New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-24
A BRILLIANT GIRL.
THE RECORD OF AN AMBITIOUS LIFE.

THE RECORD OF AN AMBITIOUS LIFE.
MARIE BAsHNRTsEFF The Journal OF a,. Young
Artist 1901 ss4 Translated by Mary ).
serrano., illustrated l2mo' PIP 'ni' 4'4
The idea of journal undertaken deliberately for he
purpose of posthumous publication must Of necessity
appear almost Incompatible with that full ana Tree
introspection and selfrecord which speak for them
selves as TO the honesty and candor OF such d
chronicle Nor is it credible that the young Russian
girl who at the age of twelve conceived this strange
purpose and forthwith carried It out to the end Of her
short life. was uninluenced In her joumazing by
selfconscousness and an eye for effect. She indeed
registered her intention TO set down every thing,
but it is quito evident that she did moi fuhl this
intention. Allowance must be made therefore for
the intrusion Of an artificial element into the journal
but when this has been done the impression mahe oy
the book will not be diminished appreclaby III must
be Acknowledged that this diary of Marie Bashkirseh
Is a wonderful psychological study revelation of
character strangely blended of the most conflicting
elements: record filled with aspiration, frivolty,
the widest hore the deepest dependency, the most
undisciplined imagination, the frankeSt vanity-ln
short the strangcst mixture Of tendencies motives
and thoughts ever brought together between the covers
OF a book.
At twelve years the child IS at Florence and fances
herself in love with a Duke OF Il, with whom she
has no acquaintance. The vchcmence Of her nature
Is at once shown in the eXtravaGant things She
writes about this fancy. The Duke must fall In love
with her. She prays TO God that it may be so; her
whole future depends upon this. Then in few days
she wants TO be great singer or actress Through
out the yearning for fame is the dominant note IS II
was the inspiration of the journal itself She cannot
bear the thought of dying and being forgotten
"Whats she writes. If, seized without warning by
a fatal Illness should happen 10 die suddenly
should not know perhaps, OF my danger my family
would hide II from me- and after my death they would
rummage among my papers; they would IND my
journal and destroy It after having read H. and soon
nothing would be left Of notwithstanding
ingl This is the thought that has always terrified
me- To live. TO have so much ambition, to suffer, 10
weep to struggle and IN the end to be forgotten
as II had never existed" And to avoid this oblivion
she wrote her Journal and left ii faithful record
of one woman's intellectual and emotional life.
Marie Bashlirtsef the daughter of a Russian
| nobeman, born to high station and ample fortune.
She was educated fairly well, but irreguarly, and
her mind was never put under any real discipline.
Her mother she represents as afectonate but weak
Of her father she saw little. From her twelfth year
most of her time was spent at Nice or travelling in
| Italy or at Paris After the Illusion OF the Duke
| OF H had worn away 1t was succeeded by an
| episode somewhat more concrete young nephew
| of Cardinal Antonc made her acquaintance at Rome
ard fell in love with her. She must have been singu
larly beautiful il we may Judge from the fascinating
]
though she was only fifteen when that was taken
! Tho young Antonel did not touch her heart, though
at the time She seems TO have thought that he had
The marriage impossible one and the lover wa
TOO much under parental and avuncular influence ia
| make q serious struggle for freedom. Consequently
Marie soon learned despse him, and in after years
looked back with wonder upon her partial infatuaton
1t NAV indeed be doubted whether IT was given &c
tht singular being to love any Toward
the last when It seemed TO be a grim race between
! her and Bastien-Iepage 10 which Of them should
die first il almost looked If she might develop al
affection for the artist, but the end came for both
them too quickly Years before this all her capacities
seem 10 have centred in passion for art which became
the ruling motive of her life. and she exhibited
talent OF which few illustrations left in est.
mony.
The fascination Of her journal perhaps has its root In
the melancholy contrast between her ondngs and IN
fate In store for her. The despair which breathes
so often from hr pages cannot, until the last, be
regarded as other than morbid. and evidence rather
Of weakness than strength. Very much of 1t must
b. put to the account Of that vanity which so
large element in her nature, and which. though no
doubt encouraged by the really great capacities which
sh, undoubtedly possessed led her always 10 de-
precate the reasonably attalnable, and to fall into
dependency because that which unreasonable
elud'd her grasp. Dur ng her art education this IS
constantly apparent. Almost from the first she set
up an instructive rivalry with another girl student.
whom she styles Brcslau. The latt'r had been at
work years than Marie had devoted months 10
study yet Marie considered herself equal
footing with Brcslau, and is consumed with Jealousy
because her rival eNccs her. She considers that sc
ought be ~ forward IN year Breslsu Is alter
hre four. and she RACES every indication that
this is not the Her progress abnormally
rapM and she had every reason for hope. for her
masters applaud'd her work, and she quickly rose
TO be nearly the first in her class But nothing would
satisfy her but immediate fame, and the probability
Is that she really feed her life 10 her Unsuitable
ambition. keeping late hours long after she knew
that her lungs affected, dsregardng medical
advice working day and night, and. in short burn.
ing the candle at both ends
III IS affecting 10 note the persistence and energy Of
tbis hunger Cor celebrity, and then 10 turn TO the
Chronicle OF the desperate struggle against fatal dis
ease sometimes might be thought that the girl had
strong hold upon life, frequently does she de-
clare death preferable 10 failure TO neglect 10 jnc
! nhcance But the whole tenor Of tho journal one.
against that theory. Evidently she desired life mas
sionafey; only larger fuller life than had vet been
afforded her. She chung 10 physical existence with
tenacity Whenever the realization that she was
doomed came upon her clearly, sometimes happened
she shrank from the prospect with mcasnreess horror
and disgust 1t cannot be said that the spiritual siif
OF her nature had been developed. On that side hel
thoughts were vague confused and scarcely Interested