The morning call., 1893-06-11


to wear dirty linen because | could not
pay a washerwoman. Often | had to fail
TO keep appointments given me by the fair
i was a handsome lad and liked by the
la0ieS-becaGS ] was too dirty and shabby
to 90. spent three years of my life in
this way, from the age OF Is. when my
brother left Paris, to 81.
"At that moment De Morny offered me
employment. His offer came TO me in the
midst of horror, shame and distress. He
had heard Of me in this way: Some time
before l had published my first book Of
poems, a small volume of eighty pages,
entitled Les Amoureuses.' This book
made my fortune. De Morny had heard
the brothers Lyonnet recte one of my
poems out of this book, poem called Les
Prunes,' at the Empress, and [ believe
the Empress asked him to make some
inquiries about the poet Morny sent
to ask me what l needed 10 live
on, and. accepting his patronage,
l entered his service as attache de cabi-
net. passed at once from the most dingy
Bohemianism TO a butterfly life, learning
all there is of pleasures nj luxury in eX-
istence. But somehow the legend of my
Bohemanism clung to me, as it has clung
never take me au serieuX. | remember
that | once dined with the Due DecaZes
for the purposes of one of my novels. |
had written tn tell him that | wanted to
make use Of his experiences and he had
asked me TO dinner
lated anecdotes of his career. but thinking
that he had to deal with a Bohemian he
arranged his anecdotes, as he thought to
interest me most. Thus he always began
each story with i was taking bock.'
suppose he thought that nv idea of life
was of beer-drinklDg in cafe. At last
said, Y our 1xcellency seems to be very
fond of beer and afterward ADDED, 1t is
drink that | have never been able to
support lie seemed to understand what
meant and changed his tone. But Just as
| lett hint was at 2 o'clock in the morn
ing and the lackeyt, | remember, were
all half dead with fatigue-he said ::
"A d now let US 90 and Law traps tor
Bismarck l went away thinking what
ali ass the man was TO think that | should
believe that he was going 10 do anything
but go upstairs tn his wife, and he no
doubt went upstairs TO his wife thinking
what an ass | must be to believe what he
had said From the age of q [ only ad
happiness. | may say that have been too
happy. | am paying Tor it now. | believe
that people always have to pay for what
they have done and what they have en-
j0yed, and that there is in life Justice aud
compensation for all even on earth. Everv-
bOdy'S account is settled in this life. OF
that am sure.
"As TO my success. About, writing for
the Athen8um, came to see me in 1872 to
ask me what L was earning. He was writ
ing something about the incomes of vari-
Gus men OF letters. and making up my ac-
counts found that the amount of my aver
age earnings at that time from literature
was 5000 francs year. Two years later
that is To say. in 1871 published 'Froment
Jeune ct Risler Aine,' which brought
me a great reputation and greatly in
creased my income. Since 1878 l have
never made less than 100000 francs year,
including my plays and novels. The
book which gave me the most trouble was
'L'Egangeliste,' because my turn of mind
Is not IN the least religious. TWAS Evan
geilste,' also, that provoked the bitterest
criticism, book which made me numer-
Gus enemies. After its publication l was
flooded with anonymous letters, some of
the most offensive character | remember
receiving one which was so abom Unable
that | took it To PallerOn to show il TO
him, and all who saw it said that it was
the worst thing of its kind they had ever
seen.
my way of working is irregularity it.
self. Sometimes | work for eighteen hours
day, and day after day. A. oJher times
pass months without touching a pen. /
write very slowly. and revise and revise.
am never satisfied with my work. Ny nov
els always write myself | meyer could
dictate a novel. As to my plays. used
L
| could walk. | had certain talent in my
legs. Since my illness | have had to aban-
don that mode of work, and | regret it. [
am an improvisation, and in this respect
differ from ZOla. | am now writing a
novel about youth, called 'SOutien de Fa-
show you my way of work. This is the
first book. 1t contains. as you see,
nothing Dpt notes and suggestions. TIE
passages which are scratched out with red
or blue pencil are passages of W hich l have
already made use. This is the second
stage. You see that only one page is writ
ton upon. the opposite one being left
blank. Opposite each first composition
write the amended copy. The page on the
right is the improved copy of the page on
the left. After that l shall rewlite the
whole. So that leaving the notes out of
consideration [ write each manuscript
three times successiyely, and, if | could.
would write II as many times more, for, as
L have said, am never satisfied with my
work
II am feyerish and spasmodic
worker, but when in the mood can work
very hard. When the fit is upon me | al
low nothing TO interrupt me, not even leav-
ing my writing table for meals. l have my
food brought on to my desk. eat hurriedly
and set TO work before digestion begins.
Thus l anticipate the dro wsiness that di-
gestion always brings with it and escape
its consequences. Now that am i'll, how
ever. do not often have these periods of
splendid energy. l can produce only very
slowly, and feel quite nervous about
'Soutien de Famiile,i when | think that
it is already expected by the public and
announced by the publishers. As to my
literary career, 1t is one Of absolute inde-
pendence for the writer. | have ALWAYS
reDeled against the three classic tradi-
tions OF French literature, that is to say
the French academy. the French theater
and the Revue de Des Deux Mondes' |
consider the academy collection of medi-
ocrities, and would hold myself dis
hon Ored to be one of them.
II am very, very nervous. There are
times when feel that if a light were set
to me | should blaze up in red flame.
Sometimes this nervousness Cf mine PLAYS
me large sum of money one morning re-
Gently. A kind of dramatic agent, accom-
panied by his wife, came to see me to ask
me to sell them the rights of translation of
my play. Lutte Pour la Vie,' and they
bothered anu irritated me so that in order
to get rid Of them | sold them this right
for 1000 francs. The woman told me how
handsQ ONE | was, and said that the ladies
must have been ve:y fond of ME when |
was a young man. She had a hat with
feathers in II, and was altogether most
extraordinary person. An hour later |
heard that these people had sold part of
the right | eeded to them for 80, 600 francs,
so that my nervousness that morning cost
me- about 9lC00. | must say that in my
literary work l owe nearly all to my wife.
She rereads all my bnoks and advises me
on every point. She is all that is charm