The Portland daily press., 1896-03-16
w. L. U.
A Day Devoted to French Literature.

White-A Delightful Afternoon.
The Woman's Literary Union gathered
in large numbers at the Second Advent
church Saturday afternoon to participate
in an afternoon devoted to French litera-
ture. Mrs. Coyle gracefully introduced
the committee of arrangements to take
charge Of the afternoons exercises Mrs
B. L. Cooling took the chair in the alb
sence of the chairman of the committee,
Mrs. G. G. Chapman, and made most
easy and graceful presiding officer.
The picturesque little church had been
appropriately decorated with the tri-color
and stars and stripes and was completely
filled, every seat being occupied.
The excerises opened with piano solo
finely rendered by Miss Alice Philbrook.
Miss Ella NJ. Bangs was introduced to
read paper on early French writers. She
said
The condensing of eighteen hundred
years into twenty minutes is so obviously
impossible that many names are necessar-
lily passed over. 1t is not till the eleventh
century that we see the real dawn of
French literature. The thirteenth CEN
tury produced the Romance of the Rose,
q book which exerted wonderful infiu-
ence in France Cor two hundred and fifty
years. A fourteenth century writer is
Froissart, the Hnediaeval Herodotus !"
Brief mention was made Of Rabelais; of
Montague who claimed for himself all
tho Nipf11Ac txun 81, ~ ho
two great names in French tragedy,
Corneille and Racine; of Scarron, the
originator of modern burlesoue, and of
the Hotel de Rambouillet Two ladies of
his hotel left marks of Importance, Ma
dame de la Fayette and Madame de Sc
vigne. From the letters Of. the latter Wv
d word picture is given Of an afternoon
and evening at the court of Louise XIV.
The pulpit eloquence of the Augustan
Age is represented by Bossuet, la Bour-
dalone ard Mass1llon. The last named
preached the funeral sermon of Louis
XIV. Tributes were paid to Fenelon
and Madame de Stael, and the paper end
ed with the brightest star in all this gal
axy, Moliere, the greatest writer of
comedy, not only Of France but of the
world. Many succeeding Frenchmen
have written comedy, and written it well, ,
but as there are not two Shakespeares, so
there is only one Moliere.
Mrs. White was then introduced and
sang French song, charmingly.
Mrs. AntLoine Dorticos'a subject was
modern French writer's.
Her paper was one Of the brightest and
best ever read before the union. 1t was
very long but held the closest attention
of the audience. Space will only allow
the briefest mention of few of the re-
ferenoes Of the essayist Of several promi-
nent French writers she said:
VICTOR HUGO.
There was tremendous excitement in
Paris when the play of Hermann was pro-
duced, drama, written By Victor Hugo
a young poet who rose with the drama of
the nineteenth century. The play was
derived from the romantic spirit of Span
ish chivalry, and the exalted sense OF Cas-
lillian honor; the hinge upon which the
piece turns is exhibited in striking and
varied light. The production of this IA
nous drama began the notable, battle be-
tween the Romantic and the Classic
school. Bugo's friends went early to the
theatre eating their bread, cheese and
sausages on the empty benches. These
brigands Of thought were all dressed in
most ridiculous costume The excite
ment continued after the play and the fol
lowers of the two schools fought not only
with words but with fists and there was
war togthe knife, for one man was killed
in q duel. Tie history of this great
man is well known to the world. His
life was continual warfare, first lit
erary conflict, afterWard a political one
prosecuted in exile-the one was against
the Classic school the other against the
Emperor (Hugo was went to say that he
bowed to no tyranny only to that of chill
dren). Both battles were won, by him.
0 other Writer was more fought against
and no other writer in his old age sat
upon higher throne. He was never
ashamed that he followed the path of pro-
gress. He WAS in love in turn with i'm
perial glory and modern monarchy, but
later, when his genius was controlled by
reason, he became the defender of liberts.
The construction Of a greater part of his
novels has been criticized, He borrows
the jargon OF the street, the stammering
Oh cnllQTeD, foreign WOrOS Oh d nunQT0u
nations, and Constructs language of his
own, full of color and brilliancy. But his
great ideas are SO fine that they over
Power the minor. He spoke always out
of his great heart for humanity. Who
can ever forget the holy agony of poor
hunted Jean Vatican. or the desperation
of Famine. Hugo had all his life solici.
tude for the welfare of his fellow men
Il was during his exile on the island of
Guernsey, that the great poet by giving
weekly dimes &c 10 poor children, sug-
gested to the world summer outings for
the poor.
The French people of all classes hold
his memory in the greatest respect If
you we're to visit the Arc de Triomphe, the
guide, proud OF his English, would prob
ably say to you, as he did to q membe of
the Roundabout club. Here is where zey
laid zs remainder of re great Victor
Hugo am just here reminded of
another aneedote. Two ladies were con-
versing about the great novelist, One
asked the other if she had read many of
his works. "No, only So"
ooh well you've read more than I, ''for
I haven't read half as many as that. 1t
is needless to say these ladies were not
members of an L. U.
Although eminent in French drama
,-d Aotiop no c,1rnaecad all roeD in ey