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If you have not already read "Jean-Francois Millet" in Sept "19th Century" get hold of it and read it. With a few verbal changes, as "poet" for "painter" &c. large passages in it might be read for yourself—Especially the last ½ page. The parallelism in the lives of the two men (yourself & Millet) is wonderful: for instance
  • 1
  • Both born and brought up near the sea wh exerts a profound influence on the mode of thought & feeling of each.
  • 2
  • Ms books in youth Bible & Virgil 
     Ws " " " " Homer & Shakespeare
  • 3
  • Each born of country people & always stuck to these in preference to city & polished folk
  • 4
  • Each strongly affected by a wreck at sea on coast near home in childhood
  • 5
  • M. left country early went to Paris 
     W. " " " " " N.Y. 
  • 6
  •  Sensier speaks of M's 12 years apprentiship 
     in Paris— 
     John Burroughs of W's 12 years preparation 
     in N.Y.
  • 7
  • "The true M—Le Grande Rustique— 
     revealed himself for the first 
     time in 1850" (36 years old— 
     born in 1814) "in Le Semeur— 
     The Sower, which was hailed 
     by at least one critic as 
     a fine and original conception" 
     The true W. came out 1855 (36 years 
     old) 1st Ed. L. of G. which was 
     hailed by one critic (Emerson) 
     as a fine and original 
     conception
  • 8
  • The fate of both—constant neglect varied by fierce attacks, relieved by the passionate faith and friendship of a few.
  • 9
  • "This then" (the beauty, pathos and grandeur of labor and of the common laboring many) "was M's (W's)   discovery, this the message he had "to give the world. Before his time the peasant had never been held a fit subject for art."
  • 10
  • "Here is a man" said Gautier "who "finds poetry in the fields, who loves the peasant" "In the labor of engines and trades" (says W.) "and the labor of fields I find the developments and find the eternal meanings."
  • 11
  • "They wish to drive me into their drawing-room art" (said M.) "No, No, a peasant I was born and a peasant I will die." Compare "Lines to a certain civilian"

The list might be greatly extended.

I have your card of 8th rejoyced to hear that you still hold your own—also that you still think well of Wilkins.    I hear from Gurd now Every few days The patents are not yet in such a shape that it is safe to show the meter but they probably will be in very few more days. I may go east inside of a week—quite likely I may go early next week.

All well here—Weather still keeps rainy (never saw, I think, such a rainy time) today however lovely, bright and warm enough I am going out for a little drive—fresh air

Love to you R M Bucke     See Notes Nov. 14 1888