Ink-Stain, the (Tache d\'encre)
RENE BAZIN RENE-NICHOLAS-MARIE BAZIN was born at Angers, December 26, 1853. He studied for the bar, became a lawyer and professor of jurisprudence at the Catholic University in his native city, and early contributed to 'Le Correspondant, L'Illustration, Journal des Debats, Revue du Deux Mondes,' etc. Although quietly writing fiction for the last fifteen years or so, he was not well known until the dawn of the twentieth century, when his moral studies of provincial life under the form of novels and romances became appreciated. He is a profound psychologist, a force in literature, and his style is very pure and attractive. He advocates resignation and the domestic virtues, yet his books are neither dull, nor tiresome, nor priggish; and as he has advanced in years and experience M. Bazin has shown an increasing ambition to deal with larger problems than are involved for instance, in the innocent love-affairs of 'Ma Tante Giron' (1886), a book which enraptured Ludovic Halevy. His novel, 'Une Tache d'Encre' (1888), a romance of scholarly life, was crowned by the French Academy, to which he was elected in 1903. It is safe to say that Bazin will never develop into an author dangerous to morals. His works may be put into the hands of cloistered virgins, and
herself that afternoon. Bishop is a crank on truck gardening, and the
vegetables served would have taken prizes in any exhibit. A delicious
soup was followed by a baked sea trout--I must not forget to ask Mrs.
Bishop how she made that sauce.
I wonder why it is that the most skilled hotel chefs cannot fry spring
chicken so as to faintly imitate the culinary wonders attained by a
capable housewife?
"I want to ask you a question, Mrs. Bishop," said Mr. Harding, after he
had made a pretense of refusing a third helping of fried chicken. "Did
you really raise these chickens on this farm?"
Mrs. Bishop smiled and said they did.
"I don't believe it," he returned. "If the truth were known they lit
down here from heaven, and Jim Bishop nailed them and you cooked them."
I was ashamed of Chilvers. He ate seven ears of green corn and boasted
of it, but I will admit I did not know it was possible to produce corn
such as was served at that farmhouse dinner. The crisp sliced cucumbers,
the ice-cold tomatoes, the succulent hearts of lettuce, the steaming
dishes of string beans, summer squash, and green peas--it makes me
hungry as I write of that simple but excellent feast.
I thought as we sat there of the democracy of that little gathering.
RENE BAZIN RENE-NICHOLAS-MARIE BAZIN was born at Angers, December 26, 1853. He studied for the bar, became a lawyer and professor of jurisprudence at the Catholic University in his native city, and early contributed to 'Le Correspondant, L'Illustration, Journal des Debats, Revue du Deux Mondes,' etc. Although quietly writing fiction for the last fifteen years or so, he was not well known until the dawn of the twentieth century, when his moral studies of provincial life under the form of novels and romances became appreciated. He is a profound psychologist, a force in literature, and his style is very pure and attractive. He advocates resignation and the domestic virtues, yet his books are neither dull, nor tiresome, nor priggish; and as he has advanced in years and experience M. Bazin has shown an increasing ambition to deal with larger problems than are involved for instance, in the innocent love-affairs of 'Ma Tante Giron' (1886), a book which enraptured Ludovic Halevy. His novel, 'Une Tache d'Encre' (1888), a romance of scholarly life, was crowned by the French Academy, to which he was elected in 1903. It is safe to say that Bazin will never develop into an author dangerous to morals. His works may be put into the hands of cloistered virgins, and