Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-28
no naughty. all the time. II becomes
insupportablcr'
MAIrpASsAN1vS GENIUS.


insupportablcr'
MAUPAssANTs GENIUS.
I laughed: and In a minute she added:
"What interests us in France. above all.
in your American life. IL that II is a new
window opened upon the world. 1t Is
your novel view: and then II Is your
freshness and your honesty. We like
these Qualities OF American writer's very
much. Yes. what think so splendid is
your taking each OF you. your own corner
and carefully studying 1t. You are doing
for literature what the scientists or this
century do in science"
HAS not Maupassant done the same
kind OF thing with the Norman life?'
Eyes; but / don't think that he has
made US feel n strong love for II. showing
us the peasant under rather n comic as
pect. Yet, In fact, Maupassant, Of all
the French writer's. was great provincial
He knew the earth. lola has slandered
her But Zola. let US do him Justice,
never belittles anything even In calumny.
while Maupassant sometimes belittles
Nature by his contrasts. as where he COM
pares the harvest-felds. untidily cut. 10
the cheek OF man who has badly shaved
himself. He has been reproached with
that image 1t is true. however. Now the
magnifying eye OF XOla would have
neither seen the harvest-neld on the mans
check and II would have been true also.
There are splendid parts OF description in
Maupassants longer novels, but he has
touched many OF the most painful ques-
tons OF morals without seeming to call
attention to them. He has not preached
nor given advice: but he has forced people
10 think! Take the tale OF I.e Fills. with
the man In II who so cyncally and care
lessly wrongs the peasant-girl in village
through which he Is merely passing. He
goes away and forgets. But. years after,
when he returns by chance TO the village.
he finds that the girl IS dead of what you
would call n broken Heart: and working
In the fields he sees her son. n repulsve
idiot in whose hdeous features he per-
ccives, nevertheless, a resemblance to his
own. In the remorsc that sweeps upon
him he would help the wretch; he would
give him money: but he cannot do even
that for the idiot Is a drunkard-a de-
based offspring of violence and lust
money would only be n harm to him. 1t
is a theme Of sin and fits consequences
that has been treated by innumcrable
hands. but in none with such tragic
power. Maupassant is very human.
There Is his strength. | cannot deny his
faults. There are many painful things in
his tales, many coarse details much that
seems useless In his frankness, but under
wrings the heart"'
yes" I said. 81 have felt II a hundred
times. DO you not think also that
more than most French writers he has a
sense Of humor?''
"Oh surely. He is n. little cruel in his
humor. sometimes, and often he Is sad,
but it is humor. not wit"
AWFULLY GOOD.
"Mr. Bunner had seen that, 1 think.
In his pdraphrase of Maupassant, called
Told IN France. he has rendered the
Norman humor most enchantingly into
United States forms; ii is awfully good.
/ wish Maupassant were alive TO appre-
ciate it! Have you seen IT,
ono; but I have read Mr.. Burners
Short Skies; and I can fancy he has
done the other capitally. How good that
book Is SO funny. and yet 50 kind and
clean In the fun! Those love-etters OF
that man who courts his sweetheart with
the pot Of porter. and that sick elephant
are fun OF humor. But | find the first
story about the French tenor-with Il
wife.-a Httle overdrawn. That funny
English the Frenchman talks IS very
funny. though: and very true TO life, too.
Yes. when 1 read that l can hear myself
talking: / say that IS the way l pro-
nounce words" She was laughing good
naturedly.
well, IL isn't then" I answered with
entire honesty. for II is only occasionally
that a French intonation, as pretty as 1t
IS drol attracts the listeners attention:
while her mastery Of English idioms was
a continual wonder To ne. You speak
lovely English; and you know all the
shades in our speech; you always use
the right adjective"
"Oh. but ! have spolen English ever
since child. and always have loved the
English literature since my English gov
ernesS gave me the Wayerly novels to
read. My mother would not have per-
mitted me to read French novels. but she
had great confidence in the English
writer's. And wherever in any books she
thought there was something that d child
should not read she pinned the pages
together; to this day. when 7 read those
books. remember the looks Of those pins
IN the pages"
And did you never take out the pins?
You were a very good French chidn
NO, was not very good: but | don't
think ] was ever tempted to take out the
pins. You see l had great trust in my
mother" But about English. / know /
use very queer prOnunciations. some
times. When / was with Mrs. Fields. l
am sure l don't know why. I was always
talking about being stiffeled; and Mrs.
Field and Miss Jewett never laughed or
smiled, but when ] discovered somehow
that ii was stihed. Miss Jewett said. on,
I'm so sorry you don't say stifGeled any
morer"
| led the conversation back to the
French writers, TO the symbolistes. and
the decadents, and the realsts, but I can
not repeat what Madame Blanc said; for
just then the black man grinned at the
door TO announce that the cart was ready;
and we went to drive.
OCTAVE TIANET