New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
ALARCON.
A FAMOUS SPANISH AUTHOR AND PATRIOT.


Spain has lost one of the greatest Of her modern
writers. In turn journalist. war correspondent,
novelist, politician, diplomat, Deputy, member OF
the Academy, it is as a writer of romance thao
he is best known out of Spain. His life was one
of adventure and action his character Deing as
tinguished by all the best traits Of race whicn
has produced so many men like Lope de vega.
Cervantes and others, who welded with equal
power the pen and the sword. Juan Pedro de
Alarcon was born ffty-eight years ago In the
province Of Granada, country fun OF souvenirs
Of the ancient Moorish domination. lie studled
some years with Franciscan monk OF much learn
ing, but bis fathers family being large and his
resources rather small the youth was obliged to
finish his education at less expensive seminary
in his native town. He was destined for the
Church, but on reaching the age of eighteen he
declared that he had no religious VOCATION and
that he intended to devote himself 70 literature.
His first effort was drama, long since lost and
forgotten but which at the time was so highly
appreciated in the town that the author was
crowned with flowers and treated to an ovation.
But alasin says Alarcon, I" the thorns Of those
roses penetrated my heart From that day forth
i was stranger in my own village. lived In
solitary greatness. alone with my small glory, i'm
INJURED, so TO speak, in my own pride. and walled
up from old playmates by the envy of my former
comrades.
At twenty he established paper, IL Echo
dOccidentn which proved enough of a financial
success TO permit him to realize little of his
dream of travel. He went TO Cadiz and from
there to Madrid, where he remained only short
time, being summoned home by his parents for
the conscription from which, however, he man.
aged to be liberated. The next few months Alar-
con spent in Granada with little congenial group
of artists and literary men, many of whom AFTER
ward became famous in Madrid, where they were
known as the Granada Colony When the revo-
luton of 1854 broke out in Madrid and spread
from thence through all of Spain Alarcon took
an active part in the movement, which succeeded
in overthrowing the corrupt and inefficient Gov
ernment. Beside establishing arsenal within
the walls of the Alhambra and supplying the
peasants with arms, Narcon founded progressive
paper with the ambitions title Of La Redemp-
ton" Returning to Madrid, all he possessed OF
satire, humor, strength and power he dedicated
10 the service of the en6lIics of Isabella Ii and
her infamous coterie. The violence of one Of
his TRADES was the occasion of duel in which
Alarcon owed his life only to the generosity of
his adversary, who fired in the air. Alarcon was
doomed to suffer much cruel and undeserved
ridicule on account of the affair, being entirely
abandoned by hio fellow journalists, who, as he
bitterly saiG, washed their hands Of him, or, 10
put it more truthfully did just the opposite of
Washing He continued 70 write successfully
for the leading newspapers, and in 1857 pro-
duced his first important drama, The Prodigal
Son." which was well received.
In 1859 the war with Morocco broke out and
Alarcon volunteered in q regiment under General
Ros de Olano. lie was ssigned 10 a merely nom-
inal place, as orderly at headquarters this to
allow him to write journal of the war in Africa.
The journal when published achieved an astonjsh-
ing success, the publisher making, it is said, some
thing like 10000 flames from the sale. His
role of war correspondent did not prevent Alar-
con from distinguishing himself a soldier also.
He received one rather serious wound, and the
Cross of San Ferlinando and later that of Marie
Louise which carries q pension with il, were be-
slowed on him. After his return from Morocco
he went to Italy and the result of his journey was
another successful book, From Madrid to
Naples. lie twice appointed TO the Office
of Deputy in his own town OF Gandix, in Granada,
and in 1868 the Provisional Government of the
Revolution sent him as Minister to Sweden. The
restoration of the Bourbons male him Life
Senator, and the Spanish Academv elected him
member.
The last three years of his life we're full of
suffering, the gastric trouble which finally caused
his death rendering hlm practically an invalid.
Madrid, tended with loving care by his family
His end was extremely poetic few hours before
his death he sat up in bed to listen to nightingale
which his brother had given hi some time
before, but which had not sung note for days.
"Ah the nightingalel" cried he, and as long as
tho bird sang he continued to listen with strange
eagerness, bending forward to catch every sound
Then, the music ceased, his head fell on bis
breast and he sank into lethargy from which he
never awakened.
Once, to the question in an album: "Who is
your best friend?" Alarcon wrote in reply: My
children viii know after my DEATH Surely his
children must have been gratifad by the uni
versal regret expressed thrcu ghout all Spain fol
his death.
Alarcon has been called the Spar rac but
the name seems hardly applicable. writer
number of novels, severe studies u Temporary
manners and customs in Spain, concise. satirical
realistic sometimes even cruel, but never un
impassoned impartial and disinterested. after tht
Balzac STYLE THE Three-cornered Hat" is called
his finest work; The Prodigal," Captain Veneno
and Scandal" are all written in his best vein
THE Last Act of Norma" just issued in America
is not at all one of his best, however. The las
few years of his life his writings took on 70
mantle, improbable fancy, and " The Last Ac
OF Norma" which should have been translated
THE Finale of Norma" is singularly unlike any
thing else of Alarcons. THE Strange Friend Of
Tito Gil" is the one of all Alarcon's novelS--if i
can be called novelwhich best bears trans
lating into English. In it one gets the best o
Alarcon's power of expression, his deep feeling
his delicate touch, his originality and marvellou
ii1agination as we'll as his faculty for eondensin;
into one page what might be heightened into
volume. "Tito Gil" is solcmnly weird withou
being in the least morbid grewsome, which i
remarkable, seeing that the strange friend l
none other than Death, who, in the form of ="
being without sex, a body without soul, or NOR
properly speaking, soul without visible morta
body, negative personality" appears to Tit
Gil. starving youth about to commit sucid