The morning times., 1896-07-19
GOING A-GLEANING.
HoWMme. Blanc Restores Her
Mind for Fresher Labors.

One day in the spring of 1898. while liy-
ing in Paris, called at the home or that
famous French woman so well known 10
Americans by her studies on our literature
and life. Nine. Blanc, or, to use her nom de
plume TIL. Benton. 1t was always pleas
ure to call on Nine. Blanc. Her little
apartment was to me the ideal bone for
seIf-supporting woman. II we,s nodest, as
becomes the purse OF a literary worker;
it was in a convenient and refined quarter.
close to tile homes OF scores OF interesting
people; it wasiarge enough to accommodate
comfortably the two or three dozen people
always to be found in her salon on her Mon
days, and to permit her now and then tn
give charming little dinners; above all. it
had that atmosphere of taste and intelli-
gence which comes from books and pic
lures and curios wisely selected and coi-
lowing the owners peculiar bent. 1t was
the charm of this little home which set me
TO wondering as went in why it was that
Nine. Blanc was contemplating tue trip
which she had called me to her to talk
about-a trip to America. Surely il W as not
an easy thing for woman of fifty years
to leave so cosy u retreat. to separate her
self from her friends. TO g., alone across the
Atlantic and to travel for six or eight
months unattended through new country.
There must have been n touch of this I'M
WOIueu query I'D fuy cStS. ioi hhic' piduS
and l tad not talked long of the details OF
her voyage before she asked ME abruptly:
do you know why 1 am taking this
trip?''
l hesitated 4 moment.
..It is because 1 want TO renew my
niind,'' she said, emphaticaliy. do not
think that unless 1 had a strong mo-
tive I would undertake trip which, to
me, with French aversion for leaving
my own land, and my prejudice against
travelling unattended, seems full OF dis
comfort, and even of dangers. l am go
ing to America TO get new ideas, u new
point of view, u fresh impulse. have
been working here for years. i have all
the work 1 can do. l have my place on
our greatest OF our reviews, the Revue
des deux Mondes,' but l find now that
ain in middle life, that hosts OF young
people are coming into the feid. They
are full of the new life or the world,
They are fresh, from new researches. new
travels, new ways OF thinking. Unless
1, too. can offer something fresh TO my
readers am going to fall behind. l am
not willing to drop out OF my profession.
I have determined to go myself to Amer
lea, whose literature I have been trans
lating and interpreting so long for my
countryrneu When / come back ! shall
have material for which they will he
eager. 1 shall have, myself, an Insight
into American life which I could get in
no other way. Instead OF beginning to
fall behind because I lack fresh mate-
rial, shall be more valuable than ever
because I have added to my past years
OF study of American literature aud life
actual contact with the people"
That Nine. Bsanc's reason for coming to
America was one OF rare wisdom has since
been amply proved. She returned to Paris
from her eight months here. loaded with
notes and reports. She at once prepared
for the Revue des Deux Nondes series
of articles on American women, since pub
lished In book form In both French and
Enriish, which bas attrat ted general at