The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-13
"AUTREFOIS.v
Professor Hsrrison's New Book.


not so common Of we exclude Apeli !,
Rives and Uucle Remus) that we sbould
! let their advent pass unnoticed. a. il n
deed too much the case with the Sou,h.
ern press. Prof Harrison. Of Washinc-
ton aud Lee University, has done yePy
much within the las. four years to estab.
llsh the reputation OF the South for au-
thorshlp. Hitherto bis work has been
Of more serious aud wtigbty charac.er
than that which is now before rs No,
to speak OF his books of travel. be baa
published an Auglo-Saxon Dictionary
a valuable work on French Syntax a
popular history of Greece, and is now
engaged on important genealogical
work. II is we'll. then, that he should
relieve his graver studies by something
OF lighter character and this We
have in "Autrefois"
ms book shows the wonderful versa
tility of Prof Harrison's powers. In
We have SC methug wholly different from
anything he has yet given us. IL con,
sists OF about dozen sketches mainly
illustrative of early New Orleans and
Creole life and character As the semi
French city was the birthplace of our
author, 10 is natural TO suppose that all
ITS marked characteristics, It's half for
eign population, it's curious lingo. its
lingering impress Of old Catholicism and
thousand other peculiarities which
make 10 different from every city in
America, should be entirely familiar 20
the writer. He may be thoroughly
trusted 10 reproduce, with absolute
sffttff 10 L.. II.
strange old city.
To many readers this viii constitute
the charm and value Of the book. But
i, has other charms which viii address
themselves more directly 10 the artistic
and critical eye. We know OF nothing
that has been written about Louisiana
that reproduces so peri, city. we think.
the local color, So different from that of
any other portion Of our vast country.
See how true be 3 TO The features of tie
half tropical landscape, as with sweep
of bis FIJI! brush he makes 10 ii,e before
us:
"A stretch of pale water, cloyen here
and there by foam tIsceIies of outgoing
ships. distance of embattled cane
and featbery cypress, prlcking the hor-
zOn with their seIried blades a humid
and far stretching atmosphere, CULVER
Ing with yernal heat troops Of law
looms and pelicans breaking through the
all; fantastic vegetation. unkuown ev-
ergreens, serpent-like lianas, strangliBg
great trees in their clutch air plants,
growing like the gray down of elder
4 icks, out Of spreading magnolias. IL
i'm table sayannahs, the muddy down
pour of ages. vegetable debris, triumph
INT fertility Leagues of glutinous bog,
marsh and swamp densely covered with
ong waving grass "a hsmmccks vivid
5 tn llYe-oak, sweet gum, pecan, and
Iiound palm wastes Of water, lost in
heir wanderiDgs and enclosed by ram
art of cane. Bogues and bsyous that
warm with reptile and winged life.p
There are vivid pictures Of early dawns,
# glowing sunsets, of marvellous tropic
noOnlights Of fragrant old gardens un-
Ter midnight sky, of hustled noOus, of
0uthern t0rnad0es, and % nature in an
er varied mo0ds-w hich with their fer
I'd gov make many pages read like
Oems.
To use an artists expression, the Sc
ere Grille might be disposed 10 say that
ur author "overloads his palette; for
light, color, warmth, perfume,
veill0w and illuminate the whole book.
he sketches themselves are unusually
Tignal. There is not one that suggests
nything one has read before. unless, 10.
eed, IL be "The Hall Of Tiger-Skins,
nd "lzzet and Esme, which. with their
ch OrIentalism and thelr unbOlnded
lXnriauce of description, bring up before
5 Beckford's "vstek.' The personnel
f the quaint Creole life. with It's ease,
IS Incidence, IL careless usoucance, is
lo' skilfully reproduced -truer to the
sality, we imagine, than any picture
lat mas been heretofore given Of this
liiOus civilization. TwO0 three Of tie
OIies have tragicai termination which
arte US rather painfn. 8. They are
u dramatic 10 remarkable degree and
vince from Ifst 70 last that epicureau
SO of words which is charac erisic OF
very thing Professor Harrison writes
Is vocabulary is rich beyond precedent
al here and hsre the critical pruning
uife might be used with profit amid tho
yer fishing luxuriance Of expression.
The titles Of some of the ta.es show
)w thoroughly the Creole element per
Gates tho bOok-"Sien7 Cavetane-
The Episode Of PeTe Benechi'-"NaR
ribiche's MeditatioBs'-"Pe,i Josi Ba'
ste" The book cannot fail 90 be-
idely read.
MARGARET }. PRESTON.