The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01
ISAAC ZANGMlLL ON
A HOUSE BOAT.
How He And 40 frtist Friend Exiled themselves
One Summer.
One Summer.

ton were the two traits which stood ous
most prominently during . chat I had
with him ono summer axternooa In his
workshop on the river. IL was after he
had made money to take up new mode
of life and had drawn TO him the close
friendship of Hutchinson, the artist. Tho
painter and the writer had formed q CO.
partnership and were giving themselves
the very proper English luxury Of own
Ing a floating home. They had anchored
it. ~ front OF Richmond, and had given
Ii the graceful name of the swan"
Zangwiu and mis- companion had been
exiaes on X, with a cook. for two months,
and aay in and day out the big fellow.
with his frowxy, curly black hair. had
en- sitting in the cabin. iaeoriousiy
grinding out play, which afterward
proved 3 failure. understand. HALF the
time his hut was bobbsnx on the waves
like chip. and hat the time Il was lop-
sided in the mud. with the tide gene out.
Zangwisi himself acted a. ferrymAn ous
TO his castle. He Ia a much better novel;
iss than carsman. He finally managed
10 get the ska alongside the swan" the
entrance TO which IL up swaying lad
der. The reception committee consdsted
Of Hutchinson and ''Shanks." very yell
low dog. The committee led the way into
the cabin. which was drawing room.
studio and dining room. There was q
bust OF Keats suspended from the ceiling
by a string - wearing Salvation Army
bonnet. Hutchinson had on the other
side gem Of a picture. with which he
had recently taken prize when II hung
for the show on the academy walls. The
corner about which the literary spirit 10
supposed to hover for him was filed with
saole, which had all the appearances oe
s having once served barrel or cask.
There was no giamor about the home oe
this genius.
Zangwili is the kind of conversational.
ist that likes the monologue. II II on.y
necessary 10 listen. He does the taking.
He talks muca as he writes, many times
In riddles. He told In simple way tho
story Of his life. He was born In one OF
the poorest novels OF a Ghetto. All the
frs. years OF his life were spent in holxio
of stubbie< II was q hard strugg.o for
him TO get through school, but he man.
aged TO do 1t and take prizes on the way.
His scholarship attracted the attention Of
one of the Rothschilds. and the rich man
offered TO supply money for h:a start In
life. Zangwiii threw away tho offer. with
seant thanks. proud. and confident he
could win without charity. He said he
rarely saw the sun when a boy, and his
ambition was TO live somewhere where
daytime came with some regularity and
far from the section Of garrets and long
back stairs. His FIRST work was that Of
joke writer for a society weekly. The
pay came a.ong in lots OF -.
; Doctor Grimmer" was the first book
that brought him any money, queer
little tale which was short lived In the
popular esteem. He kept pegE.ng along,
and finally brought out 1.-The Master" I
complained 10 him OF the ending of the
book. He disagreed, and In telling why
gave. think. the keynote OF all his ef-
forts. THE Master. could not have
closed in any other way" he said. sCon-
ststency must be the basis Of every char.
acter study. You must be true to nature
to the end. j presented the Master with
his cary training and his burden Of
heredity. His very nature would have
rebelled against the total desertion Of the
wife. in whom he had been disappointed
The only thing the Master could do wAs
to 40 home To her, and he could have
done nothing else and be true to the life
which had given him.
This love of consistency has made vane-
VIII exceedingly and many times painfully
realistic. He ridicules his own people Tor
his realism. One OF his most pitiful char.
acters Is said to be his own father. He
did this not because he did not love his
father. but because he had learned 10
hate the traditions OF his father. He man
nested his filial love in other ways He
Keeps comfortable mouse In kitburn.
where his mother and sisters are mis-
tresses This place Is as unaffected a. HE
barge. 1t Is one house In Q characteristics
London row. His den IL on the second
floor. crowded and packed with books.
His books run TO science. philosophy and
history. His brother Louis shares his
den. and he. too. is writing storiea
Zangwiii IL no longer Jew at heayt.
He bears the external features OF tho
race. but he Is not Of the race. The poor
Jews hate him: the orthodox ones reyiio
him. His associates are literary workers,
Newspaper people. Conan Doyle. Jerona
r. Jerome. George Moore and other menu
bers of the modern London school. He n
a man OF easeiess work. toiiin9 night
and day when he has book started. He
comes from struggle like this pale.
cavernous-eyed. thin, and hts hawky fea-
tsires looking more Ike those Of corpse
than Of living man. He In but IS years
old.-A Chicago Paper.