New-York tribune., 1893-12-10
ZOLA-WORSHIP.
MIR. WELLDONS PROTEST AGAINST IT
MR. SHERARD'S NEW MANUAL
OF INCENSE BURNING
THE PRESS.

! London November 81.
Mr.. Weldon. Head Master Of Harrow. is the
man who amid the gushing stream OF inflated
English praise Of NJ. Zola. had the courage to
remark almost casually. that he thought him an
Infamous writer. The word IS strong one
| and not perhaps the most apt or descriptive or
| critical that could be applied to the French now
ellst. But it plainly meant. not as criti-
c,sm particularly. bu. protest. and rs pro-
| test 1t was invaluable.
The English. or that small portion Of them
concerned in the hero-worshipping of NJ lola,
had lost their heads. They had gone much fur
ther in the direction of fulsomc lattery than did
Mr.. Weldon toward undue severity. Nor is 1t
certain that from any point of view, his severity
was extreme. An apologist of NJ. ZoaS suggested
that he was, after all. only carrying out his own
theory of literature and that the intolerable OBJ
scenlties Of Ia Terre" and pot Bouille." and
other works Of his were but so many proofs Of
his conscientious adherence to an IDEAL Had he
put in the obscenities and the righteousness for
the sake Of increasing the sale Of his books. and
therefore his profits. he would. in that case says
the apologist, have been infamous. But that is
the specific accusation which. rightly or wrongly,
has often been made against NJ. Zoa. 1t was
pressed when "LArgent appeared where the
licentous passages really have the.air of having
been in;erpolated. They have. at any rate no
necessary connection with the story. or'with the
motive OF the book
The motive Of the writer Is. however. another
question. and a much more difficult one nor Is
an inquiry into motives often profitable. nor
often likely to supply a clear answer. Nothing
is so complex. Let US therefore admit that NJ
Zolas motives are good as his apologlst would
have us believe There still remains the question
whether Mr. Welldon's adjective not
proper adjective to apply to writer who from
the best of motives. writes the most corruptng
and most indecent books Of his time So often are
the worst acts done from the best motives that.
except for biographical or for criminal purposes.
1t seems often hardly worth while to try.to dis
cover them.
Mr.. Weldon was rather sharply challenged
at the time and invited TO retract his epthet
never heard that he did retract II. The Zola
idoaters declared he had read the books
on account OF which he condemned the author
Well. the reading Of long series of books IL
not always an essential preliminary to a ju1g-
ment upon them upon the writer OF them
Some things are OF common knowledge. 1t was
known. for example. that the English publisher
OF these novels had been prosecuted and con-
victed and sentenced and had suffered mpris-
onment for publishing them. The character Of
the books is known: there Is no dispute about
some OF them. and parts of most Of them. are
profiigate. on the contrary, the literary treat
ment Of the problems of pollution Is defended
as scientific as II literature were hencefOrth to
supersodc treatises on morbid anatomy and
pathology.
Mr.. Weldon however. or some friend In his
behalf, thought 1t desirable to explain that he
had read three of NJ zola>' novels. of which one
was "Germina" That is a novel which really
deserves 10 have said OF II what Wordsworth
said Of Goethes Wilhelm Mester" fthat It was
like the crossing Of flies in the air. II Is one Of
the most powerful. and as "A piecctOf mere lite
erature or literary craftsmanship. one Of sle
most admirable OF them all. 1t Is also one OF
the most debascd and deb1sng and OF itself Is
sufficient to explain Mr.. Welldons use Of the
word Infamous.
1t is nothing. then to aflege that, NJ Zola Is
sincere; that only brings us back to the qucs-
ton Of motive Probably some Of the Chicago
Anarchists were sincere. but w, hanged them
all the same. We DO not hang NJ Zola-his Of
fence Is not hanging matter-out we put HIN
In the pilory and Mr.. Weldon writes in
famous In large lettcrs-scarct letters II you
lke-across his breast. and they are jstill visi-
BILE and seem likely to remain for tise present.
The visit Of NJ Zola to England happened
come time ago and Mn Wedon's adjective was
used very soon d1tcr MS uelldTtulf
admirers Of this extraordinary Frcphman per-
sist In keeping the topic. fresh. Mr. Robert IIar
borough Sherard has just published book
about NJ Emile Zola. which he calls Bio
graphical and Critical Study. Critical it is not.
nor is IL clear that Mr.. Shcrard understands
the meaning Of the word critical or Of criticism.
1t Is biographical and In part autnbiograDhi-
cal Mr.. Sherard has been for some, time past
playing Boswell 10 ~ Zola's Johnsm-Iicsiven
save the mark. lie has supplied TO sundTy
English journals Interviews with NJ Zola.
and with his friends. and much miscellaneous
matter relating to this master" These and
other materials he has now collected into a
volume.
Mr. Sherard is so full Of enthusiasm for his
hero that he has, almost in spite Of himself made
q good book, If "A very badly written. book may
ever be said to be good AS Man Of, Letters-to
20 back once more to Carlyle's classi.cation-M
Zola Is n deeply, Interesting figure. All his life
long he has been writing books as hard as he
could His whole, life has been that'of writer.
lie has lived for and in his books. and he has
done some Of the most wonderful work ,of his
time. The merit Of Mr.. Sherard's book .sIthat 1t
describes with particularly, and TO considerable
extent at first hand. NJ. Zoa's methods of work
He takes us into dhe workshop; we see the ma
chnery and the nsachinist, the raw maaerial the
processes by whichit is manufactured the chips.
the finished produc: Of IMMENSE continuous. sys-
tematic and most conscientious toil.-most sue
cessful Also as the world judges success. 1t Is
part Of the literary history Of the time.
Mr. Sherards critical ncompetencetmakes him
perhaps the better biographer he s, in truth. a
reporter and'ths book is a product of journalism
Of a certain sort, and 10 be accepted as SUCH
The fidelity of 1t is appa' entity. Photographic
though the photographs are for the most part
colored and rose-coDred. His indiscrmnaung
partlality makes HIM see in NJ Zola nothing but
IL c-rsd and hos insists the goodness and