The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-02
LETTER WRITING A LOST ART.

In the current Revue des Deux Mondes is
an extremely interesting article on the letters
of Prosper Merimee. Rene Doumic tells us
in very delcats and pleasing style that
letter-writing. which formerly constituted
the charm OF French literature, IS now lost
art There is nothing now. he says, TO con
trast with the letters Of Sevigno or OF Vol
taire Letters that please now do not please
as letters, but for some other cause. Those
OF George Sand, for instance pleased because
of their scandalous character. Those of
Victor Hugo are remarkable only on account
of their insignifcance. All these letters nave
n common character, namely, that the Iwriter
is the sole hero. Victor Hugo speaks only Of
himself, of his novels. etc. The correspond
ence OF Merimee alone is the exception 10 this
general rule OF the decadence of letter-writ'
ing. Merimee loved to write letters, and his
leisure and Independence gave him an oppor'
tunity 10 put his best qualities into them. his
originality Of mind. his turn for irony, his art
of story telling, his sobriety and business OF
style; and, besides some qualities which do
not appear in his books-"a variety, an aban-
donment, "A simplicity and natnralness
which do not seem the result Of work and OF
effort" The Merimee of the Letters to
mind and dry hoart. He writes letters full of
subtle worldiiness TO emperors.
There is in Merimee ingenious man of
the world fertile in resources for all kinds OF
futilities, organizer of chsrades for the usage
of kings and queens. His advice in the mat
ter of costume ball is good, as be is one Of
those who sec the color of dress and the
shape of a hat and how the dress and hat
s tl.
Women appreciate in him thu talent
that he has of saying with infinite politensss
and decency perfectly frightful things.
"But amidst il is seen that shade OF
delicate sensibility. of pretty intimacy, OF
confidence and OF melancholy which const-
tutes the charm of, Merimee's letters which
are addressed to women" Conversation IL
impossible without women. We don't
care to carry epistolary correspondence to
perfection except tn give them homage.
More than the things we say, we
think of tho manner TO say them, we are never
delicate enough. Less occupied than we by
the exigencies OF exterior life, women have
taste for the problems Of the SOUL We make
in their honor review of our own senti-
ments, and we analyze them in order to
explain them, for so great Is the essential
difference between rs that on almost all points
their manner OF thinking and OF feeling is
different from ours" This sensi-
bility awakens at our recital. and their piety
awakes as soon as they divine sorrow which
wants consolation. They are never so near
loving Us IA them"
The romantic and sentimental element in
Merimees character appears in the Letters
to an Unknown" Here he Is fine and subtle,
Just as he was positive and grave in other of
his letters. II is all, however in his compli-
Gated character. He is "A sceptic by disposi-
ton. essentially irreligious and has unreserved
contempt for humanity-"but his scepticism
is purely intellectual. IL does not descend
from the head TO the heart. Sensibility IL
left intact" Ii is this conflict which consti-
tutes Merimee's weakness Of character. He
edmires in others the energy which he lacks.
He searches appreciation from others.
never wrote for the public, he says: always
for some one person. 1 cannos work because
there is no person to work for
Merimee put all his subtle and contradictory
qualities into his letters and he had the
leisure TO do IL. Now literature is a means OF
livelihood, and letter-writing Is impossible.
1.-THE same causes which put conversation TO
fight and eliminated politeness have killed
letter-writing. IL is case OF the universal
lack OF sociability of today. People pass each
other bv without recognition, without sym
pathy, without love. The exigcnccs of pro-
fession suppress the duties Of humanity. The
necessities OF life suppress the true reasons for
living. We have romances ana learned men,
financiers and inventors, men OF letters,
men OF sport politicians, but we have lost
even the notion Of what was formerly called a
good fellow"