The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
FRANCES EVIL LITERATURE
r ORA DEGRADATION M r
C~ORRUPTIN8 EFFECT.

"'.sso"" W u tNn s..,,ua NV,
pni,,,,. 80 a.. s.rnnd Eunire-Bo,b nj
rhnIr Tnyvos, po,nt-Franoe NJ To.Dny.
$780,,
~" u" so" ~ ',"s
~ 'sIs.,a" ~. .om"nn,S =, ,onoo.
oa"n $500 .I,,o,,en In
go ~ " " uau % A. : 80 a,anco NJ Tho
BIT 1.""o0 ~ W. ~ohiah ~. ,,,o.o,nro ~ ,h.
- IA. ,a,i,Io. T., ,nssinn
u.nl ,...sn no,,s .oon, 70 ho ronoo,,
- 80 v;.t,,.. w. Iuon ~ ,ho suhioo,.o,
ns - nnn,I. ,rmcas,J.o ond
.sanaat U..a...amn.,ou ,oo rrorrnf,I md
So nossir,is,te a utter Tho I,to Mr. William
p.,hha,. c., o,,I. "It is b,rd IN CIV wbe,b-
.",ho"n..an, na,I,ioa 49, ~. onrro,t li,eroturs
=, Eranno oon,ovs tho m , yivid mnrossion ~
60 MI nrotonnd dam or,lization-tb viii.
aa..ni,,Io ~. ora,n, ,aor Tho ,birstv ma.
tor,.,,.m ,ho ehs.nco ~ nj, liberal sentiment
~ nnhI. ,snirati,n indicnted Inv the one. the
.n.aInnman, -, iii cir oon,ro, ~ se,f- reaneo,
dr. ,urrond.r ~ oil manIinoas dignity or reti.
nsnno tho huneor after rho most diseased. I'M
holv and extravaoant cxcitement. character
is,ic ~ thu other or the Intense and unre-
hat d so,oanpe.s tho passionate and slayisb
vorsbin ~ wealth. and mower. which constitute
tha b.a,a and tbe soul NJ both alike" And
10 oo,cI,doa =, norciIesa djzsection and scath-
ing denuncia,ion of the French fiction of the
tim. In n massage the sombre beauty and serI-
oisness OF which 1t would he hard II not I'M
possible to boat. which seems quite ms ap-
plcable u the France OF Ioia ana MaupaSSaht.
BourRet and Nerlaine. as TO the France OF
George Sand and Alfred de Musset. Eugene
Sue and Ernest feydeau. the younger dumas
and Victor Hugo. OF which he wrote: These
productions for the most part are written with
great power ana beauty OFTEN WIN a. muen
elevation oi sentiment as Is eohpat'ole with
the absence OF all strict principle anu all dell
mite morality.
Ihere Is plenty OF religion ana much even
that Is simple. Touching anu hhe' out IL Is re-
hRion as affection and emotion never as
guide. goVernance or creed Ihere IA some
reverence and much gratitude toward God
but little IDEA OF opedience. sacrlhce or ueVo-
ton, There Is adulation and expectation'
rather than worship or service. Then. again.
there Is vast sympathy with the suffering ana
the poor-deep and genuine II often irrational
and extravagant. but 1t commonly oeGenerates
into senseless aninoslty toward the rich,
laWiess hatred OF settled institutions. ana
cause and effect which governs social we'll.
he,ne Thers ara dalinostions ., ranturous
irreproachable almost angelic love. but some
unhallowed memory. or some disordered assoc
citation. almost always steps in to stain the idol
a aue pathos and fancy in rich protusio p'
characters Of high endowm. ant and noble as,
aha.,a asr.o,,on niotnras -, o,intIv nnritv and
mas. Iie.1,UI oeIlp' oa,hiy ,uHbesy %"u
morbid and msretricious mineles with and
mr. tha whole Thora ia eysrv eovar ~
mars the whole' lhere IS every mower OF
Paradise.
.pu, Tho trai, ~ ,hs ssrnent "a ovsr than NIL
1.-The crandest eifts placed at the service OF
.,o 49,, noo,,on., ,ho loIioo. ,asu.so.
'he lowest passiohS' the hohest sentiments
and the fondest moments painted in the rich
est colors OF the fancy only 70 he withered nv
-, - ~ .,s, ,,
cynical DOUBT or soiied by cynical indecehcy;
the most secret and sacred recesses OF the
soul explored and mnstered. not for reyeren.
NV .oSnn mn :. .Iots ~. VI 80,
tlai contemplation OF thelr beauties ana their
mysteries. but in order to expose them. with a
bideous grin-noked sensitive and sbrintino
" sn M .n.'' a"u nm
to the desecratinG glance OF a misbelieving
and hooking world-such is the work which