New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05

Renan has painted exactly such condltioh vi
things in his reverent memoir but the letters
show in more tangible outline the position ne
occupied. and that with which his sister was
content He was assailed by perplexities wnich
were so battling that he knew not how 10 give
them their deathblow and be done with them'
I Honest imbued with an almost passionate de-
sire to do that which would satisfy MS con-
science and his love for his sister ana mothei'
his very conscientiousness gave him pause anu
obscured his thought. Never were there more
candid letters than his to Henriette, yet 1t Is
candor coiling itself through innumerapie
stages of inIecision.
With uenrette all this Is changed anu s"e
writes with q pose. with a firmness, with an au
ttority. which seem to have fallen like balm
upon her brothers soul. And while she al
yises him she leaves him free 1t would be
difficult to analyZe the curious INTERVENING Vi
solictude with impersonality in her attitude
toward Renan. for. as has been indicated the
movement Of her mind not merely intel
lectual There Is something magical. something
beyond analysis in her letters, and only care
full reading OF them themselves can ever con-
vcy II to the reader One simply feels. with the
unquestionng confidence accorded to natural
fact that Hrnriette would lay down her life Tor
her brothers sake that she would exert all the
powers Of her soul and mind to the moulding OF
his destiny and yet leave to him with gladnrss'
II he so wished 1t, the settlement OF the smailes'
as well OF the greatest question involved III MS
career. Renan recognized this. and Il Is PROOF
OF her genuineness. II proofs were needed. that
nothing ever gave her purer delight tnan just
this recognition She writes him at length
from Poland the land Of her residence during
the years included in this correspondence ana
keeping In mind the situation which existed IN
Ernests affairs at the time Of his last letter she
advises him with thoroughness that wou'h ap-
pear to leave no outlet for wholly independent
action. on the face OF IT, all that she suggests
10 him seems final But she does not ask. she
does not want 1t to be taken IN this sense, ana
when her advice is for all practical purposes. iS-
norcd she rejoccs because her brother ala as ne
saw 1T to do Henrietta in brief could believe
in another soul. and lean upon 1t with COM
pleteness In which there s a touch Of sublimity
That Is one reason why she is herself so fasci-
Mating. why her personality Is 80 magnetic.
These letters are not quotable for the reasons
which usually present themselves IN epistolary
literature Throughout her correspondence she
is preoccupicd with her brothers welfare and
she has. on the whole. nothing 70 say which ap-
pcals II an audience devoted 10 literature. TO
philosophy. 10 any OF the tastes Of the mind. or
l. the exploitation Of personal eccentricity But
as the expression OF "A noble character her words
are precious and in the thorny path Of conduct
her preccpts must prove invaluable Discngaged
from the context. those prcce2ts might seem
COMMONPLACE other writer's have spoken Of
duty Of resignation, with the wisd I'm which she
shows In the letter wherein she says: "A HE Of
solitude. OF devotion to others. Of complete inde-
pcndence. would certainly be the dream Of every
generous heart: and then. with relentless truth.
"unhappily there Ia no such life on earth. But 1t
would be hard to recall any writer who has spoken
~ lncisively and yet with 50 much tenderness.
with - much OF that sweet and penetrating
syrnpathy which seems "a near a divine vista
ton ns any human speech can seem. We nave
called this book an idyl. because II yields In
the laft in presscn n lyric inspiration sense OF
beauty. Of charm. OF poetry. II s tho more re-
markable too when IL Is remembered that many
II the letters deal with hard matters Of fact, even
with the young philosophers wardrobe and
finances. but illusions To such subjects no mat
ter how explicit Are always obviously but parts
Of the great fabric OF love which brother and ss-
ter wovc together. II II only one way OF ex-
pressing a poetic ardor ~ affection. which IL
Identified In passage like the following: And
her. let me- remind you. by the way that the 80.
Genevieve Library is warmed and lighted until
10 o'clock at night
This IL "A prosaic note but behind II is the
fairly maternal tenderness which led Hcnriette
Rcnan % think of everything connected with
her brothers life. his bodily comfort and his
spiritual happiness. his health and his career
1t was all one TO this devoted woman. nil one
enthusiasm. one passion which admitted moth
ing to be So small to be- insignificant In the
welfare Of the beloved. There was no dividing
% tha aria nh
OF life. She followed her brother into every
problem with which NJ had to deal and whether
she agreed with him not she invariably I'M
dcrstood him was invariably sympathetic and
stimulating mentor at his side. Her dvination
OF what was best for him liz shown In one Of
the rare passages OF this correspondence which
dcah with matters other than those OF purely
! personal import. Ernest had mentioned to her
that he was reading the German philosophers,
and she replies: Germany IL the classic home
OF quiet revcric and metaphysical argument
/ The other European nations will find II hard to
bring their schools OF philosophy TO the level
reached by the German thinkers. The contem-
plative turn OF the Teutonc mind, the quiet
habits OF the national lfe the very climate,
! all tend to develop that leisurey mode OF
thought which II part OF the North German
| character and one OF the greatest enjoymcnts
: known to It's possessors. The French mind
| quick as II Is. and fascinating. and prompt at
grasping an idea. is too volatile. generally
speaking to be profoundly philosophic. The
Englishman Is cold and calculating. submitting
everything to the chilliest argument. But the
German. who carries his native simplicity and
good nature everywhere. even into the most
elevated questions allows himself to feel and
! think and grow poetic over everything. II you
prosecute your studies In the tongue OF Kant
and Hegei, OF Goethe and Schiller. you will
> discover many delightful charms In Its rich and
! varied literature" Not extraordinary ac-
! count OF German philosophy. the verdict on this
/ b. Jut : TAX IN a n,or. II