Jefferson，andtheirtheatricalityintheverypresenceofhisbeautifulnaturalness。Itisverydifficult，thatsimplicity，andnothingissohardastobehonest，asthereader，ifhehaseverhappenedtotryit，mustknow。\"Thebigbow—wowIcandomyself，likeanyonegoing，\"saidScott，butheownedthattheexquisitetouchofMissAusterewasdeniedhim；anditseemscertainlytohavebeendeniedingreaterorlessmeasuretoallhersuccessors。Butthoughreadingandwritingcomebynature，asDogberryjustlysaid，atasteinthemmaybecultivated，oroncecultivated，itmaybepreserved；andwhywasitnotsoamongthosepoorislanders？Onedoesnotasksuchthingsinordertobeatthepainsofansweringthemone’sself，butwiththehopethatsomeoneelsewilltakethetroubletodoso，andIproposetoberatherasilentpartnerintheenterprise，whichIshallleavemainlytoSenorArmandoPalacioValdes。Thisdelightfulauthorwill，however，onlybeabletoanswermyquestionindirectlyfromtheessayonfictionwithwhichheprefacesoneofhisnovels，thecharmingstoryof’TheSisterofSanSulpizio，’andI
shallhavesomelittlelaborinfittinghissawstomyinstances。ItisanessaywhichIwisheveryoneintendingtoread，oreventowrite，anovel，mightacquainthimselfwith；foritcontainssomeofthebestandclearestthingswhichhavebeensaidoftheartoffictioninatimewhennearlyallwhopractiseithaveturnedtotalkaboutit。
SenorValdesisarealist，butarealistaccordingtohisownconceptionofrealism；andhehassomewordsofjustcensurefortheFrenchnaturalists，whomhefindsunnecessarily，andsuspectsofbeingsometimesevenmercenarily，nasty。HeseesthewidedifferencethatpassesbetweenthisnaturalismandtherealismoftheEnglishandSpanish；andhegoessomewhatfurtherthanIshouldgoincondemningit。\"TheFrenchnaturalismrepresentsonlyamoment，andaninsignificantpartoflife……Itischaracterizedbysadnessandnarrowness。Theprototypeofthisliteratureisthe’MadameBovary’ofFlaubert。Iamanadmirerofthisnovelist，andespeciallyofthisnovel；butofteninthinkingofitIhavesaid，Howdrearywouldliteraturebeifitwerenomorethanthis!
Thereissomethingantipatheticandgloomyandlimitedinit，asthereisinmodernFrenchlife；butthisseemstomeexactlythebestpossiblereasonforitsbeing。IbelievewithSenorValdesthat\"noliteraturecanlivelongwithoutjoy，\"notbecauseofitsmistakenaesthetics，however，butbecausenocivilizationcanlivelongwithoutjoy。TheexpressionofFrenchlifewillchangewhenFrenchlifechanges；andFrenchnaturalismisbetteratitsworstthanFrenchunnaturalismatitsbest。\"Noone，\"asSenorValdestrulysays，\"canrisefromtheperusalofanaturalisticbook……withoutavividdesiretoescape\"fromthewretchedworlddepictedinit，\"andapurpose，moreorlessvague，ofhelpingtobetterthelotandmorallyelevatetheabjectbeingswhofigureinit。Naturalisticart，then，isnotimmoralinitself，forthenitwouldnotmeritthenameofart；forthoughitisnotthebusinessofarttopreachmorality，stillIthinkthat，restingonadivineandspiritualprinciple，liketheideaofthebeautiful，itisperforcemoral。Iholdmuchmoreimmoralotherbookswhich，underaglamourofsomethingspiritualandbeautifulandsublime，portraythevicesinwhichwearealliedtothebeasts。Such，forexample，aretheworksofOctaveFeuillet，ArseneHoussaye，GeorgesOhnet，andothercontemporarynovelistsmuchinvogueamongthehigherclassesofsociety。\"
Butwhatisthisideaofthebeautifulwhichartrestsupon，andsobecomesmoral？\"Themanofourtime，\"saysSenorValdes，\"wishestoknoweverythingandenjoyeverything：heturnstheobjectiveofapowerfulequatorialtowardstheheavenlyspaceswheregravitatestheinfinitudeofthestars，justasheappliesthemicroscopetotheinfinitudeofthesmallestinsects；fortheirlawsareidentical。Hisexperience，unitedwithintuition，hasconvincedhimthatinnaturethereisneithergreatnorsmall；allisequal。Allisequallygrand，allisequallyjust，allisequallybeautiful，becauseallisequallydivine。\"Butbeauty，SenorValdesexplains，existsinthehumanspirit，andisthebeautifuleffectwhichitreceivesfromthetruemeaningofthings；itdoesnotmatterwhatthethingsare，anditisthefunctionoftheartistwhofeelsthiseffecttoimpartittoothers。Imayaddthatthereisnojoyinartexceptthisperceptionofthemeaningofthingsanditscommunication；