New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-30

lesque of our own day; but how enormous Is 'hc
superiority of Dickenss British tar to the American
Lone Fisherman:
My DEAR SroNH.-I have got capital part Tor
you in the farce, not dncus one o 90 y
called IN the drdmahs persona an aoie-pocu il'isi
SEAMAN and you are never seen ny mortar eye 10
do anything except inGpPoIIt erI Sf fbe bnaf il
eyerybody's way with your HAIR Immensely
ton2ied one brace on, your hands in yonr pockets,
and the bottoms of your trousers tncKed mp. 1et
Won are ineytricaby connected with the plot, anu
are the man whom everybody Is WdulrihH alier.
think il is a very whimsical ldea anu eNtreh9i, !,
droll. 1t made me laugh Mccarthy "hon Jo''0u ~
all down yesterday.
Rulyer wrote play entitled THE Captives,"
fonndrd on . The Captves of Plautus and sent
the Ms. Iii has never been acted or published) TO
Dickens who passed judgment upon it with adj
mrolle delIcacy and tact lie praised it very
highly as a literary production; but he believed
that any plav with Greek names would lie under
disadvantages:
Now not only used such names to be Inseparable
in the public mind from stately WEAKNESS ohl Oh
1to DAVIS they have become inSeparabe III the same
nublc mind from silly puns upon the names anu
from Burlesque You do not know Il hope, at east
for my friends sake what the strand neaVle -,
Greek name ana breakdown Niger dance
ha ye become Inseparabe there. do not mean TO
saw that your genius may not be too powerful lor
such assOcla ions but do most positively mean 10
cav tJat Won would lose half the play IN overcom-
ing them. At the best yon would have 10 G0niehI
against them through he first three acts. Inc u,d
tendency 10 become frozen on classical grOnhd
wnuld he i'm the best part of the audience; the new
tendency TO litter such ground would De IN me
worst part. And instead OF staFtlng llll WIN Wv
audience, il is my convection tHat you womb sun
with them against you, and would nave To win thch
Thoronghucss. intensity, prodigal expenditure OF
pains. distinguished his method of conIuctng
HonsehoH iCords and Al the Year Round Rarely
does an editor take 50 much trouble with his con-
tributors rs Dickens bestowed upon the writer's Tor
his periodicals. Novels especially received MS
afectionatc care. le was quick to perceive talent
generous in the acknowledgment oil II, adr"lt III
turning il to the best USE He suggested improve
ments in dialogue construction, and plot; some
times he made great changes with his own hand
sometimes he proposed them to the author; ana TINS
patient revision was accompanied by patient letters
of explanation. advice, direction, encouragement
which must have been invaluable TO young writers,
making them as It were the pupils of the most sue
ces,fuI living master of fiction. Here rs letter to
MISS Emily jolly which illustrates his consccn-
tiousncss as an editor as well as his courtesy:
DEAR MApAM,-Your manuscript, entitled a
"WIfcs story has come under my own pefuSal
within these last three or four days. recognize I
il such great merit and unusual promise. ana
think il displays much power ana knt Wlrdgt o'
the human heart, that feel strong interest III
have begged the gentleman, who Is in my conf
dence rs 10 the transaction o the business oil HJrsc
hcM Words. to return the Ms to you by the post
which las | huprl will convey this note to yOu MY
object is tins | particularly entreat you 10 con
slider the catastrophe. You write 10 De tedI' 1l
course. The close OF the story u unnecessarily
palutul-wlil throw on numbers OF persons VINO
would otherwise read IL. and who as II slaudsl VIII
be deferred by heaIsay RON 80 dong, ana u so NC
mcndous piece OF severity that It Will dolcnt your
purpose. an my knowledge and experience such
as they are, lead me straight to the recommendation
that You will do well TO spare the lie ol the hHs-
band and OF one of the children. Let her suppose
the former dead, from seeing h.m brought IN
wounded and mseus,h!e-Iose nothing o. IN pro
gress of her mental suffering aiterWafd when ihat
doctor is in attendance upon her-but bring her
round nj last to the blessed surprise that hcr
husband is still nylng, and that q repent
ance which can be worNed ont ~ he gay "
dfon,mcRt fJr me misery she has occasional 20 ne man
whom she so IN rcpqd for his lore and nude 20 m"cr-
d6e lies before hef 30 VIII o. 'o!trn tue acH,'J
whom you now a. 1t were harden; ana so you VIII
bring tears from many eyes winch can only nave
their spring IN aiiectonatcly aud gently iouchrd
hearts. am perfectly certain that WIN, ms
change all the previous part of your tale VIII tell
for twenty times as muth as IL can IN ~ present
condition. And It is because believe you nave "a
great fame before you II You do justice to The re-
otter you this advice 70 what suppose 10 be the
/ observe some parts of the story which would ne
strcngi hcncd, even ~ their psychological interest
los condensation here and there. il YOU VIII leave
that 10 me, / will perform the task rs con-cien-
tiously and carefully as il 10 my own. But the
suggestion ! offer Tor your acceptance no one but
yourself can act upon.
assurance that have never been 30 much surprised
and struck by any manuscript have read. as
have been by yours. Your faithful Servant
BulweI wrote A Strange Story for III the Year
Round aud Dickcns's editorial comments upon it
were equally remarkable for sagacity and cuthua-
asin. We can imagine how gratifying to the author
must have been an approval so well-consdcrcd 80
cordial. and 80 clearly sincere:
Ny DEAR BULwEE-LY1ToS.--I received your
revised proofs only yesterday, and sat down TO
read them last night And before ] say anything
further may tell YOU that COULD Npr lay them
aside but was Obliged % 20 on with them IA my bed
room until got into a very gho,tly state indeed.
This mOraing | have taken them again and have
gone through them with the utmost attention.
OF the beauty and power OF the writing say not
a word, OF IT. originality and boldncss. or OF ITS
ante extraordinary constructive skill. | couNuc
myself solely TO your nlsgivlng, aud to the question
whether there Il any sufficient foundation Tor II.
On the last head say, without the faintcst hest
tatiOn, most decidedly there Is MOI sufficient ioun-
datIon for il. DO not share u in The least ! bc-
hcvc that the readers who have here gwen their
minds Tor perhaps had any 90 give to those strange
psychological mysteries ~ ourselves OF which We
are all more or less conscious VIII accept your won
dcrs as curious weapons m the annury of fiction.
and will submit themselves 20 the Art with which
said weapons are used. Even 10 that elias, Of in
trlligence the marvellous addresses itself from
very strong position and that class OF intelligence
is not accustomed 20 ind the marvellous in such
very powerful hands as yours. On orc ina gina
tive readers the tail will fall Tor am greatly mis-
taken ike spell by readers who combine some
imagination. some sceptlcl,n, and some knowledge
ana learning ! hope 1t will be- regarded rs lu OF
strange fancy and curious study, startling relcc-
lions Of their own thoughts and spcculations at odd
times, and wonder which master has right to
evoke In the last point lies, 10 my thinking the
whole case. II you were the Magicians servant IN
stead of the Magician, these potent spirlts would
get the better OF you; but you are the Magician
and they don't, and YOU make them serve your
purpose
Occasionally in the Dialogue ! see an expression
here and there which mlght-always solely with
reference 20 your misgIvlnc--bc better away; and
think that the vision, to usc the word for want of
bettcr-in the imnseum Should be made little less
abstrusc. should not say that, If the sale of the
journal was below the sale OF The Times newspaper;
but as 10 Is probably several thousands higher do
would also suggest that after the title W., nut the
two woTds-A ROMANCE. 10 Is an absur,ily easy
dc vice for getting over your misgiying with the
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