Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1937 (2)

The Talent of Edith Wharton- Revealed In Ethan Frome

The Sister of The Holy Cross-Appreciations

Ib:u:x LYoxs ':rn. clearly, knew them more intimately than the individuals themselves. Her unusual gift of soul perception is the more wonderful because it was not confined to those of her own class in society, but reached out to all. The theme of this novel is the losing fight of man in his struggle with the pressures of nature and collective humanity. His mind is stunted, his soul is warped-a gradual but in- exorable shriveling of his capacity to live into mere existence. This theme is presented in several of the novels of Thomas Hardy, who has not, however, Mrs. Wharton's capacity for sympathy and hope. One feels that Ethan Frome did not live in vain, that h e was great enough to rise above his defeat. It is on this one point that I disagree with oth ers in the class who feel that Mrs. Wharton cre- ates only to destroy, that she is a cynic, a pessi- mist, a fatalist without faith or hope. To me "Ethan Frome" is overwhelming evidence of her believe in humanity, a believe firmly grounded on the principle of salvation through service and sacrifice. Another basis for comparing Edith Whar- ton and Thomas Hardy is their style. In both it is powerful and plain, but the woman soft- ens morbidity and bleakness with color and a certain vitality which is lacking in the other. Both have written structural novels, but again the woman has concealed pillars and beams more artfully than the man. She has even gone so far as to add a suitable ornament h ere and there. Finally, the two novelists may be classed together for their economical use of words. But, as before, there is a qualification -their feeling for the language and their manner of expression are very different. One feels that Hardy chose words for their accu- racy of meaning, coldly and impersonally, while there is evidence of the truth of Mrs. Wharton's statement that for her "words were warm and palpable as flesh." I do not mean that her expressions are extravagant, for the whole effect of "Ethan Frome" would have

UNWRITTEN HISTORY BEATRICE MAJEWSKI '39.

SISTER EUGENIE

M y

first and most vivid impression of "Ethan Frome" was one of horror-an unconscious sense of aversion and repug- nance which overshadowed my appreciation of its beauty, its strength, its quality as a dra- matic masterpiece. The grim tragedy of the book shocked me. Then I was amazed to realize that Edith Wharton, the sheltered daughter of wealthy old New York, had writ- ten this story of a derelict village in the moun- tain fastness of New England. Bred in an at- mosphere of love, what could she know of cruelty and hate? From childhood she was privileged to know and love the treasures of mu;ic, art, and literature. How could she por- tray with such deep comprehension and un- derstanding those victims of mental and spir- itual drought? For she wrote as one of them, familiar with their gaunt tradition, sensitive to all the undercurrents of their miserable lives. Searching for a due to this strange para- dox, I began to read Mrs. Wharton's auto- biography, "A Backward Glance. " But it was not in the few paragraphs in which she told of writing this small masterpiece and its effect upon the public that I found the solution. True, she gave ample proof that she was fa- miliar with the scene, having spent ten years there. She had lived with the people. She talked with them in their own peculiar fash- ion. I am sure that many of them welcomed her as a friend in their own cold, spiritless manner. Yet, despite this long association, she could not have written the stark and simple story of a man's soul if she had not within herself the supreme gift of sympathy even to the point of seeing into the inmost depths. This quality which Edith Wharton had in the highest degree, is unconsciously disclosed in the story of her association with other human beings from childhood on. She was able to look behind the screen of words and actions to discern motives and impulses. I think that many times she saw others more JuxE, 1938

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MARY JANE BLATTERMAN

T~E

"Who can tell what shall be after them under the sun." Q F the making of the history of the world much has been said. Of the women who have helped make it for us, everything has been said. Every girl knows the famous hero- ines of the ages. e know that the Greeks praised their Antigone for_ her patriotism, when she bravely offered to die so that the wind might help speed her father's ships to Troy. We know that the vali~nt Judith by an act of courage put the entire Assyrian army to rout. We know_ that Teresa of Avila with her magnifi- cent intellect became a saint, and a doctor of the church. We know that a peasant maid from Domremy rode at the head of French- men to save them from an enemy. We know that a young English girl, Florence Nightin- gale spent herself in time of war to aid the Crimean wounded. We know all the heroines of ~istory. We know them for their bravery, their goodness, their duty. We reverence them for their intelligence, their spirituality their godliness. They are at best a handfui of women, but a precious handful, taken from the earth. They are the few who have re- mained shining, beautiful, and remembered. They each founded an illustrious place in the world, and the world has called it hallowed. * * * * There is another world filled with another kind of heroine. Since this world is so much smaller, naturally its people are fewer in num- ber. But in this world there are compensa- tions. Everything and everyone strives to at- tain peace and God. There are women in this little world who are Judiths, Teresas of Avila, and maids of Domremy. Perhaps nobody knows them or recognizes them out of their own sphere, per- (Concluded on page 130) 126

following announcement from Wash- ington, D. C., came to Saint Mary's col- lege in the month of December, 1920: "In recognition for long and efficient s'.!rvice in the promotion of the French language and literature, the French government has just conferred the title and ribbon _of "Ofli.cier d' Academie" on Sister M. Eugenie, a religious of the Holy Cross of Saint Mary's college, Notre Dame, Indiana. This decoration was introduced by Napoleon in 1808 to honor those who distinguish themselves in the field either of literature or of educa- ~ion. Si_ster M. Eugenie has been teaching French in Amenca for forty-four years. The fact of her faith- ful and successful work was brought to the notice of the French Ambassador, Jules Jusserand, who immedi- ately applied to his government for the well-merited honor. The "palmes academiques," as the decoration is sometimes called, are also conferred as a recognition of the sound literary training given by the well-known Saint Mary's college and academy, Notre Dame, In- diana. It is interesting to note that the founder of the Holy Cross Sisters in the United States, the very Rev- erend Edward Sorin, C.S.C., was given the same dis- tinction in 1888. Otherwise Sister Eugenie is the first religious of the United States to have been named "Ofli.cier d' Academie ... (Chimes, Vol. 29, pp. 140- 141.) She was a native French woman, born in Paris in 1857, Louise d'Orbesson, daughter of Comte and Com- tesse d'Orbesson. Her family was noted for its tradi- tions of learning. . . . Sister Eugenie herself came to this country a volun- tary exile at an early age with Father Sorin, when the Holy Cross community was but thirty years old. He must have recognized in the vigourous personality of this young woman a quick, strong mind and the true "joie de vivre." ... For forty years she was head of the French depart- ment working in the interests of Catholic culture and her beloved France. Through the dark years of the World War she prayed and suffered for France. Katherine Conway re- lated in "Chimes" a personal incident at the time of Sister's receiving the French decoration. "What do the French say for surrender?" someone asked Sister Eu- genie. Her lips grew tense and her eyes shone. "We do not say it!" she said. JUNE, 1938

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