The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-10-29
FRENCH FICTION.
Woman's Eook on French Novelists OF
the Present Generation,

Mime. Van de Eelde points out that,
il grande dame is the heroine of a
whispered scandal. thirty stories ap-
pear in which the incident is develop
ed. Here the fiction raises The fact in
to unreal importance. aud by the time
we have read the novels we are in pos
session of "A highly magnilied concep-
tion of a kind of turpitude that statis-
ticians declare is not more common in
point of fact in France than else
where. The practice of the novelists
considered in these volumes are in
some eases in keeping with their in-
aginative visions. and IN some cases
not. Zola. WHO in the preface 10 his
"Nouveaux Contes Ninon." says of
himself, Il heave with disgust at the
thought of the nauSeous work | have
done" expends bis emotions in build
ing wings upon his house at Medan
aud in filling them with newly ac-
qulred bric-a-0rac; whereas Maui
PEASANT, at AZ, has ruined fine con-
stitluion and is threatened with dis
order of the spine.
Nine. Van de Velde tells US all sorts
OF interesting things about these
people whose stories all the world
reads. Zola is a true southerner. He
takes his siesta every day. and he is
always ready 10 weep ut the name of
Flaubert. He once made sacrifice to
Flaubert which will not seem TO the
reader to have been very tremendous
perhaps. though TO Flaubcrt himself it
apears to have Eeen of the utmost im-
portance. The two were together one
AFTERNOON, when Zola remarked that he
had just discovered the name of
'Bouvard" fCr one of his characters.
Flaubert turned pale at the news, and
sone days later Il common friend came
to lola with the information that Flau-
bert was in despair: that Bouvard was
precisely the name which he had liked
upon for one of his own characters;
that it had cost him six. years of re-
search to find it; that he had discover
ell it 1T last in Normandy in village
near 1vetot. and that he could never
hope tC replace it. Well" said Zola
gravelv and sadly. after a long pause,
..let him have it. But | must love
him very dearly Ia give up such n
unique un"pproachaD,e name as
Bouvard. However, it belongs to an
idiot whose sign van read every day
from my windows"
Nine. Van de Velde relates also an
interesting anecdotc concerning Daudet
and Gambetta. The wicked Rrumes-
tan of DaudGts story was generally
held to be Il picture of Gambetta and
Gambetta himself seemed inclined to
suspect rs much. though Daudet
denied it. He was not inclined,
however. to cherish any resent
mcnt. The two met at dinner and
Gametta broached tire subject, when
Daudet said: Had | Intended to
sketch you | should have made you 80
like that there never could have been
the shadow of doubt about the resem-
bance. True, my Roumestan is pot
bellied. but you know all our southern
ers are either very stout or withered
like old dates. There is no medium"
Whereupon Gambetta generously held
out his hand. observing: After ALL
what does it matter? Remember the
answer of the brcklaycr. who. falling
from the fifth floor of house, who
was asked in his descent by a lodger
leaning out of n window halfway
down how he felt. Pretty we'll at
present. the man answered, but time
will show ! have never contradicted
any reports about myself; advise you
to do the same. Time will show"