The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-28
PEDRO ANTONIO DE ALARCoM
Career and Works or 81 Great Modern
Author.


contcmrorapeous Spanish history. Though
Spanish literature Is ut this moment distin-
Guishcd by writer's Of such fertility. grace. and
power as Pereda. Perez Gallos Emilia Pardo
de Bazan. Mebsndel v felayo. Nufiez dc Arce.
and Jos Echegatay it could Ill afford to lose It's
rioneer In the humoristic field OF fiction and the
founder OF the short and en-, hralinR models OF
romance which Alarc N introduced into
81 anish Letters.
The domain OF Spanish fiction was permeated
before Alarc- ms me with The me physicAl,
mystic. and theological spirit. and couched In
the pompous and inflated yerbosity 10 which
the natural sorority aud unlimited resources
OF the Cas,ilian language easily incline the un-
wary. Thus we find that the novels OF that
epoch lacked plot animation, picturesque
ness: In word. they lacked lie. Unnecessary
details OF dress Or OF inter Tor decoration were
dwelt upon at length and described By ingen.
ious and interminab'e twists OF language, the
poor substantivcs grooming under the eXces.
si>e weight of the adie, ti,es: and. ms cad OF
laying bare the spiinGs OF action or passion
which nctunted tho pcrs' iges. the author de-
voted more than half the book to n subtle dis
uuisltion on some doGmttic or metaphysical
could satisfactorily answer.
But tue revolution which broke out during
derlul literary activity which was to create IN
ssrain ne Of the most remarkable .rnools OF
fiction the history of Literature records
Alpn!arra on the 10Th Of nj rel. 1875. nj.
family WIS 1t mob 9 st ok, and at "nc time
curing the war Tor independence, anu tn"
future no>eii,ts first yea 8 we're embii,ered by
is bache or. and cniered IN tho study Of
Iai g ds wl., ard mnn d GsYosop him !" hs
follow an ecc"si ,sticul career re de-
f:r.mnel to de,o,r h,nselr to, literature.
fIehcn.i,'y carefully comparing Spanish v..i-
Elm Of Inss g ".Iernsn en- er,rrsh" III a
Gus "a oeo"s ns nastrc tn: Italian ala Si ansn"re
his At dies wer" inter up,ed by tie evil war.
and tho liberal i!cas !,ro ,Inimel iy the lnsur:
enthusiastic spanish youths. who's. lives had
bel spent III blind id,,,atry ., lie Jarotinss
r. ins In 1875 b. wsat j" Granada and allied
himself TO tho ROY Quito nnrs !"r.e.
A this Inn he e,,a,ea III ooI n"HsnHper
enven"med shafts again ths rriEning ad-
mm, MN greatly h.lned the lenI ause.
sorely d. nes,tened BY the de eat Of his
oh rtshel loItieal ,nsrira ions. found 20 ucc in
orrd 10y a translation into French. Later on.
Alnlc n reiersd to himsel, a"ril he lnsMr.
asa sold fnn. al hs
turned his attention H. dramatic criticism. in
which his eriGrammatic style. ,enhy wit. and
ow" Hisy I'll T iio Pro tsa f in three "a T. and md
lack Of SYM a:hy with dramatic authors ~ A''
anee Of his friend: Tor,ua,o Tarraso; literary
review, ri EcD del tcr,,ri.ir. His ntr.buti"ns
subleeis. sHurN!ed with humOr and wer. dis
.sinss nni msn t q tie 'ims il Was ns'A as as
i!,erary an arts ic reviews had BEN The Won.
1850 the African war broke out. and Alnrc MS
again lie nffn an himss 'e r hs
bravery and was d.c%n,ed by Gen. O'Don.
wounded On his return to SPAN he immor-
talize;i this heroic but frnit'ess campn'gn In
War" This book aboMnds in charm o tone lone
coorinc aud yieor Of style stands without
iayo;: his ES e 7;ya'; . neTsparer
far different iecention. and was quick y sls-
RPs pen t. hS dee5 wa; ;s by he
Stores e Artisies and N"veIs y n'' series Oh
From Madrid to Naples which is al 50 note.
i oapostion 70 Minstef iraeress q r SIS:
damned by his failure. Aarc N established
La Io,mt'a. with view Of fur thering the lib
ss Err IN Il 81 be s eps,e sr
Arnja,ra, and IN this capacity he stontly up-
held ODonnell's policy. Tho foil wing year
measures. ard WI. OBLIGED t" lea Spain He
went 10 laris and thence to Cadiy: Here he
1865 he I iened the moy"msnt which finally de-
thr.'ned Queen Isabella Subsequently Alfonso
XII; made HIM Minis or in pnyment o. A,ar-
t"ration. He also found time t. write n.v"l-
ume Of poems. trasir and humorous: which
place among the poets OF his generation. Gu
riously enough. be c1 els in his lyric poems.
tsn'er, Though rrior to tho nrpenrance OF
this volume no one had even su-pected Alar-
odn to be posses,ei of the lsT -, vein all con.
rsf ssss':s q i!s Thing;
"Bonna Ieche ct Cornet-a: II ton one OF his
works again anpeared In French in the Rer"s
story. I'll sombrero lie Tres ficos" THE
Threo.cornere! liar, Witch - q diamroI,! OF
fined. rsyerng in l's graceful ip.id ar! cor; ,
models OF Snai,,'s golden nre OF literature. It
wns TRANSLATED into, French and arpeared In
j Hsol teSo oox q r. s 7 .n ouse2
Iii Esc indoln" The scandal.
II was at this reriod tina, his political. social
and phiosorh icHl yi-ws underwent II marked
mon !o,lS d i-cmssions among his nartisRn-. No
selfish or sorid motive has ever been ns igned
ns the, cause bur the chang" from The ,shd
liberal to the X man Catholic thinker Of the
most prnnourccd mys,ic, chn"ac-r WAS both
curious and abrupt. lie 1t said. however. that
OF his lie was a Jealous defender AMI strict
follower in the hurch OF Homo. At this time
also he vas ron0-ed q, ~ y me'nber In he Span.
wn. wei, omrd b. Sslor Don Candida No 'edal.
whom A.q,c n answered IL a.. inaugural
address. In Moral en- Of Arte." which created a
great sensation ~ is lmpassi ne! clio luence
III 1880 APP en- al III Niho de la Bo!a." which
d"ns wiz. trnsi" story. vRnronslt tod A
somberHrs. is ,eieycL by Lri,lnn, de.crp-
| i . Ike delineaiions Of Erot slue spnn.
placed T tnis novel on n evci with Victor Hneo's
'No'r. ban 4" Paris. In rap succession
orgns. canin mn o,G,n'"S study study from ,hs,
short novels. 1851. In Prod On Il ,'s2,: avol;
Hmcss Of "Inci Li,erEros Artis'icos >
WINES rer Esrnns" l.,Irayels ~ srpaln;"ls.l
| duslrIous and vnrsatile Genius will give IN