The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11

OF love, IAN indispensable condition for
the accomplishment OF all good and sub
stantial work. The theory which repre-
scented woman as a destructive creature,
one who killed an artist, pounded his heart
and fed upon his brain, was in his opinion
a romantic idea which facts controverted'
For his own part, he needed an affection
that would guarantee him tranquility, a
loving home where he might shut himself
up 30 as to devote his life to the great
series Of books which he dreamt OF.
Everything" said he. depended upon
mans choice, and he believed he had found
what he mcclellan orphan, the daughter
Of tradespeople. without a. penny, but
handsome and intelligent" SO lola, his
very Indifferent health. went to live in a
bandbox Of house, or pavilion at
Batignolles, where the harder and dirtier
Homework was performed by servant
woman who slept out.
All would have gone we'll but for the out
break OF the war with Germany, soon to
be followed by the investment Of Paris.
lola now found himself virtually adrift at
Marseilles, with little or no money. and
with sick wife and an aged mother. He
prevailed on some friends to start war
journal, but it only lived few weeks, and
in December, 1910, he had to seek work in
Bordeaux. In this city, which had become
the temporary capital OF France, he found
Glais Bizoin, formerly editor Of La Tribune
and now a member Of the provisional Gov
eminent, who made him his secretary.
II Glais Bizoin could have had his way,
lola would have become a Project. AS II
was, sub-prefecture was offered him, but
he never took possession OF the post. Re-
ferring subsequently TO this curious cpl
sode In his careeer, lola explained; For
my part, imagined that it would be the
end Of the world and that there would be
no more literature. Paris seemed to me
very far away, lost in the clouds; and as
had my wife and mother with me, and no
certain prospect OF money, I ended by
thinking 1t quite natural and advisable that
should plunge into politics, for which
had felt 40 much contempt previously
a contempt which speedily returned.
The biographer's comment Is that, al
though 1t might be expected that one who
detested compromises would look I'M
favorably on many politicians and their
methods, yet, as a matter OF fact, politics
repeatedly played an important part in
Zola's life.
During the first five poE...- Of 1871
lola supported himself by weiting for
political journals. There could be no
thought OF book making or book printing
II was not until after the fall Of the Com
mune that la Fortune des Rougon,' the
IN II -
series. was published. About the same
time ia Curee' began to appear as q
serial in Paris newspaper, La Cioche.
The last named novel was. politically and
financially, the story Of the Hausmanniza-
ton of Paris, while morally it may be de-
scribed as an adaptation Of the ancient
legend OF Phedra to the corrupt times
OF the Second Empire. Produced under
the most unfavorable conditions, LA
Fortune du Rougon' did not even secure
the honor OF real second edition, for the
copies thus denominated on their covers
and title pages were really a residue OF the
first edition. The first edition Of la
Curee- (the serial publication Of which
had been suspended on the charge OF i'm
morality was produced by Laoroix early
in 1872. but soon afterward the publisher,
whose interests had been greatly affected
by the war, became insolvent. This was
a grievtus blow to lola. for the notes he
had given 10 Lacroix were protested. ex-
ecuticns followed. and on one occasion.
when nothing else was pawnAble, the very
wool Of the mattresses on which lola and
his wife slept had to be sold in order to
procure the money needed for bread.
Through the Intervention Of Theophile
Gautier, however, another publisher, NJ.
Georges Charpentier, was prevailed upon
to accept, with certain notifications, q
transfer Of the contract with Lacroi1.
Under the new agreement lola was to
supply two novels every twelve months
during a period OF Ave years, while Char
pentier, on his part, was to hand him 500
francs every month; that Is to say. in ad-
dition to the two volumes which had been
published by Iacroix there were to be
ten others, representing in the aggregate
the sum OF $4,000 francs. In one particular
the contract was less favorable to the now
elist, because while the money received by
lola from Lacroix was to be regarded
merely az an advance, the money received
from Carpenter was to be actual pay
ment. In return for which the full copy
right in each Of the ten promised novels
would belong to the publisher for ten years.
Moreover the right to republish La For
tune des Rougon- and La Curee- was
secured from Lacroi1 by payment of 800
francs.
As the receipt of a hundred dollars a
month from Carpenter did not release
lola from the necessity Of increasing his
income by journalism, and as, on the other
hand, he refused to 'scamp' his literary
work. he found himself unable TO write
more than one novel q year, though no
regularly drew his monthly stipend, and
thus the time came-in or about is75-when
he owed Carpenter two or three volumes
He called on the publisher for the purpose
OF explaining his overdrafts, but Carpenter
interrupted him: my dear friend,' he
said, do not wish 10 rob you. do not
want to derive more than my usual profits
from your work. have lately had an ac-
count OF your sales drawn up on the basis
OF an authors royalty OF 20 confines per
volume, and according to this account
IL IL not you who owe me money. but who
owe you some ten thousand francs. Here
is our agreement, tear 1t up, and all you
h.vs TO do lie TO see my cashier
ociation with a publisher at once
~.