the summer months, takes its name from
a grove of old ash trees which ornament the
little park. Turgeneff hated luxury. The
more he advanced in life the more he priced
simplicity in all things. His bedroom at
Fresnes had an almost austere aspect. The
bed and toilet stand were in iron, and the
desk, drawers, and a large bookcase in ma
hogany of plain design. Some photographs
and engraved likenesses of literary and
oLher friends broke the monotony of the
wall. Portrait cartes, many of which had
autographs of those whom they represented,
were stuck into the frame of the chimney
glass. There were few of Nine. Adam,
on whose acquaintance he set great store be-
cause she had finely poised faculties, health,
strength, high spirits, and was SO absolute
ly free from mean vices that she could be
tJ,o.,,,r,l,, f.,,I- :, onda "a a.;a. ,n;.,
Ai''iA :" "'i0' anu "''ion' i'N-
out shocking anybody.
Iurgenel remains were iaia OUT on tne
iron Deu III WHICH ne uleu: Annougn many
tapers were lighted on each side of his couch,
the room was not darkened. Its windows
command superb view of the valley of the
Seine, near Marty. There was singular
majesty in the head of the deceased novelist
no trace as II lay IN the quietness OF death
on low pillow was visible OF the nervous
terrors with winch he had been assalled, or
OF Inc physical pain that had racked him for
many months. IL was always his wish tAat
m ms Dones snouid rest ID the famiiy vault at
OF. PETERSBURG; his corpse, wnlch mas been
ehoaimed, VIII pe sent there. AS RUSSIA is
prouu Oh MS genius, ana as the Gar ana
01afina ADMIRED potn the man ana MS
WORKS. MS iunerai uoupliess VIII DC national.
INFLUENCE OF MISS EDGEwoRTH.
Turgeneff was the youngest of three very
distinguished brothers. Were the eldest Of
the trio now living he would be almost a
centenarian. He remembered Bonaparte,
Bernardin, st. Pierre, Talleyrand, Sir Wal
ter Scott-of whom he was for some
weeks guest at Abbotsford-Mis Edge
worth when she was in the zenith of
her fame; visited Madame de Stael at Cop
pet, and fell in with Byron as he was max
lug a tour on the Rhine. The eldest Turge-
neff was many-sided man, though not
professional author. He had great literary
qualities. His political insight and sagacity
were no less Remarkable, and he had a wild
er experience of human nature than perhaps
any other European of his time. Though
he belonged to a family which stood well
with the court and high in the administra-
tion, he enjoyed close intercourse with his
"unmasked countrymen." He thus desig-
mated the serfs who had learned to be pa
tient and resigned, but were unable to dis
simulate. Nevertheless he was accomplished
in every polite art, and might, if he had cho-
sen, have risen to the highest diplomatic po-
sillon. his educatlon was French on Rus
ea,Iv schoolmasters CIV Wnan ueaoo ha I've were LIS
made wild. incnrsions into Enn,;sb l;,a,,r ~ no
and came 10 the conc,ns;on ,bst Mar;o ,o. e.
worth had strncly ~, 81. -, 70
tbe oraat novalists of ~ i1oss "a
sivaiv yvorlr Sba taal. tsS u19 "v9iu cAeiu-
fonnd !, and saieot@S soIH f Sno "uIiu as snG
that She tbonsht eoo o,I ,iom ~ .ne ma'er,ai
write about in . c,oar mrau ua tsi ,u.eIes.ins ~
was Ivan Tnroenafs l'irusois '.hn 2, t5iS -
Ghis. and he modastlv said tha+ VIZ ~ suu LII uo a
unconscious dscina 81 a1 M;sa sna rds,, he was an
satt;r, n,t ~ ~; pie u Mise EuSo"uIsn IN
rf fIa Il a+r.x - -
as a vo1tb ba ,,so, - - hAnoM,ns A LnglIsn. Du'
Ia 70 ~ vistors a+ I,s ~ noai nis plosner trans
ITrslisn bils mo Ioum0y nouse ~ .ns
Sketches which he tbonah+ s's;en eo =. Iuu hn,.
IN ree volnma novels TTrrso,, aef 80 "a - - -
me. SIT is nossihla nov erohahia o .Iat I"p !; ;e
Maria Edoewortb bad nj .,r;.to, AZ
moor irish ~ tba oonntu T ,,,sa S .lo .ho
snnires and sonireons y - S,'ia aut sno
occnrraJ N ~ =. "ou.u ". iaso
imnress;ons aho,t 3ho Silai aUln' W ny
in Rnssia Nv hrothor ,,soJ "
The beant;es ~ bar ~ oris oto =.
call attention IN +ba;r avtreroo s;,,,sI;;o;t,,
and to he d;stinetion with ub;nS sho 49,;
cd the s;,,,nla nnos nf tha aart,, =, ols 'AoaV
'iiApio ono' VI 'ne eaith'
V1ARDoT AND GARCIA.
Turgeneff's stature was far above the ay-
erage. He was admirably proportioned, and
when young could walk as far in day as a
tough horse would amble, and that without
any oppressive sense of fatigue. The big
bones supported tremendous muscles. which
at no time of his life were clogged with adj
pose tissue. When knew him his thick
long hair and flowing beard were white as
snow, but as the complexion was fresh. the
eve bright, the carriage unrisht. the voice
resonant, never thought of him as an old
man. This giant wrote a neat and almost
delicate hand. have before me a hook of
his with an autograph inscription which he
sent me last winter. The writing is firm.
and betravs none of the weakness Of cardi-
ac malady which became comnlicated with
disease Of the nervous centres The anto-
graph. though almost ladylike in it's delicacv
is very free and unconventional. Turoeneff
felt what was beautiful in minute and lowlv
things. He was one of those who are happy
in admiring flowers in the valley of humilia-
ton. In some respects he was big child.
Nobody was more easy to amuse. He used to
say that Providence was so kind in throwing
in his wav the kind of nersons who avactI1
snited him LIKING fine arts and mps;c .nJJ
dislikine fashion and worldly frivolitv he
deemed il a niece of rare good IuoE To falJ in
With Ton;s Viardot and his gifted vic 1naa
Garcial. and TO he allowed to enter tbei.
family circle. The late M Viardot WAC on
ahIa journalist and an imnressar;o u;s
wife was an tccomnIisbed singer Than
hath although in freonent relations viii
nrotentates and courtiers. were in the idaas
that exploded in 1S48. Gambetta and his
friends often met IN their drawinaroom in
the Rne de Douai when organizinp the a,ac-
torai campaign of 1877. nj Viardot,s death
shortened. believe. the existence of Tnrg-
eneff. The novelist was also painfully inn
pressed by the tragical end of the late Gar.
whom he deemed good-hearted. well-iuten.
toned, and, although too weak too keep out
of the hands of yoracious couriiers, worthy
OF happier fate.