returned to the Abbe's despairing
call; and it must be confessed that one must yet wait for the greater
part of that answer, since "Fruitfulness," though complete as a
narrative, forms but a portion of the whole. It is only after the
publication of the succeeding volumes that one will be able to judge how
far M. Zola's doctrines and theories in their ensemble may appeal to the
requirements of the world.

While "Fruitfulness," as I have said, constitutes a first instalment of
M. Zola's conception of a social religion, it embodies a good deal else.
The idea of writing some such work first occurred to him many years ago.
In 1896 he contributed an article to the Paris _Figaro_, in which he
said: "For some ten years now I have been haunted by the idea of a
novel, of which I shall, doubtless, never write the first page.... That
novel would have been called 'Wastage'... and I should have pleaded in
it in favor of all the rights of life, with all the passion which I
may have in my heart."* M. Zola's article then proceeds to discuss the
various social problems, theories, and speculations which are set
forth here and there in the present work. Briefly, the genesis of
"Fruitfulness" lies in the article I have quoted.

* See _Nouvelle Campagne_ (1896), par Emile Zola.
Paris, 1897, pp. 217-228.

"Fruitfulness" is a book to be judged from several standpoints. It would
be unjust and absurd to judge it from one alone, such, for instance,
as that of the new social religion to which I have referred. It must
be looked at notably as a tract for the times in relation to certain
grievous evils from which France and other countries--though more
particularly France--are undoubtedly suffering. And it may be said that
some such denunciation of those evils was undoubtedly necessary, and
that nobody was better placed to pen that denunciation than M. Zola,
who, alone of all French writers nowadays, commands universal attention.
Whatever opinion may be held of his writings, they have to be reckoned
with. Thus, in preparing "Fruitfulness," he was before all else
discharging a patriotic duty, and that duty he took in hand in an hour
of cruel adversity, when to assist a great cause he withdrew from France
and sought for a time a residence in England, where for eleven months I
was privileged to help him in maintaining his incognito. "Fruitfulness"
was entirely written in England, begun in a Surrey country house, and
finished at the Queen's Hot