The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-04-15
w. ID. HOWELLS.
Description of the Talented Novelist
His First Meeting with Charles"
Egbert Craddock.-

HOfcllSI, al w dohihS SOh' Az
Mr.. Howells is rather short in stature,
but SO well proportioned that he looks
taller than he really is. He has
grown very gray within the last ten
years, but bis face is as fair and rosy as
many men scarcely half his age. He
talks well, but shows modest disincli-
nation to speak too freely of himself and
his works. l asked him how he liked
New York. He replied that he had not
gone there, nor did he intend to. He
thinks Boston is the most delightful resi-
dence city in America. 1t was expected
when he formed his present engagement
with Harpea's Magazine that he would
make New York his home, but he finds
he can discharge the duties of his posi-
ton quite as well in Boston, and for
that reason he will continue to reside
there / asked him what he thought Of
Miss Murfree, whose sketches over the
nom de plume of Charles Egbert Grad
dock have attracted such widespread at
tention Of late years. He replied that
the girl was genius, and her future
very promising one.
81 remember" said he, cher first con-
tribution to the atlantic. The manu-
script was sent to me for examination.
I read it with great pleasure. / am
greatly mistaken, said to myself, if here
Is not a new star in the literary firma-
ment. I glanced at the signature, M;
N. Murfree. The chirography was bold
and masculine. Some clever young bar
rister, again soliloquized, trying to exc
out a scanty income by devoting his
leisure hours to magazine work. Where
upon wrote NJ n. Murfree, telling him
it was an injustice to himself to print
production of so high an order anony-
mously, and that while Charles Egbert
Craddock, as a pseudonym, was very
pretty and all that, it would be better to
make known his identity from the start.
The answer, which came back a few
DAYS later, said there were family rea-
sons why it was not advisable to disclose
the authors identity then, but that this
would probably be done at some future
time.
MY first meeting with Miss Murfree
was very dron," continued Mr.. Howells,
with a hearty laugh. ''She had been
writing for the atlantic a couple of
years One day Osgood dropped in at
my library. 'Craddock's in town. said
he. He will dine with me tonight.
Can't you join us at dinnerP told o.
good 1 had an engagement for that
night, but would surely put in an ap-
pearance if only for few minutes. You
see, it had never occurred to any of us
that 'Craddock' was not a man, and
had often given free rein to my fancy in
imagining how he would look and act.
After Osgood left me he hunted up Aid
rich and told him all about it, and Aid
rich said nothing but death would pre-
vent him being present, for if there was
one man in the world he wanted to see
it was Craddock. Then Osgood told
Lawrence Barrett about it, and Barrett
| promised to be there, too. 1t so hap
pened that l was the first of the men to
| arrive. | saw two strange ladies in the
| drawing-room, but no Craddock. Os-
good enjoyed my disappointment a mo-
ment and then said: Mr.. Howells, let
me present you to Miss M. n Murfree,
whom we all know as Charles Egbert
| Craddock.' The other lady was Miss
Murfree's sister. OF course | was great
| ly surprised, and they all laughed heart
| laughter when Aldrich came in, and
tuCu VIC WdJl6u w Stt uON DdlIClb NOuIu
take it. / think he was the most nom
plused man ever saw. He could do
nothing for few moments but grin
yes, actually grin. Think of it! That
model of elegance and dignity grinning;
but he did it, and he stammered and
hesitated so when he attempted to speak
that the entire party roared until their
sides ached."
Then it appears, Mr.. Howells," said
|, ''that Miss Murfree's first essay in the
literary field did not share the usual
fate of articles contributed by unknown,
persons, for the general impression is
that no matter now clever these may be
they are usually tossed into the waste
basket without undergoing the formality
of a reading"
| Il know that impression exlsis,n said
Mr.. Howells, ''but it is not correct
one. The sub-editors, as they are called,
OF all our leading magazines are On the
lookout constantly for new talent. What
so unreasonable then as to suppose that
skilled men cannot recognize such talent
unless accompanied by the name of
some writer of prominence. = OF course
every magazine has great mass of rub
Dish sent to it, but it is all carefully ex-
amined in the hope that something of
merit may be found among it
| 'Ihen there is no truth in the stories
one occasionally hears that you or Bret
Harte, or T. B. Aldrich, or some other
| distinguished man of letters has written
something anonymously and sent it to
one of the magazines only to have it re-
jected on account of its alleged inferior
ityP"
There is absolutely no truth in it
whatever. l believe Bayard Taylor did
it once, but it is the only authenticated
case | know of"
care magazine writer's well paid for
their work."
GAS rule, yes. A few years ago So
page was considered fair renumera-
ton 1t has gradually increased, until
now SIS, and quite frequently 500, a
page is paid"
''Do our magazines meet with as much
favor from the English public now as
they did couple years ago?"
''More. The sale of our first-class
magazines is constantly on the increase
in England. In travelling about the
country you will see great heaps of
American magazines at the book stalls
in the railway stations, while, lying
alongside, obscure and almost neglect
ed, may be found half dozen copies of
Cornhin or some other British periodi-
CAL"
"How does it happen that our Ameri-
can product crowds the English so close
| ly to the wall?'
''They don't crowd them to the wall
There is practically no call for the En-
glish article, while, as | have said, the
demand for the American product is
constantly on the increase Seventy
thousand copies of the March Harper
were sold in England a few weeks ago
merely mention this to show you the
favor in which our magazines are held
by the English reading public"
Every literary man who has written
a number of works." l said. lis sup
posed to regard some particular one
with more affection than the others