The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-06-16

mansion on the Rue de Bruxciie 10 q,
imposing size and magnificent furnish
inga. Who're Sarah Bcrnhnrlt has
lined her lower entrance way with
sliins and grotesques In copper, he hna
beautified his with wonderful marbles
which he collected during his recent
visit to Rome. Even the Office Of the
concierge is fitted up with fne old
prints and copies of rare Journals His
dininR-room, his billiard-room, his
drawing-room and his study are mar
vcls. The last is, of course the most
interesting Of all the rooms, for it is
there that he docs the work for which
the world waits with an anxicty which
1t vouchsafcs, perhaps, to the writings
of no other living author.
Zola writes seated In what might be
, almost called throne-a chair clnb-
oratcly carved and so large TINT when
tho novelist ats in II he seems almost
dwarfed. His table IA long, wide and
massive. a fine tapestry covers it, cnd
its elegance is Incredibly neat. 2ola
does not work amid disorder, ns so
many writer's do. Even his notes arc
orderly and carefully arranged in
books. He never has occasion to tear
wastc-papcr basket in his etudv. His
daily task of fifteen hundred words is
SO carefully and slowly written that il
ia rare that he makes q single cor'rcc.
ton. Ilo has never become rcconcilcd
TO the use OF blotGng paper, and dries
tho wet ink on his manuscript sheets
by sprinkling sand over them, as did
| our great-grand fathers
had heard rnnny strange stories OF
| tho way in which Zola collects tho min
ute details which he invariably uses in
describing the lives OF tho lower
classes They viii tell you in the
cafes, as they told me. that it is the
novelist's plan TO actually become n
part Of the life of any Gloss OF which he
proposes to writc before ho touches 4
pen TO paper concerning il.
Absurd he cxclairlcd. when |
| asked him about it mo MN could
do that OF course, havn mover lived
| and worked with the miners or oshcr
folk about whom l have written
| have visited the mines, yes; and ques.
toned all sorts and conditions of peo-
plo connected with them. have talked
with miners and with mino owners
with tranmer girls and with rich wou-
en- who devote philaRtrophic effort to
that unfortunate class. have gone
down into the mines and looked around
and studied, but never in the guise Of
anything except myself. have rid
den on locomotive, end l have visited
tenement houses, but give very little
time to these matters, Two or three
days viii generally suffice for the gath.
ci1n& of such material rs need 1t
would be as sensible to say that
could never faithfully depict a female
character in my books, because | have
never been woman, as IL would be to
say that could never write truthiullv
OF miners >lfc unless had actually
handled pick aad shovel.
why doycu not stop, NJ. 2ola," in
| quired, "and take rcat?'
mo, 1 thinl, shall never do that. I
have said to myself that l would do
certain things, aud these things l shall
do, suppose. presume that l shall
drop in the harncso. Rome has tried
me greatly. was granted no facilities
by the church. l tried to see the popc,
but was refused. No, l secured no
documents which will throw light on any
existing probl&ms. It is nero my
province to gather data already exist
ing and weave it into q picture which
shall strike the average reader. Rome
Is a vast subject. There Gro many
places which | could not see. had 10
depend upon the words of persons who
hnd seen-to get my information see
ond hand. The hard work comes often
in the condansing- the shortening
into page whole aspects Of history,
and in doing It in sort Of hidden way.
because l om not writing o history, but
Il novel" EDwAED MARSHALL
HE WAS NO HERO.