New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-30
a VISIT TO ZOLA.
A SKETCH BY Z. DE AMICIS.

was in easy circumstances now he is rich He Ia
one OF the French authors who has most rapidly
made money after having waited longer than any OF
his contemporaries before making the first cent.
He himself says and he frankly cOnfesses he boasts
of it, that he longer needs to work for money.
No literary man defends his time and liberty more
ercely than lola. There is another reason why Re
lives aloof from company, 1T Is because having
fought bitterly more than current opinion. hay
ing wounded more than one vanity, raised anger
and hatred, he would necessarily be obliged, were
he to frequent literary society, TO give continual
battle, and wanting, as he is in Partisan spright-
lneSs that small change of intellect which is
| terrible weapon in the discussions of clubs and
with the glib tongues, the stunning jeerng he
would find assailing him on all sides. He therefore
keeps to his study, giving all his strength to toll
Emile lola entered the room. He was pale. His
hair was in disorder He wore knit roundabout OF
a dark color, which fitted him closely. There was
no crayat around his neck. His shoes were of black
cloth. 1t was strange dTess-half wrcstlers, half
workmans. He seemed TO me to be shorter and
thinner than when l first him. His waist is
stOuter but his tace is much thinner He was wan
lie looked sad His greeting was more cordial than
usual, maybe iii consequence of this very sadness
He sat near the table, which was covered with un.
opened newspapers and letters. / inquired about
his health He replied in voice as faded as his
face: g | am not well. You know l have had the
misfortune to lose my mother" His eyes brlmmed
spoke OF tlaubert's death. This bereavement, too,
had been a great sorrow to him.. Flaubert was his
model and his friend; He sighed as he said: This
year has been harsh twelve months TO me, very
black year, which will cloud my life for long time
TO come. assure yOu longer work as |
used to do. am not the same man. have not yet
been able to resume work on my novel. One cannot
write unless one has space and air all around one
one must have trust in life" These words touched
me to the heart, especially as his appearance showed
that they were sincere lie for some time maze
sure he had disease OF the heart. His physicians
have banshed that fear. Nevertheless he feels
something within him, he knows nOl what 1t is,
which hlnders him from working, and Ills him WIFI
all sorts OF gloomy apprehensions. His present
plan is to continue t. write in lie Figaro until bis
engagement ends; this terminated, he means to quit
newspapers and abandon poemics forever, III ordeI
to give all his time and talents to novel writing
lie will then collect and publish his miscellaneous
works. tales portraits and criticisms which all
together would fill eight volumes. lie would pub
llSh volume every three months After ending the
story OF n-Macquart In eleven more novels nc
means to publish a definite edition OF the twenty
volumes giving unity to the whole series, this de.
sign was suggested to him by an ingenious and
thoughtful essay his works by French critic,
who pointed out the social and chronological con-
tradictIons OF the round of novels; this done he
means TO devote himself entirely to play-writing;
this has always been his greatest ambition.
He is still undecided which subject will be the
theme of his next novel. lie has three subjects
under consideration lie should like to write An
ARTIST III Paris" novel which should depict arts
tic and literary life, tell the struggles and adyen.
lures OF young man OF genus, or OF several young
men of genius who came up from the provinces &C.
seek glory and wealth m Paris bat as he would be
obliged to visit Provence, the native place OF hs
heroes make notes and gather material for the
work before he could write IL, he temporarily dis
cards this subject. He is DESTROYS, too, to write
dam ur," but placed in different social spin re
its subject would be grief, goodness, strength and
stOut-heartedness in misfortune, and honest, pure;
deep Affection but he Is afraid that such subject
III his present mood of mind would excite his heart
TOO painfully. His INCLINATION is to write another
novel, about which he spoke To me three years ago,
and whose plot he wishes 70 lay III the z eat silk
MERGERS shops of Paris, such as I" lie Louvre" and
g lie Bon Marche y its subject would be the battle
between great aud petty tradesmen, millions against
thousands OF dollars. lie probably will make this
hsnext novel. He will soon begin his studies and
visits experimental novelist. RE will spend
hour after nOur amid the hustle aud throng OF these
great shops To gather cOlOrs for his descriptions,
words Tor his dialogues, 10 study local characters
and adventures; To question ShOpmen cashiers and
book keepers with the patience VI mosaic artist
such as be called TO his help when he visited prOvis
ion dealers shops before writing " Lc Ventre dc
Paris and laundries and hospitals before writing
" LASsammOu.' i asked him: DO you even when
you feel perfectly wed ever lind yourself unable to
you wOundl There are days when L feet II is
al up with me, and not Tor day but tOH ever.
There are days when feel as if | were dead. sit
at my wrltlng-desk early IN the morning, uncon.
sCIOus of my intellectual condition. but when Try &C
take up the thread OF my story feel IN my brains
vacuum an silence which appals me-
Characters, places, scenes, incidents, everything
seemed to be frozen III a dense fog into which II
seemed 10 be Out OF my power ever TO throw one
CLEAN of sunshine H. then remain for hours, my
head leaning on my hand, my eyes fixed on the VIA:
dow like man who had lost his memory. Tuen ]
am at times terribly dshearened." said: " Whatl
you who follow path so clearly and so deeply
traced, who work with such al exact method, q
method III which you place such implicit confidence,
you, too are subject TO doubt and depression" II
subject 10 doubt and depression! but where is the
author the artist who Is not subject 10 doubt and
dcpressoni There have been in this century but
two artlsts-a painter and IA poet who haze never
had the least suspicion. one that he could give
bad stroke with ms brush. the other that he could
write bad line; mean Courbet and Victor Eqgo.
to-day think horrible the page wrote yesterday.
III want TO go on 10 work III good spirits and with
some cOnidence-sOme illusion that am working
well, must take care not 10 look behind me. so
Z lp INST M "A
further thought; not only shun every opportunity
to speak OF II, but do my best to forget It, as
sure you l never, never under any circum-
stances reread page OF any of my books, unless |
am Obliged tC 90 80 To blot some Telterauon. Now
assure you when l reread, even under these cir
WHAT nave written aln the most PIT
iaDle object on earth | myself weep TO see how
wr,tched ann " But wherefore! Z" Because I
think my ideas SO contemplate, my method. my
nable. DO you imagine that II did not live In tls
state or perpetual uncertainty do you imagine that
If did not rack my mind as do, should have
such face as tins, such health as IS mine Look Is
my hands. WOu.d you not think fr M their trem-
bling that have the delirium trelnens Yet az
sure you never drink anything but water. am
killing myself by mceSS mt toll, ncyerthc ess | am
unable TO do what wish. | am dissatisfied man.
Had / the time, should like 10 establish "A news
paper, whose sole design should be to follow page
by page The literary progress of other countries,
which should crtlcIse every publication which APP
pears at Madrid and at ST. Petersburg, at Rome and
at Stockholm, IN broad, imp rtial spirit, much
more indulgcnt than severe, no matter who was tho
author or his school as to introduce into Franco
the greatest number possible of foreign author.
This is what we want but how IL II possible TO do
all this One single newspaper Is enough 10
abs RIB every instant OF mans llfc." lie then
went say that nevertheless great progress has
been made since 1870 in France in the study
of foreign languages, more foreign works
have been translated than formerly, and
readers are no longer astonished as they
once were that Il newspaper should critlcise for
eign author who has not a European reputation.
Then lola began to talk of his intellectual fatigue
" |
" But whO in reading your articles, would suspect
that you are jadedp 81 can understand that it
may not be detected, but the reason is that exert
my self great deal more than formerly did, and [
make these efforts to conceal my intellectual
fatigue" He silent few moments, as If
wrapped in thought then he added: Moreover l
IlnnL toll.