The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26
AUTHOR OF "oUO vADIS"
BRIEF STORY OF THE LIFE Avn
CHARACTER OF sIENkIEwIcz.
Exiled Himself from His Native Po-
land and then Returned to Make
His Name I'm History.
Boston Herald.

VINO is Henry K. Sienkiewicz? A few
years ago only he burst upon the American
reading public in his Incompatible historical
romance, with Fire and Sword" 'grhe
Defuge," two volume romance, followed
soon after. and still a third, Pan Michael"
Few months later completed this remark
able trilogy. But this prolific writer did not
cease MS activity. Without Dogma" a
novel of modern Poland, and Children of
the Soil.' study in sociology, followed in
quick succession. Then came perhaps his
greatest work. certainly that which has
become rapidly popularized in this country,
his Quo Vadis,' study in fiction of the
times of Nero and the days of the early
Christian church. Who is this man who has
thus taken the American reading public by
storm and made himself a name among us
that will not soon be forgotten? The pub
lie mind has merely the impression that he
IS native Of Poland, but more than this
the best informed in literature and concern
ing its makers can scarcely tell.
Briefly, then, Sienkiewicz was born at
VIOLA Okrejska, in Lithuania, Poland, in
the year 1916. SO that he has just turned his
half century of life. He comes of an old
and noble family, and his instincts and
tastes have always been those of a patri-
clan. OF the land of his BIRTH Lithuania
1t is said that, stretching from the Baltic
southwark, it is a land of great and gloomy
forests, which have had not little influ-
ence upon the character of the people, His
education was received at the University Of
warsaw, during the troublous times which
enoed IN the disruption of Polish nationa!
life and the absorption of his country into
the great empire of Russia. With every
national movement against Russia the city
" Tod -
rebellious city were the strongest and Sc
verest measures adopted for the denational-
lzatlon OF the Pole. Even the use of his
native tongue was forbidden to him in the
university, and everywhere Russians super
seded Poles. The old relations between the
university and the aristocracy were inter-
rupted, and everywhere was an atmosphere
OF suspicion. The year 1863 marked that
reign OF terror which did not end for Po-
land until many lives had been sacrificed.
fortunes lost and numerous banishments had
compelled the Poles to admit the superiority
of the Russian
AT twenty-five years Of age Sienkiewicz
left the university to begin a. life of wan
uerlng travel. He was imbued with senti-
ment OF restlessness and a desire to see
strange faces and foreign scenes. He wan
oereo TO the remote corners of his native
laho' studying its people, and especially
those of the bourgeois class, so widely sepa-
rated from his own by an impossible social
gulf. This nomadic life and association with
the great common people produced in him
manner of thought quite at variance with
that to which he had been bred. while vet
1t has not led him to an utter separation
from the class to which he properly belongs
ana IN which he was reared. SienkieWicZ
~ III TACT may be said to belong, in his SYM
TO
sreat social classes in his country Wheth-
er, therefore, he depicts patrician or peas
ant tnere Is In his picturing an intense real
tSin tnat reveals a mind to which peculiar
prejudice is a stranger
:, tAitnnough he led for some years a nomadic
ne, SlenkleWlcz did not allow his pen TO he
t Ie;; Ihese were the years of preparation
Tor his great life work. In 1872 was published
volume of sketches which were but fine
precursors of what was to follow Y'ater he he
appeared in st. Petersburg as the editor of
a newspaper, but of this episode in his life
tne record is but slight. Next he is heard
from IN France, where he was identified with
utoplan scheme. which cannot fail to re-
IA ~, one s OF the famous Brook Farm venture
III OUT own country This scheme with which
Pollsh fraternity of expatriated artists and
musicians m were identified, had it's inception
Pacific shores of the United States Colony inv
after the communistic idea. The oIan was
well matured and a brave effort was made
to carry it into successful operation' Am1ne
It's promoters. besides Sienkiewicz. were
count Bozenta Chlaponski, and his more
ment was made near Los Angeles. Cal
WHICH they called Ammo Luni. Like other
s snd fc enterprises this proved failure,
ana, Tor while, the founders were in dire
straits. But in the case of two at least their
genius came to their help. Mime. Modjeska
speedily acquired a knowledge of the Eng
ilsh language, and soon made herself a last
ing name in the histrionic art Sienkjevjcz
returnied TO Poland, and there published his
experiences IN and impressions of America
in Il series of sketches, which attracted the
attention of the public, and served to bring
10 MIN considerable fame.
With the exception of such portions of his
tlme as he still spends in foreign travel he
I has since made his native land his home
some years ago, a great grief came to him
IN the death OF his wife, to whom he was
deeply attached. He has two children, Hen
ryk, a boy OF fifteen, and Yadviga, a girl of
thirteen years. Towards these children he
manifests deep affection
IN the year 1880 he began his monumental
WORK, the historical triogy which has made
MS name famous on two continents. Curl
ously enough for such a literary event
could scarcely occur in this country these
extensive works appeared in instalments in
a Warsaw journal; translations appearing
simultaneously in Vienna and Berlin. The
production OF these books was the work of
eight years, the public eagerly perusing
the various installments as they appeared
and patiently waiting for the conclusion
SieLldeWiez is tireless and incessant
worker. new material constantly appear
ing from his pen. Much of this has not
been translated into English. Besides the
works already mentioned, two volumes of
Other Stories. -. and Lillian Morris and
Other Stories have appeared in our lam
guage. Recently. too a third volume of
tales, under the name of HAMA" has ap-
peared. All of these, and more besides of
his writings have been translated into Ger
man. Russian and French. so that Sien-
kiewicz. to-day, is thorough cosmopolitan
in his audiences.
Warsaw, his favorte city, remains his
abiding place and there he passes the win
Ter months. His summers spent in wan
dering, but Il portion of the season is
passed at his summer home in the Car
pathian mountains Wherever he makes
his abode he is a citizen of the world and
is equally at home whether on the banks
of the Tiber, or Of the Seine. the Dneiper,
the Danube, or the Nile Notwithstanding
this cosmopolitanism he is, in his tastes,
thoroughly a Pole. His patriotism never
has been questioned. 1t is noticeable, how
ever, that his historical romances treat
only of the far-of past, while his modern
writings treat of social or other problems.
Despite his intense love of his native coun-
try-fallen and crushed as a nation--his
writings are never of political tendency.
To the adoption of this literary plan he
is undoubtedly impelled by sentiments of
prudence, since the writer who ventures
on Russian soil to tread upon that forbid
den ground quickly becomes persona non
grata. with the authorities at ST. Peters
burg.