The San Francisco call., 1898-11-07
IS THERE AN IDEAL IN FRANcE9

Is there an ideal in France? One might be disposed to question this. The French character which brides itself so much on it's lucidity and logic, is essentially reailS- tic. It has it's moments of Tartar1nesque exuberance, but then Tartarin was one of the most practical of men. An inquisitive writer in Figaro has recently addressed a uuestionnaire or circular demand to many of the most eminent and some of the most strikingly mediocre personages in this country, requesting them to state what was their ideal at the age Of twen- ty Most of the answers are curious; all are interesting. Some are hypercr1tieal, others bombastc, and those which seem to bear the impress of genuine confession are d little pessimistc. Theophlle Gau- tier has already said that ''in order to for get the brutalities and bitternesses of the present time, one must look back to the past and console ones self by thinking of the ideal one had at twenty years or age. Barbey dAurevilly eXclaimed The ideal at twenty years of age! The star which always shines over our head, in spite of the mists of senility."
 Thanks, then, to the Figaro, we know now what was the ideal at twenty years of age of those remarkable personages, NM. Aurelien Scholl, Hyacinthe Loyson, Carolus Duran, Victorien Sardou, Henri Becque, Rodin, Armand Silvestre, Charles Lecocq Francisque Sarcey, and Mime, Judic. Sardou, that great upholsterer Of modern melodrama, who would have turned Moliere into limited liability company, with branches ip. all parts Of the globe, wandered. at the age or ~, among the old trees of the Luxembourg since replaced by younger ones, which are not worthy of their predecessors-and his ideal was success and celebrity, with G5O0 a year, library of 1000 or 1900 books, and a cottage in the country similar to the guardian's lodge. at the iron gate of the Rue de Vaugirard, with its puddle of dirty water in front, where the ducks splashed about. In addition, of course, decorations and the Academy and ho19rc h;cb tbins bpnetio1s N Victorien Sardou has most ideally achieved, and he Is very happy. Not so M. Henri Becque, who has never thought
 Poor NJ. Becdue has always been grumbler, an incompris. His special de testaton is Nj. Claretie, manager of the Comedie Franchise, to whom he attributes the small pecuniary success he has achieved with the public. No one denies, dramatist At twenty years, at thirty and even later. l have had dreams, of which not one has been realized that sad M. Francesque Sarcey, another of Becque's betes noires, the typical bour- geois dramatic critic, but 8 flrst-rate good fellow remembers that at twenty years all he wanted to be was university professor and that he tt Deeamei o,arn and, professor he has always remained, He duotes About as a similar instance. About was born to be novelist, but never un- derstood this; he always hankered after a university career.
 Armand Silvestre, the modern Rabelais, the last Get us really hope the lasD de but one ambition at the age of twenty, which was to love. How touching! And since then he has gone on loving. "even though he may hope no more.
 Carolus Duran wanted to have a grand talent. to be really somebody, righteous in character, and worthy of inspiring the with Musset. that ''rien nest bon que ionable portrait painter of American heir esses, the father of a charming family, and a commando of the Legion of Honor. serves to be contrasted with him. At the age of 20 he was seeking without success, a master to his taste, and sent to With the Broken Nose" which was re- fused. When I was young,' he writes, q always walked about with the first Meditations' of Lamartne in my pock- ct They were tender and religious in the face of nature. My sculpture reSemples them I have introduced something of the fMedltations' into many of my works So I have realized my ideal a little. " Aurelien Scholl wanted to be great man of letters; he has been simply pop ular Journalist, an arbitrator of duels, of the Academy now he dreams only of the Nirvana and of bringing out vol ume of "reminiscences.
 And Hyacinthe Loyson Pere Hya- cinthe)? An, his was gradiose ideal. HAt twenty years I dreamed of men growing great in knowledge and nor alttv seeking their happiness in aiding and loving one another" But among the deceptions and bitternesses of the pres ent hour M. Loyson reflects that he has not sold his conscience, that no gold could purchase it and that God is above all the God of Reason, the God of Dess cartes whom he has never ceased to love and worship. "So that, after all, life Is good and death also
 And at twenty years of age Mme. Ju- dies ideal was to play drama and to re- main thin. Life has not realized either of these dreams, but though she has re- nounced all hope of becoming thin, she does not yet despair of one day playing drama.-Pall Mall Gazette.