The farmer and mechanic., 1912-09-17

No. Paul and Virginia
The worlds literature contains
many odd and interesting volumes.
the authors OF which ara practically
unknown save for the one book on
which rests their fame. IN excellent
illustrations OF this - found IN Iaqu.s
Henri Eernardin ac Saint Pierre who
wrote the imperis' BILE s,oty II
Paul ana Virginia"
It IS not ditficult t. rea!i1a that
an impressionahle boy. born Il
Havre. France. IN 1881. might take =
fancy Tor the Wide and varied lie
Of the sea There IS untold romance
in the shies that come there from
distant point stories build them
ceiVes among cargoes OF foreign
merchandise: the heart is strangely
stirred ~ the odors that cling u
bales and odd packages, and there
are f2ncful glimpSec Of the tropics
| with the parrots and maCaws ths,
sailors bring home, their brilliant
plumase and >hrin cries making
a part Of tn, daily experience III the
/ Old city.
French boys however. do not take
/ AS readily TO the sea as do TIA"
| English and American boys, for tn"
| French are more or less or a stay
| t-home in their inclination. Rernar-
din de Saint-Pierre. however. was
he had a violent fancy to le;tEr
school and become a sailor. An uncle.
| who was the captain of a ship. took
him on a voyage TO Martinique and
when Bernadin returned he was
ready TO go back IL school: his
desire for a sea lif" was set at rest
forever.
! Deciding to become an engineer.
he finished his studies at the college
of Rouen and then wen TO Russia
to take a position. For some years
he travelled from place to place. his
tour embracing Warsaw, Dresden.
and Berlin, and finally he returned
to his own country and settled ~
Paris, vi here he tried to make liz
ing at literary work
Bernardin was not on good terms
, with his family. and he had A rather
unpleasant disposition. For two
years he struggled to eSta DllSh him
self in the field of literature, but
was again forced to return 10 his
. profession and was sent to the Isle
Of Francois an an engineer. He re
manned there for three years, when
he returned again to France, where
he spent the remainder of his life
in writing.
He is supposed to have had strug
gle to live all these years bu n
. was in circumstances which allowed
/
little home in the country. His Liter
airy life was spent in Paris and he
had a few friends whom he enjoye
and who were patient with his quick
temper and exceedingly sensitive na
ture.
De Saint-Pierre was fifty years old
when his Paul and Virginia" CAV,
81 years to enjoy the reputation of
this work and to see the story brought
out in nearly all the languages OF
Europe The sweet simplicity OF this
story, its close and Intimate hold on
nature and the strong. beautiful de-
vel0prnent OF character and Of love
make it remarkable effort. II ap-
pealed TO BOnaparte. 1t was one OF
the fayOrite books Of his youth. and
on account Of his tender regard for
Virginia he showed much considera
: ton TO St Pierre When he was first
consul he gave him a pension Of sis9
a year and explained that he did
{ this on account Of poor Virginia.
! When ST Pierre tried 10 gain his
: interest in his other books he Woul.
I not listen to a word II" said thai
+, the studies Of Mature were full of
errors. and he told st. Pierre that hs
: knew nothing OF the higher mathe-
: natics and ought to study them.
What appealed most TO Bonaparta
was the sentiment IN Paul and VIZ
. ginia" Napoleon had a good dea
:. Of this, and II was one Of the char
: acteristics that gave him SO strong z
personality and put him n such clost
: touch with people in the sad days Z
St Helena one Of his few pleasure:
|, was to read to his friends, the devoted
:. officers passages from the story .
= ST Pierre He always called n
4 heroine his poor Virginia and ofse1
: explained that he read OF her II
: recollecIions of former years