The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-10

ton. With The Crash it will be as with
all my previous works. I hate it now.
could stamp on it with anger. Later on 1
shall feel my disappointment less. But it
will take longer with me to reconcile my
self to this book than it did with the 9TH
ers, because "The Crash" has given me in
finitely more trouble than any of my pre-
vious works. When 1 began writing it, I
had no conception of tho immensely
of the task which 1 had imposed on
myself. The labor of reading up all
that has been written on my subject in
general, and on the battle of Sedan in par
ticular, has been enormous. and the work
of condensation of all that l have had to
read has been all the more laborious, for
on no subject has more divergence of opin-
ion been expressed. You see that revolv-
ing book case on your left hand crammed
full with books and brochures; you see
that Boule commode, with its overlooking
drawers crammed with newspapers and
manuscripts; you see those dossiers on
my writing table? All that is material
which have had to digest. l have read
ali that has been written about the battle
OF Sedan, as we'll as about the unhappy
adventures of the luckless Seventh Corps
d'Armee, in which is placed the fictitious
regiment which plays the leading
role in my novel. And the diges-
ton has not been an easy task. Each
general. for instance, has a different YER
sion.to give of the why and the wherefore
of the defeat. Each claims to have had a
plan, which, if it had been followed, would
have averted disaster. Another difficulty
has been, that took no part in that cam
paign, not having been soldier, and that
for my information on the life and expert
ence of those who went through the cam
pa;gn IN general, and the battle of Sedan
in particular, l have had to depend on
outside testimony. often of conflicting
nature. I may say, however. that in this
matter / have been greatly helped by the
kindness of persons who are good enough
. to be interested in my work, and as soon
as it became known that l was writing a
book about the war and about Sedan, re-
ceived from all parts of France manu-
script relations written by people
of ali classes who had been present at the
battle, and who sent me their recolle3-
tions. That was most excellent material.
Indeed the best, because not to be found
anywhere else. See here: .Anecdotal ac-
count of the battle of Sedan sent by a
gentleman who is now a professor at one
of the universities in the South. And
here, this long. ill-spelled lettar. which
North, in which he gives me a full account
of the battle as it impressed him, who was
a private soldier in the Seventh Corps
d'Armee at the time. | have masses
of such documents, and it was my
duty TO- go through everything
the subject. My labor has been one of
reconciliation of divergent statements in
the first place, and Of condensation in the
second. | had to reduce TO one page what
/ could easily and without prolixity have
treated in dozen pagss; so that with each
page, nay with each sentence, | have been
confronted with the question what to leave
out and what to say. Then when each
page was written | began 10 torture myself
with the doubt whether had left unsaid
things | ought to have said. whether had
sacrificed good to inferior material. All,
yes. it has given me enormous trouble.
And the end is not yet.
You have not finished the novel;"
"No. 1 have fully two months more
work before me. | am at present on the
last section of the work. But, as you
know, my stories begin to aprear in serial
form before the whole manuscri pt is ready.
like it to be so, as il keeps me 10 my
task, supposing that / might by some
chance have 4 desire to break through nv
rule of steady work. The first twc-thirds
of my novel are finished; indeed. one-third
is already in the hands of the publishers,
who will produce it in a serial form"
1.-The book divides itself into thirds ?"
Eyes, The Crash is divided into three
parts. Each part will contain about eight
chapters of more than average length.
The book will be one of my strongest
stories. The first part treats of the action
of the luckless Seventh Corps d. Armee. in
which is the fictitious regiment in which
my hero or heroes are placed. | say
heroes. because have really two heroes in
this story. One is Jean of my novel. La
Terre, who is a corporal in this regiment.
the other is new character named
Maurice, who goes through Sedan as a
private soldier Between these two men a
great friendship exists, and, indeed, il il
from this friendship in the face of death
and danger, this comradeship in arms
mdtq'e tout, that draw the chief effects of
sentiment with which my novel is sea-
soned. For The Crash is not a love
story. The female characters in it play
only secondary roles; there is no love
making worth speaking about, at the most
only the intention of love, the indication
OF courtship. Jean and Maurice NV .uo