New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-09
A WOULD-BE INCONNU.
MARIE BAsHKTRTsEFF's LETTERS.

LETTREs DE MARIE BASHKIRTsEFF. Avec quatres
Portraits. des Autographs, ct une Preiacs par
frSneo,s Ooppe S ST HswYorx: F. W.
Chrstern,
The Journal OF Marie Bashkirtsen gave the Woro
tucient insight 10 character in few respects worthy
of admiration; but the morbid curiosity OF certain
element seems to have absorbed the evidences OF TINS
yeung woman's overweening egOtism and exaggerated
seltconceit so thirsy that the publishers have been
ENCOURAGED to issue volume OF her letters. While in
her correspondence she reveals herself less frankly tah
in journal the ruling tendencies OF her character
are shown forth here with ceaness whlch lhulca]s
the depth Of her love OF self scarcely less plainly AS
rule in writing to her friends she is wholly occupied
with what she has been doing, with the effect she thinks
she produced at this that party with illusions TO
the men has been courted by, and with descriptions
OF her dresses and coinures. AS she grows older
change appears in her. but II is hardly change for the
better. Art now begins to cut important figure in
her letters but it is not art for arts sell that she lo
lows. Always she is thinking Of successes in painting
as events which will glorfy Marie Bashkirtsen and
always she is frously Jealous Of any other girl OF
woman who exhibits talent who threatens to become
rival 1t cannot be perceived that she mad any ele
waited or broad views OF art and indeed nothing is more
apparent than that her art education was OF the narrow
est and shallowest Here as elsewhere she was per
peually posing and perfectly natural and unaffected
vement thought is rarely to be found in her OUT
givings.
Perhaps the most thoroughly characteristic are the
letters in this volume which addressed-under thin
disguses-to prominent of letters, for instance
Alexandra Dumas lola and Maupassant 1t Is evident
that she had the ambition play the role of Mermees
1nconnu but that her ngraned hckeness and want OF
real earnestness and sincerity disabled her. various
fragmentary correspondence ensned, and Marie maue
desperate efforts to appear bright and witty and ma
iicous. Probably all the literary men whom she adj
dressed were acute enough penetrate her motive and
the artifciay OF her sentiment, for her letters while
sometimes clever in no instance have the ring OF truIh
and nature. She is manfesy playing with her CORE
spondents, and they as manifestly perceive 1t ana
answer her in the strain. Perhaps weak desire
to associate her with those of celebrated authors
was one OF her motives in writing these anonymous let
ters Possibly she intended to reveal herself TO one
or the other when she had sufficiently impressed them
with her genius. But it not credible that she coud
have kept up the role of Inconnu and in effect she
seems 90 have weared of the experiment very
quickly in every case
Much has been written, apropos Of her journal, con-
corning her sensitvoness and delcacy OF perceptions
but there traits in some OF these letters whch
her of something very like coarsenesS and THIS
Is not surprising seeing that egotism is naturally and
even necessarily coarse. a young girl Of seventeen
or eighteen who fills her letters with accounts OF the
men who have proposed or have made love to her
who hesitates say that on such and such an
occasion she looked charming who takes for granted
her personal destinations and plainly expects every
body else to do the Same cannot seriously be regarded
as tyne and model Of madenly baShfulness and
modesty. There is. indeed at times suggestion of
freedom OF expression and thought which has no
affiliations with civilized habitudes, but seems TO
point rather TO a recacirant COssack strain in the
writer's blood That her journal should have become
The fashion quite possibly due much to this as to
ANYTHING For it is tendency of the pseudo-culturo
OF the time turn to semi barbaric manifestations in
literature and life a relief and reaction from the
ever growing dulness OF materalistic safety. The
cult Of Russian fiction much more TO this ten
dency than 10 the inherent value and importance OF the
fiction itself. 1t is recommended to "baSe" natures
by its very crudeness and limitations. What they
need is sharp difference not humble accord with their
own standards. They in the of the pampered
gourmand who finds q stimulus to appetite in the
coarse dishes Of the peasant when the Gates of Lucuiu
have long palled upon him.
Marie Bashkirtsef probably appealed to
the prevalent egosm which, however deity masked by
civilized societies, remains dominant influence with
the majority. The almost insolcnt frankness OF her
self-revealings, the righteousness with which she
mnstered to SELF In all her meditadons, the absence
of any indications that she conscious of defect in
her points of vew-may well have evoked a covert
sympathy and admiration in many quarters. 1t was,
too so easy to attach spurious pathO to the case.
Here was q girl, snatched away at twenty-three;
girl who did not want 10 die who loved life and what
II could give her passOnatey VINO spent her conscious
years in bewaing missed opportunities Of sensuous
the most that possible out of eXistence-the most
that is to say for herself II is true that Marie Bash
krsef never appears to have concerned herself about
any other person than herself that there is no trace
of genuine affection for anybody in her journal or her
letters that everything the shape Of passion seems
10 have been foreign to her nature. None the less IA
her devotion TO her self deep and comprehensive;
in fact. IL is the only thing about her not superficial
nnd evanescent. Had this girl lived 1t is difficult to
think of being happy herself comforting
happiness upon Others and yet the fact Of her early
death is made the basis and justification of all the
sloppy sntmentaty that has been lavished upon her
II is not credtabc TO this generation that such an
exhibition Of unmixed sel1sness Marie Bashkrtsef
has afforded should be admired. There IS almost an
Impeachment in the fact Tie world abounds with
examples Of noble altruism Joined often with real In
telectua gifts Of rare extent and quality. This Rus
sian girl was not remarkable for anything but her
versatility and her selfabsorptOn Her paintings
were so to say, hOated by her journal, which gave
them Fictitious value in the eyes of people very little
capable Of Just Judgment in matters Of art. She
was indeed, somewhat Of phenomenon, but princi'
paly because she had not the good taste to conceal what
The world as rule is modest enough not TO De proud
o. The volume Of her letters now published may,
however possibly open the eyes of some good people
who have pinned their faith upon the journal and
done homage honestly TO memory which little merits
perpetation, and should that be the case the pu6ca
ton may be condoned.
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