The sun., 1899-07-30
VII


With THE Wild Ass's Skin" t'P Peau de Cha
grim begins the series OF "Phiosophic and
Analytic Studies" which the author did not
live to complete. No reader Of this powerful
allegory will deny that Balzac is a moral
teacher. 1t inculcates the truth that in life
we must pay for ever. excess that we commit:
that what we sow. that also. even in this
short life. shall we reap. Among the remark
able features of this book Is the detailed de-
scription Of an antiuuar,an's collection OF curl
oslties. som" Of them transmitted from tho
times Of. The Pharaohs: n description which
leaves upon the mind an impression OF ones
individual pettiness. not unlike that pro-
duced by the study OF geology. The brew
ity OF mans written history. contrasted
with the geological record. could not be
brought out more fOrcibly in our own day
OF ripper knowledge than 1t was by Ba'zac in
1881 As you trace. he saws. from cutting
to cutting. from layer to layer. beneath the
uunrri"s Of Montmartre or among the slate de-
posts Of I'll" tral. tn" discoveries OF animals
whose iossilized remains belong to antcdu-
vihn civilizations. the soul is aghast at tho
Gllmps" Of the thousands ot millions Of years.
of the Thousands Of millions of people whom
f""h" human memory aud whom even divine
traditions have forgot en-. but whose ash"s.
heap"d upon the surface Of our globe. form
th" two feet Of earth which Weld us bread and
flowers little later he goes on: "A ter in
Vulnerable dynaStics Of gigantic creatures,
after races Of fishes ant clans OF mol
imSEs. IA" hHmnn rae" appears at last.
These pnny men. horn Yesterday are abe
pra :" aud Ia evoke he past nt th,. universe IN
sort OF r"irCgrrSsivr ApU"Jlypsr In presanrs
OF mat terrifying resurrection. tie crumh -
ne whose nsnlru"t is granted I" each OF us IN
that namc!"ss inAuitude common to ali
that Me- N ~ e HHe IS Me n1 tlmT IA
wonder. crushed AS we ar" under such n multi
tHdm OF worlds IN ruins. Of what use are. our
ought TO nrreW the burden ot life in order 70
l"rnm.n n intan ."I" -perk IN he future Up
valet cutters and SAYS To us: Mldame la com.
'"1sc rSr!.",i int II" , "Nr""'"I m"nseur'|
Norway. V" have III" mystical ouintesscncs
SSxra",rd from rions study Of III; writings Of
daughter - SwrI"nh0rg : cousin In outline ~
tn" swedish myeti"'s lie is introduced int tho
story; anG hi, religions doct @incs are exprnni-
ehnt length. ,r''h"r m"morn,,lrc ,lrcontributlon
t 10 ne IN, .I'hrn4,l nnnytic group was Tho
Er one Sn,rnn" from Witch III ali or oshsrs srsf have %
been derived 4 substance common 70 all
created l ling, modied BY single force such
t hrcIcnled " n" absolute. n problem which
IT, M hrr" 81 iia'%n"s move mndertpkes to solve.
one Substance will be discovered in an element
common to tho three gases Oxygen. hydrogen
he believed would he detected in the element
inm@n Wb% shoJT to TGS,ve hn b and negative electricity
stance and this single medium would unridrlls
the supreme secret Of all the results produced
by nature. Perhaps never were physical ra-
searches OF an achemistc order pursued in an
"hNlrnhn"ht more appropriate and attrac-
tv" than tnat which is depicted I'm this story.
II l. IN lovely old mansion at DOuai. a mas
t"rn'"re nf the Flemish architecture OF tho
sixteenth century. amid antique furniture and
priceless paintings, that the quest for the ah-
solute is prosecuted. Throug gh the story runs
constant struggle between the intellect and
the affections. between the duties NJ husband
ana father and scientists recognition Of his
duty to mankind.