Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-02-05
AUTHORS AT WORK.
IRREGULARITIES OF VARIOUS LITER
AIRY FOLKS WHILE WRITING.
Historian Bancroft's Ideas About the EFT.
fect Of Surroundings - Mrs. Fanny
Hodgson Burnett-nTark Twain
Novelists at Work.
rwashlngton Cor. phIIadelphla rImeal

the capital Is George Bancroft, author OF
the only complete history OF the United
States The venerable historian Is one of
the few methodical brain workers have
ever known. He is living REPUTATION Of
SCOTS assertion that no man Of genius was
ever an orderly man" He is a believer In
the theory that the brain at work is sensi-
bly, affected by the external objects around
and In some degree takes its tone from
them, The historian works in long mar
row room. adorned profusely with histor-
ical paintings. From his seat he has full
view OF his art treasures, and frequently
garss at them as If for inspiration. His
desk is a model Of order. Instead of pigeon
holes he has numbered hooks, corresponding
With the chapters he Is writing. There are
enough pens before him to supply an aver
age college class. He uses a paper Of pecul-
lar color. cut up in large, almost square
sheets. 1t Is not yellow, nor yet green, but
disagreeable combination Of both. was
surprised to hear that this peculiar paper is
necessary to keep up the flow of the histo-
RAMS thoughts and expression. He has
often said that with ordinary white paper
before him, the composition Of a single sem
tence was the work of fifteen or twenty min
utes There Is also but one kind of pom
that suits him-a large fat one of English
uihAe w ucu COnDOSluB ulSJOTy, MI.
Bancroft sits almo.t erect, seeming hardly
to bend his neck, as the pen travels over
the paper. When the pen begins to hesi-
tate ne stops work. He writes little at one
time, but that little freely. The prepara-
tory looking over references is done after
breakfast Next follows a long walk dur
ing which he sifti the evidences, constructs
the page or chapter mentally. and has its
outline before his eyes when he begins
writing which Is usually about In the
afternoon.
MRS. BURNETT-MARK TWAIN.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the novel
list, on the other hand. is an example Of a
mind evolving ideas, and fingers obediently
penning them without regard to external
circum,tan Her work is usually done in
the breakfast room, with her children about
her, prattling and playing their innocent
pranks with the customary noisy accom-
paniments The children not only do not
disturb her, but she even finds pleasant
relief In watching their childish move
ments. Unlike Bancroft, she doesn't adj
here to one kind of paper through even one
work. 1t is said that nearly every install
ment of Through One Administration,
her last novel in The Century Magazine was
written on sheets OF different sizes and
texture. dull pencil Is her favorite
writing instrument
knew Mark Twain when he was fell
low Washington correspondent, many years
ago, before "Inaocents Abroad" brought
him fame and fortune. / had opportunities
to see his working habits then. and l hear
that he has not materially changed them
since Mark was then writing letters for
California paper, while at the same time
IL
won't of beginners in the field of letters
His room was a perfect chaos, his table
curiosity in its way On it could be seen
anything from soiled manuscript to old
boots. He never laid his paper on the table
when writing, partly bee use there was no
available space and partly because
the position so neces itatsd was too
much for his lazy bones With both feet
plunged in MSS, chair tilte1 back and
note book and pencil in hand he did all the
writing ever saw him do. An ordinary
atmosphere would not suffice to set in mo-
ton the stream of Marks ideas 1t must
first be thoroughly saturated with the vilest
tobacco smoke watch he pulled from viii
famous pipe-said pipe having never re-
ceived cleaning - as many newspaper
friends Of those days can to itify. He re-
garded this pipe as his salvation from
bores, taking a CHASTITY delight in putting
away like locomotive when undesira-
BILE visitor dropped in, and eagerly watch
Ing the paleness which gradually crept over
the face of the enemy as the poisonous
stuff got in its work.
NoyELIsTs OF THE DAY.
As the novelists OF the day receive more
attention from readers than the lab rers in
any other branch of literature their work
ing idiosyncrasies are proportionatsly
better known. W. d. Howells is so fond of
writing about himself, however. that he
leaves nothing for others to tell 1t Ia not
sowith Mr.. James. Whatever else may be
said against the author of "Portrair of q
Lady" it cannot be truthfully as ert,d that
he Ia conceited. II he takes pride in his
works it is feeling far removed from liter
airy vanity. / have never known more
painstaking author than Mr.. James Not
withstanding his great talents and acquire
msnts. he has not an ovsrwesning conf
dence even In his ability to construct q SEN
tsnce properly. He corrects AMI revises
every page until his manuscript is totally
nlegible to any one but himself.
IL has long been question among
brain workers whether morning. after
noon or night Is most favorable to pro-
duction. Some hnd the refreshing state
which follows light breakfast best
adapted to the purpose. Others contend
shat well-cooked dinner sharpens the in
tellect, while the majority think that night
when all the cares of the day are over and |
darkness has wrapped the world in silence
Il the time when the mind is most inclined |
for steady work. Mr. James holds the last
view.
George w. Gable is said to be the most
absorbed of literary workers. He really
acts his dialogues while writing them
prancing about the room, addressing mag |
mary persons smiling. frowning, making
love to and denouncing the creatures OF |
hts imagination. An intimate frieni |
OF The novelist told me that |
the usually quiet Cable would be |
taken for a bowling lunatic by any |
ons who might peep through the win
dow Of his study. The depicter Of Gre
ole life is another believer in the theory
that labor Is more powerful than genius
Like Pope, he makes corrections even
whom his manuscripts are in the hands OF
tho printer. Once he telegraphed to his
publisher to change certain sentence
which he had found capable Of improve
ment IL may be here remarked for the
benefit OF aspiring young writer's, that this
extreme care about the little details OF
phraseology Is a characteristic OF all the
men whose works do not sink into obscuriUy
a few months after birth. A flowing style
appears spontaneous TO the reader, but only
those who have worked in the fell OF let
ters them elves know Of the erasures, the
turning of sentences and clauses and the
many rewritings that evolve the delights OF
Eho printed page. Facile work was never