Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-11
WILKIE COLLINS AT HONE.
4 Chat with the Great English STORY
Wrizer-iis Views and Methods.
HIS HOME.

runsout Oh gloomy ,arist0cratic POrtnan square.
His house is one of a number OF monotonous
dirty brick structures, which look as forbiddlng
as the street which receives the evil influences
Of all of them, but, once within its hospitable
portals. the contrast is as great as that between
midnight and midday. broad generous
stairway at the end of the great hallway leads
up to Mr. Collins workshop. and thither am
led by the plump, Overfed-loOking servant who
responds to the bell The workshop Is the back
room OF Mr. Collins drawing room floor 1t
has high ceiling, is say 20x30 feet In area.
has a iar9e fireplace, in which a grateful fire is
burning 6rlskly. two OF three easy chairs and
other ones not so easy, a well-worn table with
soping writing board on the side. adjoining
hard wood Tm-char, behind that a chest of
lockers and drawers, and on two sides of the
room rows of substantial bookcases. On all
the other wal. spaces, except exactly iii front of
the desk, where q green baiZc curtain on rollers
Is hung. there are framed photographs of the
Italian freseoes and familiar plates in steel and
copper.
1t is 10 minutes. perhaps. before the great
story teller comes ill., and | employ the interval
In scanning the library to find a well-worn
edition OF the Wayerley novels occupying the
principal and most accessible place. just beneath
them is an American edition OF Cooper Another
set or shelving is devoted to Notaire and Bal
Zac, and third to theatrical books and the
authors own productiOn-nO small library,
third Of so many stories. Every book that can
be made to stretch over three volumes is pub
lished in that form in England. | notice fur
ther, soft velvet curtain that hangs between
this anu the larger 'front.' room and that the
carpet IS somewhat Old and shabby, and never
had been pretty one Nevertheless the room
has comfortable air. and there is a restftl sug-
gest!On in its misunderstanding ariE chairs ana
books BY this time quick step is heard in the
hail, the door flies omen and
appears dare say that nearly everybody has
seen his picture in some one or other of his
books. and q good many Americans have seen
him ami heard him on the rostrum. But his
picture gives only a faint suggestion of the
man, and a II was 10 years or something over
since he gave readings in America this descrp-
ton of him at home is not aIniss. Aman Of saw
~ years, below the medium height. with stoUp-
Ing figure and head drawn down between his
shoulders, small limbed, slight III stature and
quic., almost nervous. In movement His skull
is deep, with high, prominent forehead
which is somewhat higher than it
was when h!s hair grew stronger; large
brownlsh eyes. which shine brightly
from through the Steei-rmnled spectacles he
habitualiy wears. He is unshaven and wears a
mOustache OF light growth and whiskers that
flow over his breast but sguareiy trimmed.
He has small hand with pear shaped fingers
small foot. covered with an artistic Kid boot
striped brown pantalOOns somewhat worn aud
Carefully mended in enc or two places q blue
flannel wastcoat and coat. a linen shirt splashed
with CORY red squares. and q blue and white
Scarf worn in a debOnar fashion gives him an
air of rakishness which the presence of his
brOwnish white and patr!archal beard and sill
Verlng locks can scarcely counterfeit.
His greeting is hearty, He shakes hands
vigorously. pulls the chairs into share and de-
lays not his talk He begins by recalling his
trip TO America some ten years ago and SAYS:
at Is a splendid place"
COLLINS on COorER
Speaking Of Sir Walter Scott as the .rreat
master. whom of American writer's do yCu deem
the greatest"
81 Fenlmore Cooper. He has written the
great stories. Leather Stocking The Path
finder, The iaeer Slayer and the sea novels
He was the founder OF the school of ocean ro-
nance. and be mas never been successfully
copied Mat could hc more artistic than the
descriptions IN which he uses the technicaljties
OF the seatareT's lie. but vet is enabled to en-
chain the Interest 0f those who know nothing
about thc sea. and who cannot understand even
the words He uses. Cooper is the OniV Ampri-
can writer "hO has given US dstnctyely Amer
lean work. His ideas and his treatment are
alike American Other writers of this day may
lntreGGce American characters and give to their
WORK American scenery. but the English
color Is III I somewhere. Even the poetry of
that great writer. L0ngfellOw who was. per
haps. the greatest writer OF the age can be easily
traced to the pnre English sources. But Coop
ers w0ra has such origin. The Deer SLAYER
is a classic"
"How is il. Mr.. Collins that YOU. who have
been so much in yachts have not made use of
the experience you gained TO write them in your
Stories"
''Ah, there. he replied. pointing to the row
OF Coopers novels, there has always been the
difficulty. No man will ever excel him in that
line: no man can When think of his work
am deferred from attempting that at which
mn t.an Oh,
sea, although in The Frozen Deep have at
tempted the treatment OF sailors life That
was III the drama. however"
Mr. Collins happened, in some way, to refer to
CHARLES READE
and spoke of his present Illness. which NAV
prove fatal. and added II have lust had line
from him. He is quite i'll. But he is an older
man than l. in fact, he is nearly sixty-two. while
am not yet fifty-nine'
/ thought that was dividing the difference
between the ares of these two great
stOry-tellers, and obviously Mr. Collins was
struck with the same idea. for he went
on quickly Not much difference. to be sure.
but one which may be marked by all kinds of
changes. What kindly, goOd-hearted man
Reade Is! One OF the most generous hearts in
the world Like all great men who have gen
erous instincts, he has also his flashes of temper
In which he says and does things that he fOrpets
me reason tor. but which lead TO his having lots
and applies the names which he has such a
ready faculty in constructing. il is not any won
der that he creates an opposition He does not
bel eve that mad doctor can be an honest man
ana the mai doctors have no faith in him. But
he is splendid fellow as gentle and soft
hearted as good woman. and as liberal as he
can be have ALWAYS been sincere admirer
oil his works. through which flows his own Der
eonality-carrying club most of the time, too.
and always his friend as well. l have know
MIN a long time"
That must take you back TO your own early
DAYS IN literature. Tell me of that"
THE BEGINNINGS OF A CAREER
"Wen, If you think 1t would interest you.
My father was. a royal aeademclan, and was
anxious to give me all the opportunities to fol-
low the bent OF my own genius. / had been
abroad with him good DEAL and when / re-
turned to London. l wanted to 90 into the tea
business thought at that time of the i'm
mense wealth TO be gained by it and the power
OF the merchant 1t wasn't very long before
got tired OF that, and my father agreed with me
that should become a barrister. was duy
arttcied. but 1 hadn't heeD thara vory lone, ~