New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-18
STORIES OF ,SARCE|.
THE GREAT FRENCH CRITICS METHODS
OF WORK-HIS YOUTH


served up To the last yigOr and activity really
surprising. He wrote several articles every day,
and went to the theatre every night. In one Oh
his recent articles. entitled "NiVre vleuX' ne
said that in his opinion long life was not 10
be sired u less ii employed in some gOod
work The young authors called him famarN
Mon Oncle and it with gay heart that
he accepted the appellatiOn. But he was some
times very severe them. If his pen was
incisiVe, II must he added that the wounds ne
made not incurahle He himself would
declare that If he was occasionally brutal ll
was because he was forced TO be With his
irOnica smile he was wont to say Of himself in
the Language" Of the f&hulist: That animal IS
Vicious; Shen it * attacked it defends itself
During q: discussion day he had the OPP
portunity ~ EXPLAINING his method Of judgment.
Emile lola had accused him of knocking off
his criticisms the end Of a table without
taking tn Trouble to see the pieces Of which he
Wrota" Sarcey replied: "What, you. who know
the value Of labor; you. who have accomplished
hard task. bow is J. mat you affect To treat
in suCh - rnaLner "A man who. like you owes his
influence to thirty years of study and labor
There Is lot piece IF any Importance that |
have not seen three four times. | examine
at each performance tnC manifestations Of the
audience. which sometimes confirm my first i'm
preston and sometimes change it, There is not
an actor or an actress whose parts ! have not
studied. ! hSve devoted my entire life to the
theatre. where | am to % found every evening.
The public knows this, and that is why il grants
me certain amount Of authority in theatrical
matters; th1t is why it has confidence in the
honesty AMI justice Of my opinions The public
also knows that am always sincere, and love
the theatre with love so absolute that | would
sacrifice everything. even my private friends.
for the pleasure Of directing the people to
piece VI ich appears to me good, or Of drawing
them away from a pie % which | consider bad.
And when / have made mistake | do my
utmost To repair the wrongs which may have
committed"
Sarcey's fatier kept q school at uourdan aid
it was IN that little town that ne was born.
F;"m his earliest years ne liked the theatre.
His father was passionately fond Of music and
wanted to make an artist Of him. His mother
preferred that he should be painter or
sculptor. Music. however gained the day. He
had good voice: that something. The ,
question then to get a master. This was
not difficult. He placed in the hanCs Of "A
chOiiSter Of the local church II must confess !
says Sarcey. that this preliminary education
has left little trace in my "reminiscences. | had ,
several professors. of whom one was Father
Durocq. and VINO said 10 me one day. after hav-
ing studied my musical abilities. If ever you
become musician it will be a miracle And ,
the good old priest in the right Music was
thereon given up.
After having been professor in two or three /
provincial colleges he made up his mind 10 leave
the university and take to journalism. 1t was
at Grenoble where this change cook place. H.
had met About in one Of his journeys, and
cnVied the glory which surrounded him. He ,
therefore decided To innate him. He Wrot.
his first article and took it to About Il
was so embarrassed he said. an opened my
manuscript with such ,itiful Inien that About
could not help laughing Give lie your packet
said About; 1 will read IT. and in that way We
shall soon get over it, After having finished it
About said to ne. 1t is irst class But yod
have not signed it i cannot myself sign my
name. Surprising sign IT with an X2 No
replied About we must have lame of some s
sort but what name Let Us sr'. Shall We take !
3inet? 1t smells or IN" provinces. Yes. Binet .
will do; but Bnet alone would be too short and
We must have a handle to it, About, on taking
up the last page of my 'opy. wrote with his
pen at he end Of the article ;he following
name: Santana Binet Would YOU be laIi
enough to present the article to Nillemessant
and to recommend it,? About answered. 1T Is
not necessary. NillemeSSant reads everyt hing.
However. will endorse il for you And thereon :
he wrote the manuscript the following IL
scripton: Please read this. Signed, Edmond
About And returned il to me. Throw il into
the editorial box Of the "Fgaro"' he sud. and
YOU viii no doubt see 1t in print The article. to
my great JOY. appeared in the paper mentioned
the next day
and had great success. His lectures were Of
course chiefly confined TO theatrical matters ,
He amused himself we'll his audience.
When he laughed everybody else laughed. ,
Never did orator pay less attention out I !
ward appearance. He made few or no gestures ;
His elOquence was, perhaps not very elevated. !
hut ii always dealt with some new idea, which
sulficed to draw a numerous audience and give {
popularity to his conferences He has been 70 &
preached with showing too much that he had {
been professor. His pen was more like the
rod of pedagOgue.' said Auguste NilemOt. the d
chronicler He also fought FOR the French Ian
suage II confess" he said that I have the {
deepest passion for the French tongue. | suffer
when | see ii attacked when il is not re- ! l
spected enough Any notifications in it must ! I
be made with the greatest care 1t must be re- :
membered that il has given to the world the Z
Iurest, the noblest and completest chefs !
dPuvre That alone ought 70 oblige to {
Vcnerate it. and not to lay foul hands on it,"
In conclusion, let me notice one of his works. ;
Souvenirs de Jeunesse" which sets forth the 5
duty Of man 1t is dedicated to his daughter ,
and runs thus There is lesson which hope y
You will gather from the reading of this work