New-York tribune., 1922-06-11
Paris News Letter
By Lewis Galantiere

Calantiere
taken as q specimen o. 'hs bohemian
school OF literature af fho end ~ no
last century. They are gally uneon-
vent.onai and their songs % love as a
ioke provide q moments auiusemept,
Nouveau will BE- remembered a. ths
friend ~ his hiends long after bic
verses have disappeared.
New Provost Novel
MIR. MARCEL PROVOST. member q
vi The Academy ictional authority
on the Psychology of woman ard Az
thor ~ "fetfref de- Femmes," les
Dcmi-Vlorgcs' and other exciting nov
els. ,s aiways we'll rcpresenfel in tho
French department of American book
,hops. Il should he n Interest then
10 note tie publication ~ bis latest
romance, "i.cs Don juanes.' which has
been appearing for some time past IN
IA Revue do France
Mr. Provost has beer AZ palms % sx-
plain tho word which he thus aids -
the French language. Don Juane lmore
purely Dona Juana) rs a word that
grow Ike a mushroom, otymologically
indefersiblo, but a peach, because i'
tells rs story and stings Ike a whip
lash"
Tho novel is composed Of fo1r
stories oloveriy crossed and Inter.
woven. Zach concerns a different don
iuanc Tho first Is Hiida Won pardon
de) Finsburg, a German grand duehess
who. after s Wild life IN Paris, falls N
love with O handsome dancer, plans q
elopc With him % America, and Is lex
on the dock minus collar OF pears.
The second is Berthe Lorande.
woman o. letters. author ~ four novels
said % BE- admirable and the produet
according % Mr.. Preyost OF genius
Let rs pass him the word and 80 on
% the lady. Sao, with q reputation fof
lieentlogsncss from ore END or fabs
20 the other, Is IN reality a virgin An'
after inviting tho exchange of pure
love with a Young oaiccr discovers
that she Is physically incapacita'ea ior
any state except virgirity; whereupon
she properly taxes the veil.
The third case Il that Of Camille IN
golmann, manager - BANKING mouse
and endowed. she also, with genius
Thero are more women with genius IN
+ this novel than have thus far manifer-
Cd ther,solycs In history. Camllleh
frs. nrircinls is that she will hsye
+ svervthiny she wants. including the
T clerks of hcr bank. For them ehe -
F another Catherine OF Russia, and "
thcy are not guardsmen 10 Is only be-
cause she is not an empress AZ any
rate. she falls IN love with an employee
/ of another bank and engages him. HIS
/ own sweet innocence and the depth o.
I hor love invest her with a shyness
I which makes it impossible FOR her 90
declare her passion. The young man
announces his marriage 20 a child o.
the provinces and poor Camille writes
Rim a touching letter-one of the best
bits in the novel-and Kills herself.
Number four. the Countess Albino
Ardcrny. has the distinction % being
without Cenius, but she makes UP for
it bv having a great soul" The
grandeur Of her soul is rather remark
ably established. A. young girl. sho
has a clandcstinc infant In England
and aband0ns 70. This Is followed b.
a money marriage 90 an Austrian, from
whom she IL separated by highly re
muneratiye divorce. During TIE rest
Of her eventful career she practises
polvandry with envlable success. Love
comes % her ~ forty-two; tho cbiect
% her alteration turns out % be tho
son she abandoned IN England. and
our Lucrezia retires With her Gcnnaro
% Corsica.
The tale IS nc. edlfyIng, though Z,
makes passable reading. But where
are tho don juanes7 Here are four
women who are frequently ridieulous
and rarely appealing. None of them
has the intellectually, the quality Of
mind. oi Juan Tenerio. Their only dis.
tinction IS their defiance ~ the moral
tradition; IL may bo questioned wheth-
cr this IS really a distinction. They
demand the r'gh, 20 choose. % take tho
offensive, the initiative, as n choice
were not always reciprocal and as "
the most innocent Of young girls were
not able o make her choice known with
out going beyond tho bounds % good
taste. And they want free life,
equality OF the sexes, which Is for
woman the remuneration o. love.
The arguments against Mr. Prevosts
thesis are too numerous 20 be cited,
and. after all, their place is not on this
page But let him not take IN vain
the name Of Don Juan. The most ap-
pesling qualities of woman have moth
Ing in common with those Of Noliere's
and Byrons hero.