New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

RACHEL. By NINA H. KgNN ARD. lFamGus Women
Mrs Kennarl has done her difficult work with the
right feeliuy she has not tried to cover up the
repulsve elements Of Racheps character, but she
has passed them AS quickly possible. and sought
rather the poetry and romance ia the mournlni
history of this genius and passion Burning up the
body they animated as flame burns up candle.
This is the true principle OF bography-not l" 'eii
only the cool of your subject and to suppress TIE
evil but to spend your power OF description upon
those actions and qualities which are worth ue-
scribnc. Rachel's faults and, let us say frankly
her vices were sordid aud commonplace, ana the
less we hear of them the better. Mrs. kennard III
il trne sas not escaped the delusloh so tequehV
among writers of dramatic biographies that there
,nust he orc code of virtue for men ana women IN
the ordinary walks of life and another LOT those
nervous and excItable beings who enact passion on
the STAGE If sucla distinction could be defended
in any case il would no: he in the case OF Rachel
She had few of the traits of character which belong
I'd n noble and high-mindcd woman and she had all
the rude passions which welcome the temptations
of the theatre. An appreciation OF the great ana
the beautiful was necessarily one OF her consplc-
nous endowments, and in her earlier years she was
animated by an ardent love OF intellectual pleas
ures-at least within somewhat narrow range
and an answering aspiration toward the highest
ideal her art could offer her. But she was n nara
one had to balance so often the meanneSs OF her
motives The ruling passion of this great genius
was ayarice; and next to that came jealousy tx
traordnary stories told about her rapdcIty
friend of the tragedian possessed an old guitar;
Rachel saw it and asked her friend t9r III Eon5
given willingly as piece of rubbish. Achlile fOu9
called on Rachel few days atterWalu, anu anu
noticed the guitar hanging IN silk net th hnged
the bright mcsheS of when the DARK "oou S"'"'u
"That is the guitar made few sous by when
sang IN the streets as HUE eegSaI-Rhi' s"i"
Rachel sentimentally. .,
do" ,-., :.
for less than thousand louis ,.,,o. aho
FoGd being q hnancier offered nall what She
asked He had reckoned without his host. hachel
would not abate ono Ot OF her demand ana n9 SUI
mtted with good grace he new owh d 90 t his
guitar showed ms ae t4n W dav the original
possessor called; ON hearing the romantic taie ~.
Foud related she burst out laGwns am tnid t the
occurrence to Rachel who smiled ana salu " 1es'
know poor Fould was so furlous."
Mrs Kennard does not fail to show how the
oa.er elements of the actresses nature gradually
oaiued the ascendency over her intellectual i'm
miss so that the close of her career was marked
nv distnct degradation of her powers as we'll as p
decline in her popularity. Her life was sad one,
in spite of its splendor. 1t could hardly have been
otherwise; for Rachel had in herself few OF the
materials of happiness, and happiness cannot be
got from the outside.
Nevertheless there are some touches of natural
Affection in the letters of the actress to Der mother
and sisters.-etters written during The excitement
of triumphal tours and royal receptions yet full OF
tenderness aud simplicity. The Felix family were
dreadful tribe who fattened on Rachel and
fought with her but they all hung together WIN
the tenactv OF their race, and had sincere love
for one another which even money could not Kill
Family affection Is of the strong traits OF tne
Jews With Rachel 1T seems to have been some
thing more than hereditary habit; it WAS the one
nnre and gentle sentiment which relieved the dark
ness of her waning years. Mrs. Kennard prints a
number of selections from her domestic letters and
they are perhaps the most agreeable portions of
biography which upon the whole is depressing
Scribner & Wexford have Published, in little
northumberland book, 4 short "Etude" on
@a.Rame de MaintenOn. by j. Cotter Morrison IL is
written with a great dea of vivacity and epigram-
matte neatness, and the author endeavors. as he
declares 10 hold the balance between the two
extremes of alulation and calumny which divide
the Judgment of posterity upon this fascinating
charaeter The middle course, in a divergence like
this is the easiest to take but it is not always the
right one and the air of critical imDartiaIty with
which the choice is declared is sometimes entirely
unwarranted. Madame de Maintenon, says our
author, derives her peculiar attraction and
piquancy precisely from the constant in teractlon of
contending motives of worldly wisdom and spir
itual aspiration between her struggles to secure
high place at court and safe ina, retreat to the
kingdom of Heaven. She pursued both ends with
an energy which relented aud showed
tenacity which cannot lee surpassed in her resolu-
ton to make the best of both worlds" Mr.
Morrison leaves us with the strong impress on that
be has an canal coBtemOt for both these springs of
conduct Bat his study will give candid readers a
much more favorable idea OF Madame lie Main
lemons character than he wished it to give. In
spite of his gratuitons imputatiOn against her
secret motives, it is plain that she was virtuous
woman who accomplished practical REF rms in
licentious court, and, the Regent Orleans
declared, did good to everybody as much as she
cnnld and never did harm to any One0