New-York tribune., 1901-02-03
GASTON DESCIIAM MPS.
THE PERSONALITY AND WRITINGS OF
THE FRENCH CRITIC WHO Is SOON
To LECTURE IN AMERICA.

few days ago, when the writer was leaving
one of the dramatic and musical receptions
given by the editors of the Figaro, a middle
aged man ascended the stairway with the brisk
step and nervous impetuosity characteristic OF
New-York rathe- than of Paris. His erect bear
ing. bright black eyes penetrating glance, close
cropped mustache and imperial, and the little
red ribbon in the buttOnhole, suggested the sol
dier rather than the writer. lie wore heavy
overcoat thrown Open and revealing in an in
side pocket the edge of manuscript-douhtleSs
the article that appeared the next morning ON
the front page of the Figaro" His smartly
brushed silk hat sprinkled with large fakes
Of snow, for il was ON that afternoon, MONDAY
January ., that Paris had been visited 10y tho
first snowstorm of the century. When do You
leave for the United States Il intend to sail
from Havre on February - was the reply. The
speaker Uas Castor DeschamIs. the literary
critic uf the Temps who has been selected
this year To deliver at Harvard University the
Hyde lectures On contempor rary French dramatic
literature.
According to present arrangements. NJ ''t> TON
Desc hamps. besides the Hyde course at Harvard,
will deliver lectures on French contemporary
literature al Vale Coiuabia. Princeton, cornell.
West Point and at upward Of d"zrn uniN'rs-
ties throueh hout the United States H." Viii
make brief stays S,w-Iork. Boston rhli'd"l-
phia. Baltimore. Washington. chicago ANA san
Francisco lie is rot We'll known outside "f
France as NJ. Ferdinand Brunrtierc and som"
of his PREDECESSORS. ,oi.s.. .tueutly e. rafid Ttn-
and-ink portrait Of III" popular Iafislan 'rlt'c
may hc of interest To- American university men
H. t. a brilliant talker. "a" think on his
legs" and he is a first rate impr"nrtu after
dinner speaker. His manner - modest and r"-
t,ine. He lives in the quaint little kue Gas
s.tie near the Rue du Vieux ,'olomhier. clos"
To- the venerable Church of Saint SulTl,e. an III"
very heart of the Latin Quarter. liis courses
of Literature At the S"rlonne are eagerly fol
lowed. Although il is as Journalist that he Is
most widely known, yet list If his hooks makes
a goJily show. His most important work is
La Vi. Il Les Iivrcs." the first volume Of
which " is published in 1921 and dedicated I"
NJ. Brunetier" The series IS Continued Zach
wear. and is AN admirable handbook To French
contemporary literature. for the Stufy Hnd
analysis of each author is accompanied lay hap
lily drawn sketches of the social and intel
lectt!aI surroundings amidst which his works
were. produced as well by .glimpses of the
thoughts and feelings manifested by tho public
when reading them.
NJ. Castor Deschamps comes of orthodox uni
versity stock and his wife. who intends To ac-
company him To the United States, is a daughter
of NJ Georges Perrot. member uf the French
Institute. director of the Normal S'hool ana me
member of the Board of Public Education NJ
Deschamps has travelled IN Greece and in Asia
Minor. His work La Greece d'Aujourd hun
published in 1891 won the highest annual award
accorded by the French Academy. There IS
nothing narrow minded about him. lie is aa
honest and indefatiSable seeker after truth His
books and his conversation are marked 10y his
personality. There is a force and directncss in
his style which reminds one of Tainc. of whom
he is an ardent disciple In his "MarivauX'
have an accurate monograph of the brightest
days of the eighteenth century. where in dT-
matte literature the prcdeC essors Of LHtiche
Meilhac, Bissun and canus occupied The place
that Vatican cid in painting. In lie Malaisc
de Ia Democratic find AN analysis Of the
latest development of French Socialism which
has become dominating factor ~ the political
and intellectual iif, e the day In his nuvcl
"chemin FIeuri'' Parsi;n family lif, and the
ways of the modern French gir!-her impatience
of restraint, her eagerness To try what is new,
her failures and her triumphs-are picturesquely
chronicled. with . sympathetic touch. IL would
be impossible To find more attractive, CON
densed, scientific genial Introduction To the
contained in La Vie et Les Lives" NJ Castor
nesehamps is not pessinist, but he points cut