The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-11

"Consuelo" the most famous. None of
them is very readable today. But they
are significant, for in their sympathetic
study of the lower classes they are the
first signs of the coming of the ''topsy-
turVy" naturalism of lola. On George
Sand their effect was to widen her
heart and to chasten her sympathies.
Even before the revolution of 1913 had
shaken her from her socialistic rever-
les she had found an escape from the
problem novel, in country idylls of
unmatched grace and of exquisite
beauty. 1t is indeed difficult to speak
with restrained praise of THE Devil 5
Pool" or of Little Fadette,' or OF
Francois lie Champi," or of ''Tever-
mo" The gentle sympathy with the
children of nature that pervadeS these
books makes them masterpieces of rus
tic poetry and carries their fragrance
of wild thyme and sage from genera
ton to generation.
But this exquisite vein gave scant
hope to the intenser feelings of her ma
ture that had found expression in the
first period, and presently she devel-
oped a fourth manner that lasted from
1860 till her death in 1876 Here her
earlier aspirations appear purified by
experience. They seem to breathe a
serener air. These are the novels that
are most read and best worth reading
today, for the idylls of which we have
Just spoken can hardly be called novels
at ALL The best by general consent is
The Marquis of Wiener" a most de-
lightful study of French aristocracy.
Excellent, too, in the delicacy of its
psychology is Jean de la Roche" and
much pleasure may be got from Mad
emoiselle la Quintinie.'' where, in the
struggle of youth and maid between
their religion and their love we get as
deep as George Sand is apt to take us
into the recesSes of the human heart.
For George Sand is never a profound
psychologist. She feels deeply, but
she does not often think clearly. Her
women, energetic, resourceful like her
self, are better than her men. Her
young girls, timidly romantic and mod
estly coquettisal, are best of all and
thoroughly charming. Love is the
handspring of her novels. Love, sexual,
parental, altruistic, alone for her gives
meaning and value to existence. 1t is
the motive of all effort, the inspiration
of all struggle. This gives to her work
a certain pride of passion, whose sacred
rights override moral and social con-
ventions, so that she is always at her
best when her heart is brought back to
nature, as in her third period, or chas-
tened by experience, as in her last
years.
George Sand was of literary school
and conscious of no rule but her story
telling instinct, which never deserted
her, even when higher inspiration fail
ed There is no artifice sl her style. 1t
is like herself-full, rounded. supple,
mobile, almost always easy, but occa-
sionally fiery, high-pitched, over-em-
phatic and now and then really elo-
quent On the other hand. like most
facile writers, she was carried at times
by the scream of her words beyond the
depth of her ideas, and became mex
cusably prolix.
These minor defects it is easy to
pardon when we consider the magma
of her purpose and the great
ness of her achievement. There pulsed
all her being a splendid conf
dence in the power of the human Will.
Her optimism was fundamental, indo-
She believed with all her soul
in human nature and human goodness.
Others in our century, as Matthew Ar
mold has said, may have been greater,
wiser, purer. more poetic, but she is
the most varied and the most attract
i've. THE immense vibration of her
voice will not soon pass away. There
will remain of her the sense of benest
and of stimulus from the passage upon
earth of that large and frank nature.
that large and pure utterance. the ut
-erance of the early gods. There will
remain an admiring ana ever widening
report of that great soul, simple, affec-
donate, without vanity, without pedan-
Try. human, equitable, patient, kind
such was George Sand, who Influenced
With her pen the social thought of the
world more than any other woman
has ever done.