Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-30

ideas, such as that of Eve and David
Sechard, of Marguerite Claes for her hus-
band absorbed in scientific research. of
Eugene Grandet for her false lover, and
of Ursule Mirouet for her true one, it
seems tolerabIy clear that the author gen
orally looks upon real love as a serious
affiiction which may be prevented by in
diligence in minor passion, much after
the fashion Of vaccination for the pre-
vention Of smallpox.
1t is this phase of the Coincide HUI
milne which has probably done most 10
repel readers of our race. Such readers
may find a way of making an acquaint-
ance with the French novelist without
shock to their sensibilities by choosing
certain of his works which are complete
IN themselves, are among his most excel
lent artistically, and which depict love
as we all imagine it ought to be. Such
are 'The Search for the Absolute, 'Eu-
genie Grandet,' "Ursule Mirouet,'
Lost Illusions" Cesar Birotteau," and
'The Inside OF History" / had almost
has moral flaw, though not bad
enough, it seems to me, to preclude its
enjoyment by any but the most severe
among moralists. These volumes will
give the judicious minG comprehensive
idea of Balzac's greatness without arous
ing any feeling of discomfort on the
score of manners. And there are others
among his shorter stories.
But those who are not afraid of the
dissecting room and who desire to follow
the great analyst through unwholesome
as well as pleasant investigations, should
''Pere Goriot' is perhaps the best start
ing point, to be succeeded by the Lost
Illusions "Provincial in Paris '.Cour.
tesan's Nicissitudes,' Princess de Cad
ignan," 'Beatrix,'' bachelor Life"
Femme Abandonnee," Poor Rela
md do
many others as they may care to read
Those in the list just given are more or
less lnterdependent, every separate vol
ume containing actors in one or more of
the other volumes. None of the foremost
female characters in the works are
of Eve Chardon in lost Illusions"
There are portraits of good women
among them, however, though not as
conspicuous as the other kind
1t Is not necessary to mention BalZac's
mystical productions in detail. There
are comparatively few of them, and they
appeal to special tastes and habits of
mind. He included them with all the
others in his Coincide Humane which he
reasonably believed might, through the
years of the future, be accepted as a
true delineatiOn of the life and manners
of his time: Taking France as the fore
ground of his canvas, his expectation is
likely to be justified. To a student of
Balzac it seems impossible that France
should be well known to any one who
has not made the acquaintance of his
wonderful productions. For reasons
which have been intimated above. his in
fuence in England and America has
been exercised mostly at second hand.
Thackeray was his disciple. Vanity
Fair" "Pendennis,' and THE New
comes" would not otherwise have taken
the forms which they assumed. Robert
Louis Stevenson also caught much of
his own inspiration from the French
master. Through such writer's we have
imbibed much OF Balzac's spirit, but,
aiken for all in all, he still stands alone.
His personal life was almost as re-
markable as the productions of his pen
Indeed, he turned his boyhood into the
story of Louis Lambert" and drew
upon later experiences for parts of other
important works. His fierce determina-
ton for success in literature is illus
trated by his spending the first ten years
of MS manhood in preparing for success
by what appeared to be continuous fail
ure, meanwhile subsisting upon the most
meager food, and often actually going
hungry. Though he had published half
a dozen novels before he was %, it was
not until he had reached the age of 80
that he produced one to which he was
willing to attach his name, or which
achieved any encouraging degree of sue
cess. FROM that time onward until 1913
he is said to have written ninety-seven
stories. comprising nearly $1,000 closely
printed octave pages.
His views of love did not prevent him
from falling into that passion for a Pol
ish countess who dallied with him for
years, "interfered seriously with his
work, and finally married him a year or
two before his death, which occurred at
Paris. August 20, 1850 His funeral was
after the French fashion for celebrities.
Victor Hugo pronouncing the Grafton
What Balzac might have accomplished
IN the dozen or more working years
which he could properly have considered
himself entitled to at the time of his
death, it is useless to conjecture. What
remains of Balzac is the product of less
than twenty years of writing, and is
probably the greatest quantity of real
literature ever produced by one man in
an equal length of time. His popularity
in English has grown immensely in the
present decade. Perhaps his second CEN
tennial may have people of our language
as participants in its celebration; but on
the other hand, looking at the stupendous
growth of literature throughout the
world, it is possible to ina CINE that Bal
FAC at that time may be forgotten by all
but few of the learned of the French
themselves. T. w. H