New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03

always seemed 70 u something incongruo,
about the apparftion Of this great nreditstt,
and spiritualized Russian amid the neryor,
Ioquacious and irredeemably literary French
men-FTaubert, Zoia, Maupassant and thes
comrades-who went about the establishmef
Of a "naturalistic' school OF fiction IN the mood
OF craftsmen pure and simple Put the steel
Ike brilliance Of FTaubert, for example, bexds
the suave simplicity OF Turgenier- The ons
reeks Of the lamp. the other has In Il the Light
and air, the fragrance and the beauty. Of nas
ure itself The one is at It's best splendid
tour de force; the other seems, al along tbs
line. but the outpouring OF q wholesome nature
the bubbling up Of a clear, cool spring q
this realism? Yes; but it Is a realism so sans
so sweet. that it occupies place apart. owing
only nominal allegiance to the main stream
OF realistic literature, and properly under
stood, II would do more to purify modern let
ters and recall errant young writer's TO the ell-
tivation OF a really fine standard than could BE-
done By a thousand hOrtatory essays Thers
is a rectftude in the realism OF Turgsnisf
which Is extraordinarily refreshing and stnu-
lating. He is always bringing Us back to ths
truth that lies far below the surface Of things
The pain that IS latent in Russian life passed
into his books. but. like Thomas Hardy. with
whom be has points OF contact which Il might
be interesting to unalyze. he leaves his reader
softened, not embittered He never reli1-
uuished his hope Of brighter dawn FOR us D.
loved fatherland. He knew that those more T
less articuIate thousands who dreamed WITH
him, dreams Of a New Russia. were oidIns
their time not in senseless resignation but VIII
proud STRINGS Of the heart which the fatalsts
tendency Of the race could not quite st1n Asa
result. be his climax never so tragic or drearH
We nevertheless rise from perusal Of Il VIII
emotions strangely kindled- Perhaps In some
hts stories II is the pervasive quietude OF tns
landscape that affects our mood with sense
poetry and peace Perhaps It IS his trnaginac"
uplift his answering ideaIisrn. his gsnnsnes
OF soul that makes TurSenieH so touching n
his veracity. He is austere and he Is tende-
Above all, there is nothing arbitrary in his pr0-
ceedings as dramatist Rudir's end Is ne "
evitable end Liza and Lavretzky only go lleH
natural ways. No one who has reflected on I-'
at all would have the story OF Litvinon ana
Trina written otherwise than as Turgenien ns
written IT And II Is this high sincerity Oh -
that robs OF all cruelty and ugliness WnateV1
seems implacable in his books In iac|
Turgenien Is. Of all realists. the one who maAS
you feel as you put down his work thar SOLE
thing beautiful has passed that way. de PAM
human nature as one who has been MADE H'
OF its secrets. and Is therefore only the mO"
compassionate. The ordinary realist seer"
curiously small beside him Partly THIS . "
cause the ordinary realist not only mas L.
rover views Of the human soul than TurSelle-
had, but turns a weaker vision upon the VINE
great human spectacle. and draws Il VIII
weaker hand The Russians men and WON
are themselves alive, and they move reelS
living world How vivid he IS. how arues
his dialogue. how simple and how fresh II =
that means the vitality Of scene. whether
crowded with figures or Is simply some anu
scape in which the birds are sirgingi TO rsSA
him is to walk the solid earth. sharing the ps'
sion. the joys and the woes. OF men and Won0