The New York herald., 1922-03-19

MEME. Translated from the French
of Ernest Perochon. George H. Do
ran Company.
A TENDER and comprehend
~ ing art is used in the tell
ing of the story Of French
peasant girl, story whose elements
are of the simplest. like air and earth
and water. The love of girl for two
little children, her devotion to q
home that was not hers, her faithful
ness and the unselfishness that made
it impossible for her ever to ask
anything for herself-so that, at the
last, she is given nothing.
The man who wrote this book
knows we'll the land Of which he
writes. the country life he depicts.
He knows the smell of the good
brown earth when 1t Is freshly
turned blythe plow, and has watched
the birds that fiutter in it's wake and
the long, slow heave OF the working
oxen. On his pages he has put it all
down. and in words that are like
spells; powerful and restrained and
adequate. He knows the people who
live there, too. He feels them, as
though he were brother, son and
father to them. He knows their
poetry. their kindness. their cruelty.
And out Of these he builds his story.
There is Madeleine. Meme as the
two babies call her, for little 10 cam
not manage her long name when he
first begins to talk, and Lalie. the
small sister, falls easily into using
the nickname, especially as in that
locality II Is used frequently as a
diminutive for nsarroine, god-mother,
Madeleine who comes as the ser
want of the childrenps father, Cor
bier. the farmer. There is her big
brother, John. called Trooper be-
cause OF his size, fine lad when not
In drink. There is old grandfather
Corbier, and there are the farm
hands. and Troopers girl, violette,
the dressmaker in the village. Cor
bier's wife Is dead, and il is because
Of that that he must have a house
keeper. He adored the lost woman
and loves her still with an aching
passion. he hates to have any one
there in the house where she made
joy for him and his, but the chill
dren must be cared for and the
house kept in order.
Only phrase or two are used In
speaking OF this love for the dead
wife. few broken words spoken by
Corbier as no follows his oxen up
and down the field. But we know
then how deep 1t was and with what
poetry it was invested.
But Madeleine soon makes the
house a home again. The children
quickly love her, for she loves them.
Early and late she works, keeping
everything bright and sweet. cooking
the good soup. spinning at the wheel,
sewing. tending the youngsters. Her
heart is fresh and beautiful, and she
loves her work. though many a night
she Is weary enough, for she is up
by 3 in the morning. and often it is
10 or after before she can get into
bed.
Corbier is content enough, but
wrapt In his memories he never real
ICES her as a woman. She is merely
something that keeps the house COM
Portable and the young ones thriv-
ing. Once or twice, TO be sure, his
warm young blood is stirred by her
proximity, but he hates the physical
yearning where all that is really he,
elings to the young wife too carly
gone. And he is rough and unkind
70 the gentle girl in the reaction of
his moods.
Violette is OF another stamp from
Madeleine. OF an alluring loveiiness,
with a dark. sleek little head. Ian
guorous appeal, a heart of cold
shrewdness instead of feeling. A
girl whom men go mad over and who
likes it for the thrill it brings her.
TROOPER believes she will marry him.