New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-22
MODESTO MIGNON.
RAIzAUs NOVEL IN ENGLISH.

MODESTO MfGNOS. By HoroRs DE bALzAc 1IHss-
lated By KArHARNE PRESCOTT woRhELEr. limo.
PIP. $50. Bostsn Roberts Brothers.
In Modesto Mignon" the American public arc
introduced to quite new phase OF Balzacs
genius The searny side of life is hardly shown
here The story IL bright sparkling piece OF
comedy the central vein of which is one OF the
most wonderful analyses of feminine character ~
the repertory Of o writer whose own countrymen
have always regarded him as being unapproach-
able in this kind of creation. Modesto Mgnon
Is not indeed an everyday young woman, and Bal
Eao takes pains, rs he always does. TO show how
her character Is affected by her environment the
sad fate Of her sister and the necessary absence
Of her father have brought about peculiar state
of things with regard to her way Of life. She Is
secluded. watched, surrounded by precautions
and protective measures, and this at the very
period Of her growth when all that is most roman
iio and sentimental IN girl comes TO the surface
as naturally and inevitably as tho sap rises In
tree In spring.
1t IL necessary to bear I'm mind the popularity
of Modestes position In judging the step she takes
In girl brought up under normal conditions some
impeachment Of her delioacy might be founded
upon the opening Of the correspondence with one
supposed poet. But Modeste's conditions are ao-
normal, and it is evident that the imprudence ana
conventional improperly of her course must De
experience and to the irresistible impulse OF her
expanding young intelligence. As to the CORE
spondence itself, IL is charming and surprising
Balzao has in this story succeeded In penetrating
the recesses Of young girls mind In spprehend-
ing the subtle swift capricious movements OF H.
in following its instinctively circuitous lines OF
thought in fixing its delicate shades ana heeV-
ing impressions, with marvellous acuteneSs
Modeste's letters to the pseudo Canals are illus
trAtions of what may be called psychical photog-
raphy. They are not INDEED such letters as many
girls Of the period would or could write. Ihey
arc the production Of woman OF unusual INTEL
ieotual force, gifted with poetic imagination and
a striking facility Of expression; of woman who
IA sble-as few, either men or women are-to SET
down what she thinks to illustrate her ideas
clearly, and to reason about her beliefs and theo-
rics intelligently While filed with sentiment
moreover. Modesto is free from sentimentaDty
There is nothing in her letters TO remind one Oh
the dreadfuy laclSadaisical epistles in which the
women In so many of the eighteenth century re-
mances were wont to convey their sorrows ana
tspdernesses.
Most remarkable too is the feminine craft ana
subtlsty exhibited by this clever girl With what
unlearned instructive adroitness she draws out
Door La Briere who, Just when he is pldmih9
himself upon the skill with which he has answered
his mysterious correspondent, finds himself, SO 70
speak turned inside out, stripped Of bis pretences
Of msgnanimity and lofty unselfshness, and com
pellsd 70 90 into the confessional and acknowledge
weaknesses he had really thought himself supe-
rior TO- Yet he must be credited with generally
excellent principles and chivahous respect TOT
his correspondent, not probably SO usual as 10
be quite commonplace among young Ffenchmen'
Canals himself is tho conventional Ganl; snail
low brilliant, versatile overflowing with faeu-
tous sentiment too skilled artist to be clumsy,
but too utter q cynic to be sincere; embarrassed
BY no principles looking solely TO his personal
advantage, hopeless egoist, and when the veneer
Of culture is removed. capable OF ungentlemanly,
coarse even brutal conduct Balzac plays with
these characteristics as moved by me scorn' III
is indeed one of the pecularities OF this great
writer that his relations to his own creations are
indistinguishable from those Of living men and
women to one another. He loves them as ne
hates them. frankly and sincerely. Canals he
plainly detests and the poor poet gets hard meas
ure in consequence though it cannot be SAID that
being what he is he suffers injustice.
Modeste's revenge upon bis really gross ex-
posure of his venality and avarice is thoroughly
feminine one, and, accordingly, ruthless ana oil-
ter But for an accident II is clear that inc
noet. placed between the two fires OF the Duchesse
&c Chanlieu and Madcmoselic de la Bestle' must
lave been completely destroyed, and his escape
was certainly not then due 70 Modestes felentlhB
though afterward she took contemptnons com
passion Oh him But the whole of the latter part
nj the story the period of the lovers ordeals, as
IL may be designated really resembles brilliant
society drama. Il is full Of &itty dialogue. Bon
mots fash out continually. The situations are
amusingy complicated The game OF cross-pur-
poses is carried on most spiritediy. IL Is uue
that the reader is not likely to err in guessing
where Modestes final choice Will 1al- puC
almost to the end she behaves Win
that bewildering caprice, that refined oupnciv'
which seem 10 come naturally 70 young
girls In dealing with patches OF lovers ana !"
cannot be said that expectation is exchanged for
Certainty as 10 her Intentions until she sends for
the whip La Briere had procured for her IN SO
devoted O manner.
And vet. while the general eHsct is so Light
and cheerful and bright. the intellectual iaoor
expended by the author is apparent In every page
To appreciate the soldity and genuineness OF bal
zacs work-even of such of it as scems the easiest
it is only necessary to compare II Win the
staple of more recent fiction, and the comparison
will not be impaired if even what modern crit
icism halls as the strongest work Of the day be
selected for this test. II will then be perceived
that whereas other novelists, even when endowed
with the creative Imagination, bestow their care
chiefly upon their principal characters, and often
slur over description of the environment, II not
Of the minor actors Bslzac flls in every square
inch Of his canvas with the same conscientious
minuteness and the same vitalizing power; so
that his readers cannot fail to realize everything
he puts before them, and are made 10 understand
and see the country, the neghborhood, the society,"
the houses people inhabit the occupations they
follow, the general tones and tendencies FIRST and
then the special and particular relations and
bearings of the segment Of human life to be ana
lyzed and exhibited Thus In Modesto Mig
non" we are brought into acquaintance with
Havre and its suburbs, with the whole Of the
Mignon family, their friends and dependents;
and every person named is presented in firmly
drawn portrait from tbs brave loyal obstinate
OuInav the daynted hunchhael Rutscha Hero