The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12

stray Algerian--it was the good fortune
of Niele-Grifiin to he AN American in
France. He Is "A son of Gen. Niele of
New York. lie went to Paris, as Poe
did or did not go to Greece. stuart
Merrill had preceded him: had been
Captivated 10y the facility with which
French verse may be written by an
accomplished amateur: had sung of
doubt and autumn rain, of thyrses and
sceptres and torches, OF Parsifal and
the Walkyries: had made himself mas =
ter of his poetic instrument.
Stuart Merrill prepared the way for
his young countryman. When Wee
Griffin made his debut in 1856 with
"Cueille d'AVril' he was taken seriously.
1t was an example and he followed it,.
He has explained and defended himself.
He has justified himself. He has called
himself "le petit f.s de Walt Whitman"
Now Niele- Griffin has talent, not large,
to be sure. but delicate and sensitive.
He has suaVe. almost feminine preCi-
| osity. He lisps in numbers. not only
because the numbers come but because
they come in language that is not
radically his own. His French has a
pretty air of bewilderment, like Susan
nah among the elders. He plays with
strange rhythms and odd ornaments.
He Is quite as foreign as those little
, tawny girls, Nakiem and Tarninch and
| Sariem, who startled Paris with the
| unusual music of Javanise hammers
banging the copper vases. And yet
Niele-Griffin for all his odd noises is the
calmest OF poets. Life is pleasant; why
should one shout? Love is sweet: and
| he drapes the calm child in a toga of
! modest s'rophes. Ais Tor the best In
TINS pest OF all worlds; and he lisps
pfah 10 the 'heerful days
! Jean Richepin was born che says) at
, Mcdeah, in Algeria, in 1850. His father
was French army surgeon of goot
| FANNY. His early years. like those of
Sterne, were passed in the barracks or
! In the train Of the wandering army
| When he was about 10 years old he was
/ placed in the Ecole Norma.e, where he
! remained until the breaking out of the
! war. He joined company of francs
| trcurs and fought until there was an
end OF hghtng. Then he drifted t
hnntmartre. This was the epoch OF
/ the srande boheme. Richcpin, hroodng
in the Cabaret DIES AssassIns, was "a
poor as poet well can be. He wrote
! ''~''''''' ava N''' Nv "'i"f'''' ~
tween times he elaborated his marvel
l"us Chanson des GueuN' In summer
, he lived the life he had sung; he was
n sailor. a strolIing player strong
man a. sunu,pa" la,ts' Al ms ,.il'
! ~, ON Va Wv wy
dominant I'm Erorch yorse Low
pirhenin did NOT wholIv osc,n. &c in.
nuence. bnt no was more than
rhetor more than n iuygler ~ words
he was not one TO sit dociley in an,
school" of poetry. He went his owr
way. stormy. INDEPENDENT. audacious
He was the "strong man" of the fair.
IT was lean Richepin's chief dis.
tinction that he was sp,endldlv an,
asgressive,y himself. He had Luther!
broad love for life. and If he hurle,
immortal hlasphemies at heaven. in
stead of throwing ink bottles at tn,
| devil. he was none the less a hunte
| of souls.
He was imprisoned for writing IN,
"Chonson dos Gueux" and lost his, ci,,i
nights While at SaInte pelapie h,
wrote thar hook NJ hrutauv moder,
,oles "Nnrts Rizarras" rhen cam
los Rlasnhemes" in which no CON
d.nsed all tho hitterness and insoIenc
~ the modern scientific soul He wa
,s ore who wall,.d ont under tho star
and heat his breast and screamed def
ance ot tho elemental laws
IT. -. ,,,. , ..,., g.,
pays ""N "'NN'S' '"'''
>",''N ~ "'i"
Jean hichepIh' bouchor' iaouI lou
choh ana many others III 'h"se uaS