, 1880-11-19
Ways of Literary Workers.

the first words that occur to YOU" is
sound and Mrs. Martineau, in her CO.
pious autobiography, tells us that early
in her career she gave up the practices
of copying anything she wrote, "For,"
she goes on to say, 81 perceive that
great mischief arises from the notion
that botching in the second place will
compensate for carelessness in the first.
at seemed to me that distinctness and
precision must be lost if alterations were
made in different state Of mind from
that which suggested the first utterance.
81 have always made sure Of what l
meant to say, and then have written it
down without care and anxiety, glancing
at it again only to see if any words were
omitted or repeated, and not altering
single phrase"
"Ouida," it would appear, is Of the
same opinion. She writes with great
rapidity just when the fit takes her, not
even looking at her copy till it comes to
her in proof, and even then makes few
corrections. Bret Harte, like her. writes
only when he feels in the mood, but
with most painstaking care, sometimes
inditing very quickly, sometimes slowly,
and often, after all, remorselessly des-
troying what he has written. Wilkie
Collins produces slowly and revises con-
stantly, inventing his plots rapidly. He
will 60 over passage again and again,
bestowing equal care on the sound and
meaning, ard reduces his incidents mer,
cilessiy.
Victor Hugo is never interrupted
when writing, but will sit completely
absorbed for hours, keeping steadily on
while he is in the humor. Miss Brad.
don writes only for a few hours daily,
but devetes her life to the requirement
of the technical knowledge necessary for
so voluminous writer, and her subject
is clearly thought out before pen is put
to paper She writes with her blotting-
pad on her knee, comfortably ensconced
in the chair she loves, her copy very
clear and free from corrections, and has
always good store of skeleton plots on
hand. Miss Edgeworth's plan was to
write rough sketch. which she placed
before her father, and then wrote and re-
wrote it until both were satisfied. Mrs.
Opie wrote slowly, but with great men
tai effort, and invariably read her COM
positions to her friends before COM
mitting them to print. Charlotte
Bronte's manuscripts were first written
in small book and then carefully copied,
acc oording to the poet Rogers plan, who
advised to write little and seldom, re-
reading it from time to time and re-
copying often. French writer's, as a
rule, devote each morning to their labors
and take holiday the rest of the day,
sometimes resuming their work In the
evening, and many of our English
writer's have strong prediction for
the midnight oil. Jewett recommends
daily la bors of short duration; and at
tention to diet and rules OF health have,
there is little doubt, controlling power
even over the inspiration Of the pen.
Jules Simon, Carlyle, Gladstone, Ruskin
and hosts Of others are early risers, and
show by practice their belief that the
morning hours, in which they are fresh
est and strongest, both in mind and
body, shodld be devoted to work. But
the conditions under which writers can
produce their work most largely depend
on constitution and personal feeling.
While Victor Hugo could not be dis.
turbed, Paul de Cassagnac will send
forth sheet after sheet in the midst of
the chattering of friends with the same
power Of mental concentration as Sir
Walter Scott, who appears tc have writ.
ten some of the most VIVID scenes in his
novels, not only in the midst of over
burdening anxieties, but amid distracting
Interruptions.
While Gambetta writes with only
sheet Of paper before him, no little Of
pamphlets, and no apparent work Of
reference Thiers used to sit surrounded
by books; and Dumas keeps about him
on a writing table, with many pigeon
holes, store Of all kinds of tempting
paper. Sardou sits at large fiat table
as does Carlyle with reading easel near
at hand and Wilkie Collins uses the
same massive table whence Dickens sent
so many Of his works into the world.
Literary women Of the Jellaby class are
rare, and literary men no longer think
that personal electricity must distinguish
them from the rest of the world. The
most successful and the busiest writer's
= L. L