A MASTER OF ROMANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 77

A MASTER OF ROMANCE.

M. Pierre Loti, one of the most remark* able of living European writers, has been paying a visit to England. The lifestory of M. Loti is on©, of the most interesting in the annals of modern literature. In *his childhood he was noted' for his lonely and melancholy nature, and was early imbued with the Jove o* *& wandering life. It was probably for this reason that he chos© the navy as a career, and before he was 20 he had seem some of the most out-of-the-way places in the world, and his romantic "natuTß had ample material for its expansion. His love of writing was born with him,and he was little more than a boy when, he sent his manuscripts to editors. If is said that the editress of a famous French review was first attracted to one of his MS. by its shabby and frayed appearance, and its very untidiness induced her to read it. When fine had done co she sat down and wrote a short note to its author. It was a very short note, but it was *-orth its weight in gold to the recipient. This is what it said.-' "Your story is a masterpiece. But the present title will not do at all. . Let us call it Le Mariaaje de Loti, and your name will be made." Her advice was takes, and the story was a great success. In appearance M. Lot' is a typical Frenchman, but there is an indefinable something about him which would make him eons-icuous anywhere. He has the drsamy manner which accords well withhis pen ramie of " Lotus" — his real name is Viand — and he is always more or leas preoccupied and thoughtful. His is am individualist of individualists, - and some time ago he summed up his creed as follows : — "Life is passing, and from life it is logical to ask the most enjoymentpossible while waiting for the final catastrophe of death. My rule of eonducfi is to do what pleases me, in spite of social conventionalities. J believe in nothing — in no one. I have no faith — ho hope." These words were written when M. Loti was a very young man, and no doubt he has moderated his ideas somewhat since then ; but he is still the dreamer of ' dreams, still the romancist living in a romantic world, with a keen eye for the beauties of life in spite of his undercurrent of pessimism. M. Loti's house at Rochefort is one of the most remarkable in existence. Some of the rooms are decorated in the most •■ lavish Eastern manner. His bedroom is in the Moorish style, another apartment! is furnished a la Japonaiee, and co on ; but the most wonderful of all is th« mosque, where the author loves to retire for meditation. It is filled with valuable carpets and stuffs frm the East, and the ficoi is paved with beautiful pink and whits marble. Somie idea of M\ Loti 'a 1-omaiiit.ic nature may be gained from t&fl} fact that after this 1 ' mosque had been erected he discovered that its window* looked out upon a commonplace wall and! upon a neighbouring house, instead of having a clear and^ unbroken view of the eky, po he immediately gave orders for the mosque to be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere, facing in the right direction-

There was a poor man up at Cairns, Who possessed but a wife and 12 bairn*, Whose wheezing and sneezing was so fafl from pleasing' That it g;ave him some awful bad turns. In the midst of his terrible plight, 'Midst the coughing and barking at night, He found a friend sure in Woods' Peopermint Cure, That soon put his family all righk

Beyonid writing stories and travelling in the East M. Loti has few amusements, but one of his hobbies is collecting mummies, and 'be possesses quite a numbe. of these eerie but interesting things. One of his mummies is that of f young princess, and another is that of a little girl, which stands in his study, a silent watcher as he WTites his masterpieces for the world.— M.A.P