Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-17

Early Trials Of a Popular Novelist.

London Dispatch to the New York Herald.
Since Carlyle's memoirs nothing more inter.
esting has been given to the world than Anthony
Tr0llope's autobiography, which viii be pub-
lished on Monday. He wished it to be published
speedily after his death. He knew that the
story of his life was the best novel he could
publish He says in the preface, lit will not be
SO much my intention to speak Of the little de.
tails of my private life as OF that which and
perhaps Others around me have done in litera-
ture-of my failures and successes: such as they
nave been, and their causes, and of the opening
which literary career offers ID men and women
for earning their bread
EARLY MIsFoRTUNEs.
TroIlOpe was even more unfortunate In a
father than Dickens. The elder Trollope
was born TO fail and. was cursed with an exc
cradle temper. He was a chaneery lawyer. His
temper drove all the attorneys away. He had a
little money and considerable ambition Hav-
Ing abandoned his hopes of professional success,
1t occurred TO HIN 10 try his fortune at farming,
for which his chief qualification was absolute
ignorance OF country matters. A house which
he occupied near Harrow has been painted by
the son in ''Orley Farm" Anthony was sent to
Harrow school IA a day scholar, then to Win
Chester, then again to Harrow. What he en-
dured he tells with all the freshness of painful
memories and the simple pathos OF truth.
AT SCHOOL.
He had no pocket money. In his rags he
always look ed disreputabIy dirty. Once he was
stopped in the street by DIR. Butler, head mas
ter who sternly asked him whether it was pos
sible that Harrow school could be disgraced by
so dirty boy. At Winchester his bills were left
unpaid aud tradesmen told to stop his credits
he could not even provide the few shillings fol
college servants When he went back to Har-
row he had to walk ~ miles day through mud
dy lanes to his daily tasks. His holidays were
spent at his fathers dismal chambers, Lincon's
Inn The dirty. penniless and apparently dull
boy. wherever he went. was treated by his class
fellows as a social pariah. Yet withalhe had an
intense craving to be loved by every one.
AS CLERK.
After leaving school he became clerk In the
general post Office. Colonel Maberly, the secre-
tary, disliked him. On one occasion letter
containing bank notes was missed from Maber-
ly's table. Mr.. Trollope writes: "a letter has
been TAKEN said the Colonel, turning angry
'and, by God. there has been nobody in the
room but you;' and as he spoke he Numbered his
God you have taken it,. and also Numbered my
INST down, but accidentally upon the table. My
fist came on the table, and the ink flew up. COW
ering the Colonies face and shirt front At that
with the letter and the money and was de-
sired to go back to my own room"
SOUGHT AS HUSBAND.
There were other troubles. young woman
In the country had determined to marry Troll
lope. but he refused. At last the womans
mother appeared at the post Office. "My hair
almost stands on my head now" he says, las
remember the figure Of the woman walking into
the big room In which sat- with six or seven
other clerks, having a large basket on her arm
and an immense bonnet on ner head. A messen-
ger yainly endeayOred to persuade her to re-
main in the anterOOm, but she followed the man
In. walking up the center of the room, and adj
dressed me in loud voice. Anthony Troliope.
when are you going to marry my daughterl'
We have all had our worst moments. That was
my worst lived through it. however. and did
not marry the young lady. These little incidents
were against me in the Office
BEsIEGED BY MONEY-LENDER.
Then there was money-lender. into whose
clutches the Young clerk fell and whose daily
visits at the Office were terrible. He had always
the same words to say: .'Now, wish you would
be punctual- If you only would be punctual
should like you to have anything YOU want"
Readers of ''Phineas Finn will recognize the
original of Mr.. Garrison. For seven years
Troilope remained at the post office. During
that time he wretched. hated the office,
hated his work, hated his idleness
HIS FIRST WRITINGS.
But the only career within his reach was that
OF author. His mother the author of "Ameri-
can Notes." introduced his first book, 1.-THE
MacdermOts of Ballycloran," to the publishers
1t brought in nothing. For his third novel, La
Vendee." he got 800. but it was a failure
Then he wrote play called 1.-The Noble Jilt;"
but George BARLEY. the actor, condemned It so
strongly that It was not even offered to man
ager- The plot afterward was used in "Can
You Forgive Herr" 1.-The Warden was begun,
put down again and not published till 1856.
LITERARY PROFITS
The profits were about s45 the first year and
ESQ the second. Trollope had been writing
articles from time to time, but at the end of
1851 he had received only s275 for the hard
work of ten years The greater part of % Bar
chester Towers was written in a train. and
subsequently Trollope got into the habit of
writing In a railway carriage. Il made for
myself a little table, and found after a few
years exercise that could write as quickly in
railway carriage as at my desk. / worked
with pencil. aud what wrote my wife copied
afterward. The only objection TO the practice
Came from the appearance of literary Ostenta-
ton to which felt myself subject when going
to work before four or five fellow-passengers.' -
HIS LATER INCOME.
''Barchester Towers" was published on the
halt profit system, and the author received $500
In advance From this his reputation was as
sured. The largest sum he ever received for a
novel was sl5.6s5. which was realized by ''Oriey
Farm" But he obtained higher rate OF pay
for shorter story: THE Clayerings" was sold
for Sl4 900.
HIS METHOD.
He writes:-'I have not once. through all my
literary career, felt myself even in danger OF
being late with my task. i have known no
anxiety as to copy. The needed pages were far
ahead. have almost always had in the drawer
beside me little diary with its dates and ruled
spaces. its record that must be seen to- Its
daily and weekly demand upon my industry has
done all that for me" He wrote more books
than any man of bis time. He filled more vol
umes than YOltaire.