THIS WEEK'S BOOKS
A FEW months ago we received a book on Rodin by his secre- tary ; now Messrs. Thornton Butterworth send us Anatole France Himself : A Boswellian Record, by his secretary, Jean Jacques Brousson. The secretary of the great man, particu- larly the eccentric great man, usually becomes a kind of watch-dog-disciple, reverent and defiantly on the look-out for unappreciative remarks from- other people. There would be no harm in this attitude from the reader's point of view, of course, if it did not sometimes turn, as it has done in M. Brousson's ease, to a rather indiscriminating admiration of everything the Maitre said and did, and everything .his house- /144d said and did. WC :See Fran& being playful andshocking '01 through the- day. We see him chiiose his skull cap in the morning and follow on his heels while he makes rather disap- pointing remarks about Napoleon, Rejane or Joan of Arc. Ile makes pleasant back.chat at luncheon :— " Mensi6ur. Anyway, the article- is by a patriot and a good Frenchman. France. Yes, one of those good Frenchmen who can never write french. "
The most amusing story is told more directly by M. Brousson himself. France was sent a statue of Venus by some ladies of Athens. He was extremely proud of it, and indignant when Brousson told him it was a fake. However, next day he said:
" You know, the Venus that was presented to me by the ladies of Athens is a patent forgery. I saw that-at once . . . I must get rid of this votive inetunbrance. Be so kind as to take it to Mme. S- in the Rue l'Abbaye. Rodin pokes about in her shop. Our modern Michelangelo is completely tasteless. He buys everything that he takes to be antique. This Venus will do admirably in his collection'
• - •
Two_ later comes the reply from the antique dealer. ' She does ziA consider the Venus worthy -of her windows. - It is a gross forgery.' And Rodin Y " Oh, Rodin wants no more Venuses. Izi fact, he sent k throe or four to Mine: S — and
told her : Offer these Venuses to France. He understands nothing about them and will revel in them.' "
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