The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-03-18

fAHlb, march o.-hB ullliUory power,
France. under tho third republic has scarcely
asserted herself; as q commercial power. abe Is
not lender: rs an artistic nation. she has
rivals on oil sides. by virtue Of what docs sho
then maintain her prestige In the worldp M.
Edmond About answered this question indi-
rectly the other day In his speech ut the ban
quet held on the occasion OF the eighty first
niversary Of the birth efivictor Hugo. Perhaps
alhundred and fifty literary men and journal
lists OF Paris were assembled around the table.
some celebrated. and Justly. others. the mnjor-
ity. mediocrities. 1T is no small satisfaction
for us. small and great writers Of France" said
NJ. About, to think that the greatest OF the
men OF our century. the most admired the
most applauded. the most loved. is neither
man OF war nor aman OF science. nor n man OF
money. but man OF letters"
Yes. II Is by letters that modern France is ex-
ercising her chief influence on theword. In
Italy. Belgium. Germany. and Russia the mod
ern novclists count upon u sale as extensive
as In their own country. even moro extensive.
Their most appreciative readers. their most
acute critics. their most fanatica admirers. are
rarely their own countrymen. Nowadays the
foreign newspapers vie with the French in
bidding for the privilege Of publishing feuille-
ton by the favorte Partisan author. and even
England and America are coming into the
market. and Alphonse Daudet has his con.
tracts with one American magazine. and re-
fuses the generous offors OF another American
periodical Just like Il native Anglo-Saxon
author. Literature. like society. is becoming
cosmopolitan.
Among the mass OF books. novels. souvenirs.
anecdotes. contemporary history and poetry
that have been published within the past fort
night. there are several which appeal more or
less to cosmopolitan readers. Zola's new novel,
for IL t,,Ix
"Au Bonheur .des Danes" Is the title both OF
the book and of the dry goods store whose his
tory forms its subject matter. In Pot Bouille I"
lola gave us the history OF Octave Mouret the
young counter jumper who marries the widow
Hedouin and dreams Of revolutionizing the dry
goods business by absorbing all the branches
| within one vast palace. In "Au Bonheur DIES
Danes" we have the realization OF this idoa.
and the development OF an immense store
| such rs the Bon Marche the Louvre. and the
| Printemps. Now. in the treatment Of this SUBJ
| ject ono might expect that lola would give us a
| picture OF the struggle between two intellects.
| a study OF the business man. a study OF hui
mainly like Balzac's Cesar Birotteau." No.
| In "Au Bonheur des Danes" there is no strug-
| gle. no passion to speak of. and very little hui
mainly. Plot. story. characters. everything is
sacrificed to description. and the description
| always eliminates In the same thing the as
poet OF the store on the day OF one Of the great
exhibitions OF silks summer goods. white
goods. carpets. or what not. The author de-
scribcs the whole store in detail from the cell
lars to the attics. where the women help sleep.
Ho describes the crush of tho crowd the ac-
tiyity of the sellers. the cupidlty or indlfYer-
ence Of the buyers. Only you get the complete
air in the first fifty pages OF the book. and in
the remaining 500 pages you find nothing but
variations on the same air,
that lola has written. and. with all its qualities
| OF precision Of touch. happiness Of expression
and ingenious obserya,ion it is certainly tho
to carry non technical description further than
lola has done in this book; ho has pressed and
every light and appealed to every comparison
Visions lie has applied the Widest dsss@
7? the Dissertation Of bundles Of calico and piles
:" White goods o the 81 mo ea earoMs
chapters in the volume as study of words.
First of all. we see tho white goods assuming a
Nothing but white goods. complete trousseau
and mountain Of sheets on the left, a, chapel
and muslin n ike show sfi I'm In the fhe'' in
ness. an Arctic vision. a whole continent Of
snow. displaying an infinite eXpanse Of
ssss up M ~ hs nns R
! calico. white rocks oil sheets and towels and
| handkerchefs." In another gallery there are
''ediflces constructed with pearl buttons. set
scene made out OF white socks With the
heights of descriptiveness where the English
Language can scarcely follow him. 4 whole
orchestration OF this symphony in white" tones
In opposition. in contrast. IN completion Of
S WEts o te & %ne on eaG0 the dn
whites Of yelvets. silks. and satins the white
that fees away in the transparency Of the cur
| tains and becomes simply free brightness in
in the midst OF these halls covered with snow
fro, like skaters in December on a Polish lake Ike
while on the ceiling the gliding and the brilliant
on the Alps Of the grand exhibition OF white
Ioas dgpser u are beyond doubt mar
novel; II lola continues working In the same
way as he has worked in Au Bonheur DIES
pages. Of description Of q railway terminus, OF
s big hotel of Of chemical ca works, Of machine
inexactitude Any ono who, desires to got an
tSs den OF railway INV must study
administration; he must spend ten years OF
bis life in it; and not simply pay four visits as
Yss dss bs ssu WIZ es
all its qualities; Is unsatisfactory from all
because the story is sacrificed entirely to the
description; it Is unsatisfactory as a descrip-
lion vi u uTy sOOuS store, because IL Is lnCOm-
plete. and wanting in the precision. fuiness.
and exaettude of technical details. which
won w0nd give r Il scientific value It remains
tive writing, and like most tours de force, 1t
soon becomes tiresome.
Very shortly Gustave DORIS statue in mem.
DRY OF Alexander Dumas Is to be erected on
the Place Nlahsherbes. NJ. Gabriel Ferry who
was one Of the famous noyelist's mos: faithful
friends and colaborators, has taken advantage
OF this occasion to publish n volume OF souve-
Mrs. Les Dernisres Ann6rs d Alexandra Du-
mas" ls64-lS70 u. VOL Culmann -Ldvyl No
pretext Is needed for writing, on q man like
tho great ,amuser OF the century a man Of
whom; rather than q Victor Hugo, we might
most loved. the most admired. the most APP
planded mnn OF the epoch. NJ. Ferry's volume
forms sort OF continuation OF Dumas's own
memoirs. begins with Dumnss return from
It;n,lSy after his Gnr6sldian exploits, and ends
chapters are those devoted to Dnmass visit visit
to Russia, where he went in company
with Home. the Spirltualist, and the Count
kpnrhaleM m nj