New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-07


Polish Count Andre zamoysky. She managed
nevertheless. to bridge the distance by her cor
| respondence. and her brother was momeh'ai"'
| conscious OF her helping hand.
| Brother and sister met for the first time AFTER
their long separation In Berlin In 1850. She had
meanwhile travelled over the greater part OF Eu-
rome She had seen Venice and Florence with
rare delight and she had fallen PROSTATE under
the solemn spell of Rome. without. however. being
tempted to return to the unquestioning ia''n oi
her childhood. She was impressed with the ehor-
nous undeveloped potentialities OF religion as eN-
emplihed by the Roman bishop rather than by
the existing dignity OF the institution Inc
pomps and ceremonies with which a simple and
dignified service had been overlaid shocked her
sensitive soul, and tended to deepen her sense
Of the value OF the spirit rather than OF the iorm
OF religious devotion. The influence OF Henrie''es
views on this point are to be found IN many -
her brothers writings.
Their life together. which. beginning with thelr
reunion in Berlin extended without interruption
over the following six years WAS full of happiness.
They returned to Paris and began their new HE
in a little apartment at the bottom OF garden
near the Vel-de-Grace. Renan writes:
Our solitude WAS complete She had en-
gagements and sought to make none. our WIN
dows gave the garden OF the Carmehtes OF tne
Rue d Enter. The manner or lie OF these recuseS
TO a certain degree determined her own, and fur-
nished her only distraction during the long
hours spent at the Library. Her respect ior my
work was extreme. have seen ner ST. ~, ,'e
evening for hours by my side scarcely breathing
lest she might disturb me. Yet she wlsned 10
see me. and the door which separated our rooms
was always open Thanks to her rigorous econo-
my, she provided me out Of sirgularly limited re-
sources with a house In which nothing was want
ing, which even possessed austere charm OF
its own. So completely were our thoughts IN ac-
Cd IN fforf
general views about the world and God were iden-
teal. There was shade. however delicate. In
the theories which were ripening In my mind at
that time which she did not understand. On
many points Of modern history which she had
studied to the root she was in advance OF me.
The general plan Of my career. the design or IN
flexible sincerity which had formed. was in so
true a sense the combined product OF our two
consciences that If had been tempted to fater
she would have come to my relief. ike another
part of myself to recall ne to my duty.
Henriette helped her brother in innumerable
ways. She kept his house. as has been seen; she
copied his manuscripts; collected his notes (she
gathered all the material for his lecture on the
fine arts of the fourteenth century,, and she
edited his style severely censuring certain ten
dency to irony, and what the French call chi
noiserie." "She convinced me-" he says, that
everything be expressed in the simple and cor
rect style used by the best authors. and that
novel expressions. violent figures of speech. In
variably come either from misplaced pretentious-
ness or from ignorance of the true richness Of
our language. Thus from the time of my reunion
with her dates profound change In my literary
style. I fell into the habit Of writing with a
view TO her criticism. risking many a turn to see
what effect they would produce on her, and deter
mined to sacrifice them II she should ask me to-
Ernest delighted to speak OF what he terms his
sisters "charmants retours de femme but there
was one return Of femininity which he had not
counted on and which TO his amazement he saw
thrc ateninG the peace Of his little menage. After
Eerriettes return from Poland she repeatedly
u CAD her brother to marry. ard he supposing
nat IN this in other things his sister was act
Ing according to her conscience. and disnterest-
e1ly, reluctantly set about finding Wife. But
when finally he announced to his sister tact the
:-oung lady had been found in the person of the
acco p~lished Cornelie Shelter. the daughter OF
the distinguished artist whose work they both
admired he discovered that for the first time In
mis- life he had misjudged his sister. Henriette
was transformed fer the moment. and her return
OF femininity was far from charming. Ernest
in despair which wac only increased by his
almost childish ignorance Of the world Out OF
consideration for his sisters feelings he appealed
to Mile. Shelter to release him. and stated the
reason--with the effect of bringing Henriette to
full realization of her selfishness. She was now
emphatic + her determination to leave his
house Il he did not marry Mile Shelter as she
was in her previous threat that she would leave
ii II he did. Between the horns of this dilemma
Ernest took the situation in his own hands. and
married the girl CT his choice. The estrangement
between him and his sister continued until the
birth of his first child. when with slight change
Of form but not Of substance the old affection
returned.
1t Is known that Nine Renan subsequently
came to occupy high place in her husbands es-
TEEN and affection but at first her position in the
household seems TO have been rather that OF A
younger sister. Her name appears but rarely in
this memoir and then only in connection with
some act Of Henriette's bounty. 1t would appear.
although 1t rray not have been so, that Henriette
continued to superintend the household; at all
events she devoted herself to her brothers little
son. AIRY with passion and solicitude that re-
vealed new side in her character. Studies were
temporarily laid aside and Henriette rapidly
being transformed into a domestic angel when
the Emperor Unexpectedly proposed that Renan
should investigate the site Of ancient Phoenica.
Flatterng this invitation was, he would proDa-
bly, have declined 1t were 1t not for his sister.
whose d-tirne love of study had suddenly re-
turned the brilliant prospect opened by the
expedition. She brought all her arts Of per-
suasion to bear, and as usual carried the day
The exploring party. consisting OF Renan. his
wife and Henriette. set out in 1860 and proceeded
at once to their destination. II there Is any doubt
as 10 the part Henrette played in the Renan
household in Paris there is no question as to her
position during the expedition. She literally did
everything. kept house. wrote. travelled and as
sisted her brother in his Investigations often to
tha 1an0 of hor ife nd
her enthusiasm that 1t seemed at times as If she
would defeat the object Of the expedition by her
fearless Workmanship and her recklessness in
peering over the brink of sckening precipices.
But her powers Of endurance. which at first
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