The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-23

FAbEs bfuts win HoAAtAcHA NofFup-
tion-NIndame Daudet His Literary
Critic.
Copyright. 1895.
Paris. Feb. 1i.-Between Ris Orangis. the
railroad station and Champrosay. there IS
an old bridge that spans the Seine. and
from which one can see in its Verdant
splPndoT. the entire valley as far as Cor
bell, then a beautiful road shaded by old
poplars which climb the hin side.
THE house OF NJ. Alphonse Daudet."
'Yonder. at the edge of the village, be-
side the church, that high slate roof with
red chimneys
Here I am at the home Of the author OF
THE Nabob" and "Sappho." In the little
study from which l can see the immense
garden. sloping toward the river, which
far below, looks like a long thread Of sill
yer bordering the green carpet Of the
lawn. The Daudet works at high desk.
which see encountered with sheets of
paper covered with that peculiar writing,
a little trembling. In which are revealed
the uncertainties of the poet and the nov
elist's strange power of fancy
The painful nervous malady from which
he has suffered for almost ten years has
left him a little emaciated, giving to his
dark eyes a fire SO ardent that, at instants
II troubles and disconcerts you.
Without doubt, my dear friend" he
said to me. Il am better; but often suffer
still, and I am obliged to lean on this
cane to walk In spite of all, have
learned to bless my suffering, since for so
long have endured it. You do not suspect
the extraordinary clearness that this ner-
vous tension has given. at times to my
brain; the power of observation, intui-
tion even, which at certain moments /
have felt And then. / have been able
TO study pain so well. not only in myself,
but in all the other sufferers among whom
/ have lived, in the watering places have
visited. What curious and interesting
studies of sufferngl For suffering. with
every human being, exhibits different
state of mind. which varies in a manner,
according to the profession or situation I
the sufferer. The priest the soldier the
merchant, do not suffer In the same way
but all this we will talk of later; you have
doubtless come 10 ask for some intorma-
ton about the book l am writing?'
Yes, indeed, for a book by the author
of The Kings in Exile is always a liter
airy event
zone evening, when had to dine with
me Goncourt, lola, Charpentier and sew
eral other friends-that was long ago,
talked a long time of the duties of the
writer. apropos of a novel of either 20
las or mine / do not remember exactly,
which had appeared and mad aroused
peared, with a clearness that disturbed
me, the responsibility which rests upon
writer's who enjoy the favor of the pub
lie. The moral force which they exert Is
too great for them to forget, in writing,
the power that they WELD. On that day,
l promised myself never again TO write
a book without an aim. 1t seemed to me
that there were in our society so many
innocents to avenge, so many powers to
demolish. so many high moral causes to
defend! l tried; IL was with this idea
that wrote 1.-The Evangelist" to avenge
poor woman who came TO me to tell
how fanatics had taken her daughter from
''The poor creature has been dead but
a short time. Some friends and myself
settled a small pension on her. When we
buried her, her daughter, sthl hypnotized
by her religious mysticism, did not even
my process, you know, is to take a fact
of real life which / have observed, and
relate It; Ii should bear in itself It's moral
and its teaching. The book which l am
preparing lie Soutien de Famille. opens
with the letter exactly, which was written
me by a poor fellow bequeathing to me
the care Of his children, before he went
to throw himself into the canal. My novel
is the story of the eldest child, who was
Obliged to support the others, and who
apparently, bore the entire responsibility
of the family. Everyone came to his aid
at home he was favored; they carried him
his chocolate in bed and out IN the world
let himself breathe, while beside him, the
little Cinderella of the house struggled in
cessantly and devoted herself IN obscu-
ritiy to the big brother, who had all the
'That is, in a few words the outline OF
the book. But you know have not for
gotten the moral purpose of which / was
speaking to you. In lie Soutien de Fa-
MILE there IS a picture which hope Is
faithful and living, Of thing WHICH all
the world knows; political corruption.
have been careful to depict ii with ex-
IRENE truthfulness. have taken the mo-
ment when the chamber is corrupted with
out its own knowledge and with
out France even suspecting IT, the moment
when silver filtered through the followers
of Gambetta-not so far as himself, how
| overland deposited its virus in con
| sciences that were believed TO be the best. "
81 comprehend that on such subject
| it is difficult to ask what you would like
| TO know, before the appearance of the
book However, can you tell me II any
particular point has especially attracted
you?" no, o,.,,oa - a,u. -,
| 1t was the hall of the Pas Perdus of the
| Palais Bourbon, the open vein from which
| ran the best blood of France, and through
| which also all corrution entered
But this is not all / asked Of Daudet
By this time, curiosity had entered; for
| the reader who enthusiastically turns the
pages of his loved author, y IS, above all
Il
| been written, how the artist labored who
| chiseled the admired work.
How do | Work2' answered Daudet. In
| a very simple fashion, without rule, with
| out method, at the within of my fancy OF
| inspiration See" and the romancer took
| a series of small note books covered with
| his fine and compact writing, here is
| where / note at the very first instant, al
| the observations that | gather. all the
| thoughts that come o me. How many
/ times it has happened in the midst of my
/ sleeplessness that must rise TO note some
| sensation At this moment, ] have a very
! convenient little Italian book. entitled
/ 'Penziamentos.' There is only one thought
/ on a page. l fill the rest, and 1t has beer
| possible for me to write to the author
] Your book never leaves mel
| | turned the leaves of the little book
| and at random, copied some notes which
| will give an interesting idea of the labor
| which goes on in the brain of the nov
| elist:
Importance of a good incentive at the
| moment when our lives take their discre
| ton. Our careers Of art, full of wander
| ers the misguided, and of trains in dis
| tress. The assurance of the one passing
/ by: plumes flying, sure of his road and
! firm on his rails. How one would astonisf
| him by telling him that he was not COINS
| where he thought to go, and that he Il
| turning his back upon his destination"
/ fc fharQ. the thought and the ina 90