The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-07

.rARIS, Aug. %, 1902 aul Bourget
4gh is preparing a romance for himself
ISES alone. He will marry, some time
this month, Mile. David, daughter of Bel
gian ship-broker, a young girl with talent
Sufficient to appreciate that of her romantic
husband. For the word romantic applies to
this fashionable novelist, whose slightest act
becomes n matter of interest TO the thou
sands of people, women especially, VINO READ
his works with eageneSs.-
Paul Bourgeois success has been marvel
Gus, for it has required only six or seven
years for him to take the high position be
now holds in the literary world. The young
recognize in Bourget master. and those oil
graver years admire him because he makes
them reflect, because he encourages their
pessimism.
He is the preferred writer of w6Trr--'7f,,-
for they all understand him-those who love
mantle, because he speaks OF love; Those
who are pcdantic. because he treats human
passion in a scientific manner.
Without sacrificing his dignity as an artist,
Paul Bourget has always tried to please both
women of the world and the most refined
dilettanti, and in this way he has not only
Iau success out enduring glory.
To please women he has adopted the man
ner of a professor. For them he is plaintlVe'
for them he accuses fate, for them he pro
fesses alteration of their toilets, OF the bioe-
lots with which they surround themselves,
of all objects that crafty their tastes Paul
Bourget has decided ideas about house deco
ration. He knows how dinner should he
served. the last fashion in card-cases and
He * tnprpnQllV ACQUAINTED with
the code of politeness and most attentive 10
the siishteet details.
To please real connoisseurs he has given
all the treasures Of his intelligence, proved
that he loves philosophical literature, shown
great skill in Analysing human nature and
is by some called new Stendhal.
AT first Bourget was considered more ST.
want than artistic. and his Essays on Con-
temporaneous Psychology" were thought
far superior to any Of his novels. In these
essays be critczes freely
THE WORKS OF HIS CoNFRERES
And poses himself as dilettante rather than
novelist.
even the sternest critics were Obliged % say,
'.UntO us is born novelist ana his name
| viii rank among the greatest
Paul Bourget himself realizes that in lit
erature he is two distinct persons, the ,sayant
and the novelist. His home is 10. the Rue
quarter, near the Odeon. There, Id IN
wing of an old-fashioned house. a spirai
staircase leads 10 yeStibule, and this vest
bule opens into a study, severe III furulst-
ing, solemn III aspect. There Bourget Wrots
his ssEssays'' A portiere separates tie
study from room entirely different in char
acter-a room enlivened by bIbelots ana POI
traits of Goethe and Guy de MaupassauI'
In this cheerful place BOUTget has writer
his novels, and here lie recently hnislieI
Occur de Femme" one OF the cheIS Ua-
vres of the literary year. ms skilled an
alyst knows well what he is doing. de Is
careful never to seek an extraordinary STU
alton or an impossible hypothesis. He con-
fines himself TO scenes of ordinary me- 50
| that each one is capable of forming per-
| sonal opinion of the subject.
When 'Ceur de Femme" was published
| as a serial in Figaro the authli q sked
continually by women: ell urN VIII
! this tragedy finish WHAT VIII I'd OF
| that moor womau @ BOurget - him.
! self: "Preb,5iy. madame. as II q Dish
for Won"
Faithful mirrors Of com ecieiy
: Bsafssts works H!l not be for Like
F (iss ST. sfaupa5saBG he w.ites - titure
=tsierians OF socially ~ TINS '1e p OF
- JJa,,y.,-.sfrsta more fsl3Y M We is
! an irvfHfi1ls master 100 ~ P"
! great place in the lite - t-'tae ieb'- ucS'
)
: Tire crea tess in France ara Boafg 'e
! Nannass AIT, fog tlese TWO nave uls
! soci,tv novel on its proper fountf OF
/ rather elevated u tn Us pTop7f oh
I VT. nf ---trar ~ f1it we
! 5aiDiy eSssyed to 90 wat nas beer By
| Bourget and De Maupassant Hem US
/ son, 6eryieD, Robert de Bopni 1t 'se
| three nave succeeded in relating On
a most agreeable manner, bat thei1 l.
lack The pass.og NECESSARY T. Se
| them immortal. LudOyic QBieyv's be
| Constantin." "Blanehs Copronn5 I'd
"Princesse'' sink into iBsignifsanee lie
| the splendor Of borrgeta wort..
| Bourget does uog allow himself l9 c <
! 10 any group. Re has made ior MIN q
| place apart from otter o. GI w'iier,, "a 50 I
I ''CGul de Femme, .'Mensonges rem S
! Pac, Bourgeois masterpiece; but when e 5
| work Appeared the poor author vas :
! 1ThrlfGoN with criticism.
! Until t,s present lime societj novels Il e
| baep. : ssns extent, despised 10 Fra 2,
Z uarhaps becEUse they were weak and i
( t-ue. New, 4, weVer, literature has Gre d
/ ths barrier, SD5 the novel UoT0w5 IRON e
! f9sh!unaDls wcr4l its types ana rs fr- :
/ work.
Under the empire, pEosper Mer /
! Octave feuiliet wEre BE mo- la - /,
! but when they disa} ocdTle - .JI Of re-
! alsm lacked for I's piaacf al lower
/ stratum Of seciezE. ans, 2 Lew barrier was
= raised between literature and iGshiop-
Authors and people in society seemed 10 he
| eternaly divorced. Only popular novels
were acknowledgements describing the lower
| classes. and as monument OF this fin d.
steele, lola erected his colossal "Rougon-
Macquart" Emile lola only looked for
| poverty, misery and vice; he painted the
| workman, the peasant the miner, the clerk,
but he never crossed the threshold Of the
aristocracy. Now the gems de meter"
have entered soriety in order to describe it
| with truthfulnesS.
| BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR.