The morning call., 1895-01-07
M. lola AGAIN REJECTED.

A bill which was introduced into Con-
gress at the last session and now figures
on the calendar of unfinished business pro-
vided for the creation Of an academy to
consist of distinguished men of letters and
science. 1t was TO be fashioned after the
example of the French Academy, and there
were many who thought that it might be a
useful institution. Others, on the other
hand, who have been watching the course
of the venerable body which dates from
the time of Ricnelieu, question whether
American letters, art and science would
be much advantaged by its imitation on
this side of the ocean.
The latest papers from Paris announce
the rejection of lola, the novelist, for the
fourteenth time by the forty imm ortals.
His successful competitor is M. Henry
Houssaye, gentleman whose name does
not appear in biographical dictionaries,
but who seems to have written some
trifiing works of dilettante scholarship.
The Academy's choice may be creditable
to their moral instincts, but it does not say
much for their literary taste. n. Hous-
save may never have written a line which
would bring a blush to the cheek of the
young person, while NJ. lola has undoubt-
edIy written many. But the latter will
figure as one of the most eminent roman
GERS of the century, while NJ. Houssaye
would soon be forgotten if he were ever
rememb ered.
1t has been Zlla's misfortune that he set
no bounds to his realism. He was so in
fiexibly bent on painting life as it is. that
be embraced in his canvas scenes which
good taste would have ignored. He ex-
posed himself to the criticisms which " ere
leveled at Hogarth and Fielding. VIII o
when they were accused nf coarseness,
said that they aimed at ruth, and if their
pictures were coarse the blame should fall
on society and not on them. 1t was their
business to paint things as they were.
The reply was obvious-that all things are
not suitable objects for artistic portraiture.
and there is no weight in the rejOlnder that
a picture of society which merely depicts
its Sunday-school aspect is not true to
nature. Proprlety is not altogether con-
ventional or matter of time and circum-
stance.
When NJ. lola felt that he had reached
the maturity of his powers, he undertook
10 write the history of the Second Empire
in the Rougon Macquart series-Dot the
history of politics, or wars, or laws, or
policies, but the history of the people OF
France in every grade of society. He re-
solved to paint them with merciless brush,
to show their foib.es. their vices, their
crimes as we'll as their merits and their
virtues. He affected to trace lineal de-
scent of certain qualities through the mem
bers of the family, but this was a side
issue. His main design was to paint the
politicians in 'SOn Excellence Eugene
Rnugou," the imperial court in LA
Cure" the Bourse in "L'Argent," the
trade circles, the working class. the labor
associations, the peasant, the market peo-
pie, the railroad Deope. in other novels
under names of their owD, and finally the
collapse of the Empire in the "Debacle r"
This work he executed with skill and mar
velous fidelity. As whole 1t gives the
reader picture of France which entities
the author to the highest rank among
pictorial historians. and it certainly ought
TO have qualified him for seat in the
Academy.