The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22

1900 Dai5des. g. p. Pntram's Sons
- French masters Of fiction have
1880 10 a mastery OF style that Is
t1r11y approached ny writers In other
..--.~ss says a tate interesting review
- f,audes's last novel. IL Is astonishing
- ffs,is there Is OF permanent value
-. In tpe best French novels Those
s-.cxx WIN make such great noise Ia
-. war,d. and who manage TO get such
= r.~anse.onabIs amount Of advertising.
:. net produce books tnat one cares 10
- second time. les Afserabies' ~
.,.gnendons work. Intensely dramatic
= .cmsntfc. Il IL q work that wall last.
.-~.s< zach generation fer many gem
1000 "a come viii want 10 read Il
- Abuf Il would be a weary road 10
sreyN twice or thrice. for 1t contains an
..esI.. deal OF chan and an Infinite deal
q unreIabtlity. And there is the great
n.,eae. What could be more dlshearsen-
- = more disgusting than TO walk con-
s.-,eHy In his company He has not
u-~r,s tawdriuess and he does see char
..,er bu, o very short acquaintance with
-, dives quite enough OF the society OF
.-~s cherries companion. Now. these
=. men whose genius Is indispufabfe and
49, Mace in literature Is won. When
:. tsrn 10 the modern school. or schools
,.sa1f. there is even less reason for the
.-sstr.tiou OF close friendship. Not long
8. re bad the sixteenth, or eighteenth
= Anrseenth great WORK from lola. L,
t from sheer force. from It's WORK.
~esaks construction. from certain vivid
- Iptsoss. II could not have been writ
= H. a I,srary tyre. But have Its char
- any value? Are they lifeiike within
- own narrow bounds. and are they
euh34y representative OF France. and her
sly millions OF people? Then, passing
The ideas, are they not the mere ex-
Sblts,Ion of pompous personality which
tksgsnes that the world Is bowling before
d a. before an oraeief
Surely no one would care TO read
sPar.s' o second time. Its vague and
al,hy characters do not becson us hack.
sad ne breathe a prayer of thankfu,ness
asseY escaping from the boredom OF Its
portentons IDEAS.
In spste of the boasts Of the Parisians, IL
b evident that there Is something wrong
ana stunting In the literary atmosphere
Of Paris. and It Ia dresdfnl pity that It's
Might ever fell upon A.phonse Daudet.
h reading his last work. THE Head Of the
Family" this is the first and inevitable
rejection. Here was man who ousht
10 have been great In the genuine sense
cf the wcfd. but who was ruined by his
environment. He had 10 listen 10 that
eternal din OF theories. to seek out aud
Illustrate the filih. as all the rest of them
we're doing-to produce. In fine, a
French" novel.
Hence he remained TO the last prom
iss. He never did anything 10 excel hts
exquisite earlier sketches. perhaps moth
Ing to equal them Dolobelie and NJ.
chese are people whom We IKE 10 meet
again. ius. as we like 10 renew our ae-
usa;ssanee with Meawber and Mrs
Camp They were the beginning of what
hsde fair 10 he a splendid gallery of char
sctrs. depleted with inimltabie grace and
fidelity. There is NJ. Joyeusc. too. In the
sNahnb.'' Nothing could be more delight
fsi than the one little family picture
xhsth slightly diversiies the almost uni
iafmiy fepnlslve features OF the novel
But notwithstanding the encouraging sign
nes and then. the promise continued 10
nman unfuialied. and so 1t remains In
this last story.
But then. too. the charm is felt 70 the
very last There is character dei!neatic
here OF the first order, and The conception
Of the story Is excellent. The head Of the
family. enc Raymond Endefine. Is intro.
dussd TO us as boy. His father has an
exaggerated notion of the value Of n
classical education. and has started the
youth on the way 10 learning. only TO learn
that he must rel,nauish nil his fine
scasmss because OF financial difficulties.
In bis distress over hts business troubles
the unfortunate man commits suicide
leaving Raymond a parting injunction 70
act as 'the brad az the FAMILY" should.
thus the boy Is made TO feel that he Is
responsible for his mother, and his
brother. Antonir. and hIs sister. Dina
They In turn look upon him with proper
reverence. and willingly eoncede him his
tile.
His aim. however. Is stlil the classical
education. and. OF course. he can do moth
ing until his courses at school are COM
rlesed As a result. II Is Antonin and
nsna snd the mother who support the
family. who pay their own way, and take
care Of The older brother besides. This
= she situation that 20 developed. with
many sasiricai and humorous touches.
Raymond accepts II without a murmar
save for the complaints OF his over power
rs responsibilities. the Insufferahle bur-
cen hat be carries as sha head Of the
'smay. Perhaps the height OF shsurdty
reached when this pocr. *elf-deludea,
van creature standing In the nrottIy
'aFashsd apartments that have been PRO
Nsea sor him through the sacrifices OF his
Ee'asFs brother and sister, on the very
eay AZ bis installation. flies into a rage
sscaase dina win not consent to marry
tsspseahle fellow whom he has chosen
y Der husband and ;here. with The fresh
@sasaees % their kindness all about him.
saes cut; ''oh, This family. this family"
Wei ard What have the family done
9 sea, Pray sad Dina. giving fun scope
g Der vexaiion-