The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-03
GUY DE MACPASSANT AND
EMILE ZOLA.

(From "Recollections Of Guy de Mau-
passant," by his valet Francois.
Fuoilshed by the John Lane Coz
June the 1Sth--We are settled at
Ir1ei. Ny master has been to fetch
mis- yawl at Poissy, and sends me there
TO Dr1ns back the boat Tonneau. This
niue craft thus named because the
snlpwr1sht a made 1t perfectly
iound underneath, vas intended to be
the Bel Amfs small boat, u it never
could go to sea. I went to fetch it
one afternoon. my master was there.
De came on board with me, and We
went slowly down the river, under
the big trees. Villennes on one side,
the islands on the other.
Ny master kept silence, his dreamy
eyes gazed through his glasses on all
the %greenery, AND on the flowers
blooming by the smiling riverside.
After we had passed V%illennes, he
showed me a house.
DO you recognize that place."
aSked he.
Yes, sir, it's M. Zola's house"
He gives himself the devils own
trouble:" said. my master. He has
taken into his head to write a novel
about every sort Of workman. He
has given himself an awful task, and
really a talented novelist ought not
I ottCAI1pt SQCL lIlOSS. L nave Oltcn
thought on the subject; according to
me, a writer must only describe what
he has felt: to express a thing we'll it
must have been seen and understood
l think also, n must not only I'M
derstand it, one u either owe or
hate it, in fact. be imbued with every
detail Of ones subject see them dis
tinctly, and have studied them thor
oughly. I shan't follow lola on tina,
rn0A shall 1n1y ~-~i{n ru[o< o14o~oc
me. on a subject that interests me. ]
intend to keep the style of compost
ton I have adopted. and bear my in
diVidual stamp. lola n Hector
Pessard, who lives at TrIel part Of the
year with his mother, will come tc
lunch here the day after tomorrow
, We reached Triel harbour, and m,
master took the oars out of my hands
as I did not pull hard enough t.
, please him.. We were passing be
fore M. Pessard's house, and I thinl
!, he would have been ashamed his boa
; should have been seen going along 81
slowly, particularly as we were row
2 ing with the current. 1t was a Ques
' ton Of his pride. .
: Two days later my master place,
E M. lola opposite him at lunch; hi
friend M. Pessard was on his right
The conversation was very ordinary
:. literature was hardly mentioned. TIL
names Of a few writer's were allude'
g to, that was all. They talked il
snatches by fits and starts; notwith
8 standing M. Pessard's efforts to ere
ate some interest
t Just like two cats watching eac,
= other, the two great novelists woul
e throw a glance at each other, the
look into their plates, as If really tn
q contents thereof were Of immense i'm
portance. Generally, such vas not tn
= way with my master, who wds usual
s so jolly and unaffected. The ict
g in short. was never broken.
Immediately after lunch. NJ. Zol
t went for his usual walk to Cheverche
8 mont, and my master accompanie
e his friend M. Pessard, who wished
: visit the mushroom beds Of tempt
and Vaux. At four, I brought in m
e masters tea; he was lying on h
d couch, but got up hastily, and be
gan abruptly to tell me his fmpres
sions, without looking at me.
9 81 consider that Zola," said he, ="
a great writer; his literary value
e very considerable"
5. "As to himself. personally
said he, with bitterness and %repulsio1
FL don't like him at all! 80"