and kept
ever fresh and green by pious hand to protect the home.

"DE BALZAC."

Just who is the "Maria" to whom the dedication of _Eugenie Grandet_ is
addressed is a question that in the opinion of the present writer has
never been satisfactorily answered. The generally accepted answer is
that of Spoelberch de Lovenjoul, who thought that "Maria" was the girl
whom Balzac described as a "poor, simple and delightful _bourgeoise,
. . . the most naive creature that ever was, fallen like a flower from
heaven," and who said to Balzac: "Love me a year, and I will love you
all my life."

Even admitting that this much disputed letter of October 12, 1833, was
written by Balzac, though it does not bear his signature, the name
"Maria" does not appear in it, so it is no proof that she is the woman
to whom Balzac dedicated one of his greatest and probably the most
popular of his works, _Eugenie Grandet_, although the heroine has some
of the characteristics of the woman referred to in that letter in that
she is a "naive, simple, and delightful _bourgeoise_." But in
reviewing the women to whom Balzac dedicated his stories in the
_Comedie humaine_, one does not find any of this type. Either they are
members of his family, old family friends, literary friends, rich
people to whom he was indebted, women of the nobility, or women whom
he loved for a time at least, and all were women whom he could respect
and recognize in society, while the woman referred to in the letter of
October 12, 1833, does not seem to have had this last qualification.

In reply to his sister Laure's criticism that there were too many
millions in _Eugenie Grandet_, he insisted that the story was true,
and that he could create nothing better than the truth. In
investigating the truth of this story, it has been found that Jean
Niveleau, a very rich man having many of the traits of Grandet, lived
at Saumur, and that he had a beautiful daughter whom he is said to
have refused to give in marriage to Balzac. Whether this be true or
not, the novelist has screened some things of a personal nature in
this work.

Although the book is dated September, 1833, he did not finish it until
later. It was just at this time that he met Madame Hanska, and visited
her on two different occasions during the period that he was working
on _Eugenie Grandet_. As he was pressed for money, as usual, his
_Predilecta_ offered to help him fi