The times., 1899-09-10
THE CHURCH AND THE GADFLY.
The Author Talks Frankly About
Her Famous Novel.


NEW YORK. Sept. 9.-"My intention
was to write a drama when l first thought
out the plot of The Gadfy.'" said Mrs.
Ethel Lillian Voynich the other day, when
asked to talk about the novel which has
made her famous. She has come over from
London to superintend the staging of the
cramatization OF her book, and is stop
ping with friends in the country near New
York. City life, that is. New York city
life CRATES on her nerves so her manager
says, and makes her i'll. She is as tall, as
fragile-looking, and as fair as a lily. has
beautiful curling blonde hair. a sweet
mouth, gentle, lovable manners.
Il didn't think of my drama in connea-
/ ton with the stage, however; ! only
thought to get il published as a drama. l
+ felt far tco ignorant of the technique OF
! the stage to accomplish anything in that
line. You see, / had not even an ex-
perience with amateur theatricals 10 fall
back on, as so many writers OF plays have.
After / began to write The Gadfiy, instead
I of its growing into drama it became the
/ novel. And | assure you il is so different
! from the play which we are SO buSily pre-
| pairing for the stage that / scarcely Ike
/ you to think of il as a dranlatization. The
play is as / first conceived the plot. while
the book is totally different. The same
characters appear under the same names,
but one could never call it an adaptation.
Il am often amused and sometimes an
noyed when persons tell me that, although
well received as a book, The Gadfy' will
not be a success as play, owing TO the
religious questions involved. | wish they
could read numerous letters of commenda-
tion ! have received from various persons
belonging TO the Catholic Church, several
of them ordained priests. One which par
ticulariy pleased me was from a dignitary
of Importance in the Church. a priest of
unusual attainments. He wrote thanking
me for the pleasure he had found in read
ing The Gadfly, and commended highly
the truthfulness with which l had drawn
my characters. Not one word of disappro-
baton for the religious views expressed
nor the positions in which the religious
personages appeared. l was sure when /
read his first letter that he had grasped
my ideas exactly.
That letter was but the beginning; since
then | have had the pleasure of meeting
and knowing him intimately, and l assure
you ! number among him my warmest
friends. Another friendship / greatly prize
and which began pretty much in the same
way is that of a Catholic priest living in
one of your Western States He is not only
pleased with the novel, but expresses great
interest in the play, and has entire faith
in its success.
Don't understand me. however, to say
that all Catholics, or even Protestants. ap-
proved of my book. On the contrary
have received many violently abusive let
ters, but have found that the writers mis-
interpreted the character OF the Cardinal
l did not intend Montanelli as a type and
certainly not as selfish ambitious man.
hfrf thor a lnua hfa errir hun,
He originated wholly in my own brain, and
was not drawn frcm life, as SO many per-
sons seem 10 fancy. Personally / cannot
understand anyone regarding the padre as
self-seeking or cruel. None OF us are per-
feet, but certainly that man, as intended
him to appear. is as nearly without faults
as anyone can be.
You ask which was my favorite Arthur
or the padre2 Did you ever hear mother
own to having a favorite child? Well. that
is the way l feel about those characters
That book is my chick, my first born, and
at present my only one, so you must for
give NE il | cannot consider one hero more
beautiful, more worthy of admiration, than
the other
Yes, l viii write other books; indeed,
am writing one now. but / compose so
slowly ii viii be some time before it is
ready for publication The Gadfiy' was the
result Of thirteen years thought and la
Dor. Not that / was that length of time
actually writing il. but between my first
thought of it and its publication thirteen
years elapsed.
The hero in my next book will not be
the least bit like Arthur. nor will / touch
upon religious subjects in any form what
ever; more than that [ do not care to say.
for its publication is a long way off. |
think ia my heart OF hearts I have a
greater affection for the play than the
novel You see, a drama was my first con-
ception, and have always had the greatest