The Portland daily press., 1896-03-16


French language. The browning labor
Of the academy, commenced in 1889 and
not yet completed was the dictionary OF
the French language. 1t also has for its
work the awarding of prizes. The uni
form which was designed by the great
painter David at the beginning OF this
century consists of trousers and long
coat embroidered in palm leaves, of
hideous shade of green, cooked hat
trimmed with black feathers and deco
rated with the national cockade; and
dress sword with hilt of mother-of- pearl
and gold. This Uniform gave. to the
"forty immortals" the name OF Par
rots." To become member one must
be well born-that is we'll born fram the
Fronch point of view-talented, and it is
also necessary to be good companion.
The XVI, xxx, and XXXIII. chairs
are empty owing to the decease of De
Lesseps, Pasteur, Doucet and Alexandra
Dumas, fills.
EMIL EZOLA.
Among the most successful novel writ
o of the day We must undoubtedly
number Emile lola whose writings have
created deep and widespread sensation
in the literary circles of France.
Chief of the Realistic school he is al
ready recognized as power in the land.
His works are strong, Immensely real1s-
tic and immensely repulsiye. Vice stands
before us stripped of all her plumes, max
ed and unolean. He shows us evil in
all its aboulination, remorse in all Its
horror, and we can only say after reading
one of his novels, as the countryman did
after Witnessing tragedy of Shakespeare
1t may be all very well but do you call
this diversionr' His L'Assemoir Ga rum
shop) q picture of life as it exists in the
slums of Paris, is one of the most pow
erful temperance stories ever written.
N Notwithstanding the adverse criticism
which his later works have called forth,
he holds high and recognized position
among the writer's of the Gay. OF the
Academieians he says g 1t will be long
time before / am elected to the Academy
They agreeo that lead respectable life
but they can't forgive me my books, but
shall appear as candidate at each va
cancy and shall continue doing so as
long as live. The academy shall not
say of me, as it has of other men to whom
it has refused admission that it was be-
cause [ had not waited long enough. lola
is To visit England the coming spring,
for the purpose of studying the provincial
Englishman in Manchester and other
leading cities and the industrial and
social life of the people.
PIERRE LOTT, A SEA PAINTER.
Pierre Lott, an officer in the French
navy, who is perpetually circunnavigat-
ing the globe, is well known on this side
Of tho Atlantic through translaitons.
He has spent most of his life in strange
waters and far lands, and his taste for
unconventional episodes and for the nat
ural personal life has lead him to neglect
none Of his opportunities. Although he
has written many beautiful Oriental
tales, he speaks better than anything
else Of the ocean. The literature of our
day contains nothing more beautiful than
his wind-swept1 and waye-washed Brit
tany in his Mon FTere Yves and Pecheur
d'Islande. Pechuer d'Islande is the his
tory of passion simplified to a sort of
harmony with the wind and waves.
The hero is q magnificent young fisher
man and the heroine pretty and clever
girl 1t is the old fashioned love story
yet he has filed the familiar material
with new life.
Madame Crysantheme, charming
book, is gem in it's way. Pierre Lott
is at work on romance called Sra
mondoho," about smugglers on the
Basyne frontiers. It will be ready next
summer. This distinguished writer has
the honor to wear the palm leaves.a
MA DAME ADAM.
Madame Adam is one of the most ao-
complished of living French women of
letters. She was for many years editor
of the Nouvelle Revue, on of the most
important literary and political reviews
of the world. She has published numer-
having given especial attention TO the po-
sition of women. Her Travels in Hun
gary gives delightful description of the
customs, manners, history and national
dance of the Hungarians. Madame Adam
is social as well as literary figure in
Paris. She holds impressive re-
captions where are gathered diplomats,
the distinguished writer's of the day
The speaker touched briefly upon all
the prominent modern French writer's
and concluded by saying: In reviewing
this long array of illustrous writers and
taking their works as a whole we may
say that first of all they know their own
language and whether Of the classic or
romantic school they Away have vigil
lent care for style. Their literature the
most interesting and brilliant in the
world, has clsarness, vivaoity, sparFEs,
life and inexhaustible gayety. Wit Wis
Unborn in the Frenohman and the French
language is particularly adapted for the
expression of wit and fancy, and the
French writers WELD it with artistic
taste. Their literature covers the VIII ole
field Of human experience, bringing be-
fore US the thought and feelings of the
various classes of society, giving us at
IT'S best that which is pure and elevating
and rejecting that which is base aud foul.
1t would hardly be fitting to close the
afternoon without mentioning Rouget de
Lisle, the author OF dramas, fables and
translations. The young officer was one
night the guest of the mayor of Stras-
bourg and the company being musical de
Lisle was asked to sing. Then, as one
inspired, he arose, improvised and electri-
fed them with that grand anthem that
crowds have sung, to the strains of which
armies have marched to battle and
which thrills every F'renohman with a
wild passion of patriotism--La Mar
seillaise.
Mrs. White then rendered La Mar.
seillaise to the intense delight of the au-
dience and was obliged to respond to On
encore.
fbo,, Mise Torcorot Flxuan xuaa