The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-08
"ALPHoNsE DAUDET."
M. Rene Doumic Lectured in French
Last Night.

M. Rene Doumic Lectured in French
Last Night
The students of French In the univer-
sity and city We're indeed afforded rare
treat last night by having the oppor-
tunity of hearing the celebrated French
scholar, M Rene Doumic lecture on
"Alphonse Daudet." The lecture was
given in Osborn hall and there was
large audience of both ladies and gen.
tlemen. 1t was a lecture which was
capable of being understood and appre-
ciated, even though the knowledge of
the French language of the listener
was very meagre. He delivered the
lecture seated at table and followed
out his words with gestures which as
sisted in making the thought he desired
to convey unusually clear. He spoke
from notes only, and many times in
dulged In humor, wit and irony He
was introduced very gracefully by Pro.
Luquiens, head of the French depart
ment, who espoused his satisfaction at
being able to present the audience with
such a veritable treat. The subject
the lecture was Alphonse Daudet. The
speaker said in substance: Daudet was
a provincial. In his native land be alb
sorbed all the warmth Of his southern
country, and the gaiety of the southern
skies. He was even gay and careless.
He saw the comedy of life and laughed
heartily at it. But there was another
side to his nature. When he was very
young he had to leave home through
poverty and passed period of wretch
cd iY, 40 NV cf
His own sufferings made him more
charitable. Pity was one of the essen
tial elements of his nature. Instead of
being embittered by his hardships he
was made stronger and more tender
by them. Daudet was an observer.
| Nothing escaped his notice and every
thing that he saw was utilized in his
books. Some people have eyes but do
| not see. Daudets has recorded what
ever he saw with the fidelity Of a sensi-
| tized plate. Unlike the late Natural
lists, he saw the good as well as the
| bad side of life. Daudet's distinctive
| addition to French literature Is the
Provincial type. He has painted his
own countrymen with sincerity and
| has not overlooked their weak
| pOlulS. L u6 lIIlnlOTldl ldTIdTln OIL LdT-
| ascon is his best known creation. A
| type common in Daudet's stories is the
| neer- do-well, the man who has some
| how missed fire." and the French
word picturesquely expresses it. He
has not neglected the man of genius
| and the petit bourgeois" and about
them he has woven some of his daint-
| lest tales. After all what is lacking in
Daudet? 1t is strength. He lacks
strength in the construction of his sto-
ries, which are not always the logical
development of single theme, but Of
| ten, indeed, on the contrary, a series Of
incidents whose connection is not al
| ways too apparent There is the same
| lack of strength in his literary style
But he has grace and beauty 1t is
those qualities and his infinite toler-
| ance and tenderness that have gained
him the position of the greatest of
contemporary French romancers.
| M. Doumic was secured for this oc-
casion by some of the students in the
French department. There is no fund
here as at Harvard to provide for an
annual series of lectures by distin-
guished Frenchmen, but there is re-
viving interest in the department
| which it is hoped will increase with
| time.