The morning times., 1896-06-21
A ROMANCE BY MAIL.
Correspondence Bet ween De Maupas-
SAINT and Marie Bashkirtseff.
Pail Maud Gazette.

Pail Maud Gazette
singularly interesting correspondence
has just been published in Paris romantic
and impCsive on the part of one OF the TWO
writers and puZzling to the other. 1t cun-
ssts of series of letters written to each
other by Marie Bashkirtseff and Guy dc
Haupassant.
The latter's literary reputation was
| growing rapidly when he began to receive
from an anonymous admirer numerous let.
ters SO engmatic and irritating in Their
anonymity that the distinguished novels
| In replying TO them taxed his ingenuity 10
the utmost in the endeavor to discover who
their author might he. The only address
given was Mime r. G D., Posterestante,
Bureau de la Madeleine"
Mile. Bashkirtseff was then exhibiting
at the salon paintings which attracted a
good deal OF attention. Rich, young, tai
ented, and blessed with that attractive
kind OF beauty which can best be described
as ideal this young Russian, who had
chosen to live In Paris, might have been
suppose ed to have a bright future; but an
lncurable malady was undermining her
constitution and shortening her days She
knew that her days were numbered, and
she grieved when she thought that she
could not live to achieve a lasting fame
1t was under the influence OF one of her
capricious moods. reacting against the
effect of the Painful Gelusions to which
she was subjected. that the idea of writ
ing anonymously TO Maupassant germi-
mated in her mind. You are sufficiently
famous" she wrote to him, ito encourage
one in the hope that one may indulge in
the romantic dream OF sharing the secrets
OF your inmost soui-bede ame-tbat is, If
you have an inmost SOUL"
Guy de Maupa ssant took delight in en-
deavoring to fatbom the mystery Of this
singular romance. His firstreply. b however,
was no great encouragement to his cor
respondent.
''In what form. ~ he wrote, "can mystery
add charm to a written correspondence?
Does not all pleasure derived from tile ac-
quaintanccshp of man and woman proceed
from the delight of meeting and convers-
ing face to face. and then to conjure up in
thought. when writing to ones friend, her
features floating between ones self and
this paper?" Indeed. how could his mys-
tcrious correspondent think that he. not
knowing her. would neglect his business
and waste time for iier sake?
This signular correspondence was carried
on for long time, the two adversaries-if
we may use the term seeking for q weak
spot in each others armor; for 1t was. in
deed. a kind of epistolary mimic warfare.
Marie Baskirtseffs letters were now be-
coming more and more enigmatical, and
Maupassant determined to resort to arti-
flee in order 10 discover who his CORE
spondent was.
II know you now, beau masque. You
are an old professor, teaching the sixth
form. So mean to drop compliments and
treat you as a university man. You old
Latin grubber, you want to pass yourself
as n pretty woman, do your"
There follows an immediate character
s~ti- .lr l(nr acbl .;rfrA
ten in the style pertinent to an old peda-
gogue and signed '.savantin Joseph"
In an offhand, assumed, impolite kind
of way, De Maupassant answers:
'My Dear Joseph: have no desire to
honor thee. am sure thou art ugly, and 1
have given thee quite a sufficient number
of autographs; and, as it is now simply a
question of candor between us, warn thee
that this is my last letter, for have had
enough of it,
In her reply to this letter, Marie Bash
kirtseff betrays the woman. She feels
piQued, and she answers, almost angrily,
that it is IAN infamous letter." and she
adds that she ''feels hurt as cruelty as IL
II were a calculated affrOnt.'
Maupassant is now convinced that his
correspondent is a young and pretty wo-
man, of a refined and nervous disposition.
He endeavors to make amends for his
seeming rudepess. He has worn q mask
he says, in dealing with people who wear
masks. That is legitimate warfare, and
he adds that he regrets his adventurous
words,'' which, however, have enabled him
to discover "just a corner of the natural
disposition of the woman with whom
he has corresponded. and he ends his let
ter thus:
"You have had the good sense to admit
that my letter has offended you, and,
though you betray irritation, you have
shown ii in a charmingly frank way, which
has greatly affected me-"
There eods the correspondence. Later
on Maupassant discovered the identity of
his anonymous correspondent. The poor
little Russian girl was then lying at deaths
door. That death was the sad climax OF
this short romance through the post.