The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-29
DEFLEMENT OF A TRAGEDY

acute literary or moral perceptions. take
shams to himself for tho act Such an one
Is the mercst PoepnE Tom. and YOU may
DO pretty sure he takes up the book at this
late day solely because he thinks he is
going 10 act bawdy hook.
"sapho' has been ON the booksheivcs OF
the iudcious beth in France aud America
these sixteen years now. Published IN 1854
Il long since achieved its plaee MS n classic
For nearly two decades II has been a book
OF which the student Of literary master works
must have thorough UNDERSTANDING as
regards It's STYLE aud Intentions, II his
knowledge OF modern French literature was
10 to anything Ike oomprehenxve II has
survived. not Because Il doai. With certain
aspects OF Illicit love with sntiro frnnkness.
not because It's setting forth OF truths that
rain and shock could be construed as an APP
peal TO prurient minds, but because II sound
ed with astonishing vigor and clearuess aone
great and significant notes In the tragedy |
OF human life. woe and sin. because its sad,
even terrifying. story was told with u
felicity and splendor OF style which have
alnnost never been euualed by any other
writer In the school OF the Roman Contem-
porain" founded by Gustave Flavbert,
Today the master who achieved this chef |
doeuvrc is suddenly pulled OH his pedestal !
ana becomes the patron saint OF those sus- |
plcious bookstals which DISPLAYS tawdry |
wares in the seeluslon of back alleys aud
by-streets.
~
No Il is not for the morals or manners
of this public that one is concerned; II is for
the high nSmo OF master whose fine
achievement is being spoiled. blown upon,
debauehed by this public which has accepted
him as tho apostle OF some evil thing out OF
which Il hopes to get an evil hour. II Is tho
name of Daudet that will suffer. and by tho
same token tho white name Of the best liter
airy art of modern France that will be bo-
smirched.
These Justice court oensors OF literature
these provincial MAYORS who sit In Judgment
on classics purge literature OF none OF its
sins. They argravate the sin. and at the
same time they blemish what is fair and fine
in literature.
Writing on this very point Theonhilc
! Gnutier. who probably was more hopelessly
| cheapened by this public and these censors
| whom We have been considering than any
other French writer Of this century. this
| great man sald-and the capitals employed
| in what follows are his own
ITO be sure cat may look at q king and
/ St. Peters at Rome. giant that IL Ia. can not
| prevent the Transttverns from dehling Its
! base in strange fashion: but do not believe,
nevertheless that IL would DO bad idea
TO inserbe upon certain monumental reputa-
mo FILTH DEPOSITED HERE"
Again speaking Of these literary PeepinE
| Toms no said
ri thoie is any nuclty In a book or pic
turo they no straight to It as swine to the
mire. and nay no attention to tho bloomnE
flowers or the golden fruit that hang within
reach on all sides,
1t is with a vince OF pain that man who
has a decent respect for literature sees tho
precious "sapho' hawlSed about the streets
In garlsh paper covers today secs tho
shelves in rrlmy periodical shops loaded
with copies of II which have been turned out
by the thousand with no more mechanical
care than Is given to the preparation OK
chopped feed What an infamy these rag
and-tng books are ill-spelled, ll-printed.
pasted. not bound debauched with thou
sand printers errors, demeanod BY some
hack translators weird punctuation, very
bawd In the cutters Of literature. e bedrag-
: god ana shrleking travesty on master
: piece. To such q pass has that thing come
!. which once had the beauty OF an ancient
Venus, Even the title Of the novel is mls-
Q spelled Atrocious fatel The maEter OF an
art is made out not only bad man. but
bunglIng workman.
r This "sapho." which today the iilitcrate
buy silly and read with the sniEeerngs OF a
- ]
! hidden volumes Of his fathers bookcase. i'
a tragedy. Greek, aud fearful in the ineylta'
S bleness Of it's plot not to be road lightly OF
! for an hours amusement but TO DO studlec
d roverontlv and with much Questioning p
conscience. If so be IL the man VINO reada II
v n ma- who has lived.
u Toward the close Of tho story comes thi'
a uassage--it Is offered In the hope some heso
y less render may grasp the essential motlt o.
tragedy OF expiration. OF bitter penaliy
IS which ara the whole raigon d ctre OF TIM
l. HE ceased reading for a moment crush
ed. stupehed, As far as the sye could d fe9 tb
Is sparkod tho blue sea. 'Addlo piayeu Ln
harpg. with which was mingled anothe
II voice as warm and passionate as they
n 'Addio! And tho emptiness OF hiS np0Aer'
:, / ed to him; the field bare, tho harvest toupl'
d without any hope of return, ana All Tor tn
10 woman who had escaped him ro
10 A tale with such denouement 10 not carr
TO lessly 10 be taken up nor tboughuessly hur
D. ried through with one eve peeplnR ABOUT 10
y possible evidences OF erotomanla the o,ns
90 quite closed to moral aud aruHtle Nalue
10 which lie in vast luxurlance all along u
way.
mr. Tba admirer OF Daudet who has any re
s. spect for good books can only hope tina
a. some minority Of the army OF readers wn
have peeked into this book because the
ms thought it a bad book may and the grace
i'd love It fer the beautiful thing y Is and ma
ma even--one dares TO hone 80 mueh-be tempt
4. ed to n study OF Daudet's other and no lesi
in their way powerful stories Let theI
ur icok into Lies Rois en- Exil." Greek. too. !
ce lis awful ineyltableness Let them STUD
IN Inc character OF the queen. a nineteent
49, century idyl. the character OF the KING
ar lcyal old chancellor. one OF the sterh's
vet most touching figures In all Literature
n Lot them 10 on TO Fremont Jeune
ed EIsler Aine" ana let them consider I'M
sustained and fond study OF a good. slmp
Is man who rs good without ree0npense az
OF ,vhose story opers with his dellcously nai'
lsl musings on his wedding day, that niue pu
ny ture. Tor example OF "a FURNISHING Ei ~,
MS her great lustring apron crying out ~
nd bridegroom is not handsome. but the prl'
IN is deucod pretty That is the KIND OF INN
IN. that makes you feel proud when you are
ia Aud mat last scene OF all in the story, =
lty last word In the simple, homely tfageu
Der thar picture OF Paris ana OF tht olp LslS,
tut who stands above the good man puu' -
In curses the city and the 1eelhR wonsh' ;"
of have wrought his ruin. can not resi-
lat .,s5x o'clock struck. In the distance J.
EEK above Paris, which he heard roar. put eou
"a nos see. rose a mist. heavy. warm, ~ - !"
AN stirring, frinRed az The edge Win rea .
ins black. like the cloud wnieh hahES ofsI
ont field of battle. LATHE by nttls 500"
Pile vrhito facades a eoldta cupoia, emsIk
no from the fog bursting form ~ tue sp's ~,