The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-05
A GREAT FRENCH AUTHOR.
PIERRE ALEXANDER CiATRAlN
PASSES AWAY.

PASSES AWAY.
The sismese Twins OF Literatnre-Thel
first Work Of Erckmann-Chatrisn-A
HIT of Their NoveIs-Thsir Dramatic
Work-TheIr Domestic Life.
Death has severed forever the link,
suud.red las. year only for season,
that for more than three decades had
united those Siamese twins Of litera.
ture, MN. Erckmanu and Chatrian.
closer literary partnership never exist
ed. no, that of Mewrs Besant and Rice
could have been more intimate. nor
that Of the Goncourt brothers. Their
collaboration came TO AN end In 1877, In
CONSEQUENCE of dispute over the divi-
sion of the royalties from their play $.
An indiscreet secretary printed their
correspondence in Figaro. and its ap
pearancu was followed by charges that
Erckmann had been naturalized Ger
man. and that his son was IN the Ger
man army. ErckmaDn sued the paper
for defamation. and it and its reporter
were fined and made to publish re-
traction. The two friends were recon-
ciIed: and shortly before his death on
September 4, NJ. Chatrian wrote a
friendly letter to his old associate.
Pierre Alexadre Chatrlan was born
on December Is. 1896. at the village of
Soldatenthal. Commune Of Abresch-
wilier. department Of Meurthe- ct Mo
selle. in that part Of the old province OF
| Lorraine which was Incorporated IN
Germruy at the creation of the present
Empire, twenty years ago. lie Was the
son of glassblower: but after half
hearted attempt. at his uncles s. In Bel
GUM, TO fit himself for the family
craft. he succeeded in getting an APP
pointment as instructor in history at
the Gymnasium at Phalsburg, where
he had received his education. Here
began his friendship with NJ. Erck-
mann-his senior by four years AN alive
of the town, of Suaban parentage, who,
| like NJ. Chatrian, had been a student IT
the Gymnasium, but more recently had
been in Paris. pursuing the study OF
the law. When Chatrian was twenty
two and Erckmann twenty skin lS4S.
that is-'L'Alsace en- 1914 by two
young men of the city bad run Of
one night at the theatre in Strasburg,
then the project suppressed it. The
partners wrote other plays. that were
not played. and stories that were both
printed and copied. In 1859 a coIlec
ton of fantastic tales appeared in Paris
under the title of l. Ilustre Docteur
Matthews, and the compound signature
| Erckmann-Ch and from that
time on the public read with ayidity all
that this twinity $50 to speak, OF au-
thors could produce.
They published in 1860 Comics Fan
tastiques' and 'CoDtes de Ia Montague:
in 1861, 'Maitre Daniel Rock; in 1862
'Coutes des Bords du Rim and lie Fou
YegOf': in 1868, lie JOueur de Clari-
Meta. La Taverne du Jdmbon de May
ence, and Madame Therese. ou les Vol
onlairs de After this they turned
from their idyllic descriptions of Alsa
tan country life TO historical rOmances.
In 1864 appeared 'L'Ami Fritz and the
Historic d 'un Conscrit de 1873; in 1868,
l. Invasion. Waterloo, Historic d 'un
Homme du Peuple.' and La Guerre' ":
IN 1866, La Maison FOrestiere' in 1867,
lie Blocus'; in 1S5S-'70. Historic d I'm
Paysan.' Then came series of pam
uhets, including the Historic du
Plebiscte The Bonapartists in
1876 tried to prevent their drama
'L'Ami Fritz from being produced at
the Theatre Francois: but the director,
NJ. Perrin, defended them. and the pro-
duction of the piece enhanced their
popularity. As dramatists they had at
ttined celebrity ia 1867 az the Cluny
Theatre with lie Juif POlonair, found
ell on one of their Vosgian tales. In
| 1882 the Theatre Francois produced
LIS Ranlzau. a family drama, which
still further increased their prosperity.
The partners had bad sstruggle at the
start. but in 1875 NJ. About was able to
write OF them in these words
Now they are almost rich. The jour
mails compete for the privilege Of print
ing their stories, and HetZel, an excel
lent and honest publisher. sells them by
the hundred thousand. However. Cha
TRAN has never left the railway Com
pagnie du Chemin de Fer de l'Estland
has risen to very honorable post. lie
is easier des titres, and his salary is
IL. 900 or 1900 francs year. He Is
married aud has three children. He
has pretty house at Rainey. III the
banlieue. aud he exerts great influence
IN his neighbOrhoOd. EfckmanD, who
IL rot married, is an exile, without near
relatives. The two friends see one an
other rarely, whether in Paris or in
the Vosges. When they do meet,
they elaborate together the scheme
of a work. Then Erckmann writes
it and ChatrIan cOrrects it-and
sometimes pus it into the fire.
can quote as an example a certain
story conceived in an anti-clerlcal
spirit. and intended for the Dix
Neuvieme Steele. Erckmann is at this
moment writing it for the third time.
| We have few writers 50 conscientious
and none more sincere. more upright,
more humane, more Jealous III defend
ing the true against the untrue, right
against might. We have no better
patriots. if patriotism consists in de-
nounciug the follies Of ambition. de-
crying false glory, not seekinga quar-
rel with any one, but wishing that
people uDjustly invaded should defend
tsel to the last. Such is the meaning
and morality Of all these national tales
W hich the authors of our ruin de-
nounce to the public with singular by
pocrisy.
Academy OF Language.
The English language as spoken by
the American people is subject to great
and rapid changes. Among people so
little conservative every one seems to