Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-02-26
AUTHORS AT WORK.
IRREGULARITIES OF VARIOUS LITER
AIRY FOLKS WHILE WRITING.
Historian Bancroft's Ideas Ab0at the II.
feet Of Surroundings = Mrs. Fanny
Hodsson Burnett-M.rk Twain
NOvelists at Work.

Historian Bancroft's Idsas Absat the II.
feet Of Surroundings Nns. Fanny
Hodsson Burnett-Mark Twain
Novelists at Work.
Washington Cor Philadelphia Tin,eAl
The most conspicuous literary figure at
the capital is George Bancroft. author OF
the only complete history OF the United
States The venerable historian is one Of
the few metaodicai brain workers have
ever known. He is q living refutation OF
SCOTS assertion that no man Of genius was
ever an orderly man" He Is Believer in
the theory that the brain at work is ssnsi-
bly, affected by the external objects arouni
and in some degree takes its tone from
them. Ths historian works in a long mar
row room, adorned profuseiy with histor-
ical paintings From his seat hs has full
view of his art treasures and frequently
gazes at them as il 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
disagreeabls combination OF both. l was
surprised to hear that this peculiar paper is
necessary to keep up the flow OK the histo-
rams thoughts AMI expression He has
often said that with ordinary white paper
before him, the composition Of single SON
tence was the work of fifteen or twenty min
utes There is also but one kind Of pan
that suits him-a large fat ons OF English
make. When composing his history, Mr..
Bancroft sits almo-t erect, seeming hardly
to bend his neck, as the pen travels over
the paper. When the pen begins to hssi-
tate he stops work. He writes little at one
time, but that little freely. The prepara-
tory looking over references is done after
breakfast Next follows long walk. dur
ing which be sift, tine evIdences constructs
the page or chapter mentally. and has its
outline before his eyes when hs begins
writing which is usually about In the
afternoon
MRS. BURNETT-MARK TWAIN.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the novel
ist on the other hand, is an example OF a
mind evolving ideas, and fingers obsdiently
penning them without regard % external
circumstances. Her work is usually done in
the breakfast room, with her children about
her, rrattling and playing their innocent
pranks, with the customary noisy accom-
paniments The children not only do not
disturb her, but she even finds a pleasant
relief in watching their childish move
ments Unlike Bancroft she doesn't ad-
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 OK different sizes and
texture A dull pencil is her favorits
writing instrument
knew Mark Twain when he was fell
low Washington correspondent, many years
ago, before "Innocents Abroad brought
him fame and fortune. l had opportunities
20 see his working habits then. and hear
that LIE has not materially changed them
since Mark was then writing letters for
California paper. while at the sans tims
planning several gigantic WORKS. as is tho
wont Of beginners in the field OF letters
His room was perfect chaos, his table
curiosity in its way On it could be seen
anything-from soilei manuscript 20 old
| boots. He never laid his paper on the table
when writing, partly bee use there was no
available space AMI partly because
| the position so eces,itatei WAS toe
much for his lazy bones With both feet
plunged in MSS, chair tilted back AMI
note book AMI pencil in hand he did all the
writing lever saw him do. An ordinary
atmosphere would not suffice to set in mo-
| ton the stream of Marks IDEAS II must
first be thoroughly saturated with the vilest
| tobacco smoke which hs puffsi from a viii
famous pips-saii pipe having never re-
ceivet cleaning - as many newspaper
friends OF thoss days can testify. He re-
| gariei this pipe as his salvation from
bores, taking CHASTITY delight in putting
away like locomotive when an undesira-
| bic vi-itor 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
NovELISTs OF THE DAY.
| As the novelists of the day receive more
attention from readers than the laborerS in
any other branch of literature, their work.
| ing id:oSyncrasies are proportionateiy
| better known. ". d. Howells is SO fond Of
writing about himself. however, that he
| leaves nothing for Others to tell 1t is not
sowith Mr.. James Whatever else may be
said against the author Of Portrait OF 4
Lady," it canno. be truthfully asserted that
he is conceited II he takes pride in his
works it is feeling far removed from liter
airy vanity. l have never known a more
painstaking author than Mr.. James Not
withstanding his great talents and acquire
ments, he has not an overwesning conf
dence even in his ability to construct son.
| tence properly He corrects and revises
every page until his manuscript is totally
| illegible to any one but himself.
1t has long been a question among
brain workers whether morning after
noon or night is most favorable to pro-
duction Some find the refreshing state
which follows light breakfast best
adapted to the purpose. Others contend
that a we'll cooked dinner sharpens the in
tellect, while the majority tnink that night,
when all the cares of the day are over and
darkness has wrapped the world in silence,
is the time when the mind is most inclined
| for steady work Mr.. James holds the last
view
George W. Cable is said to be the most
absorbed of literary workers He really
acts his dialogues while writing them
pran cling about the room. addressing iEiag-
mary persons, smiling. frowning. making
love to and denouncing the creatures OF
his imagination. An intimate frisni
Of ihe novelist told me that
the usually quiet Cable would be
taken for bowling iunstic by any
one who might peep through the win
dow of his study. The depicter Of cre-
| ole life is another believer in the theory
that labor i, more powerful than genius
Like Pope, he makes corrections even
when his manuscripts are in the hands OF
the printer. Once he telegraphei 70 his
publisher to change a certain sentence
which be had found capable OF improve
ment 1t may be here remarked for the
benefit of aspiring young writers, that this
extreme cars about the little details of
phraseology is q characteristic Of all the
men whose works do not sink into obscurity
q few months after birth A flowing Style
appears spontaneous % the reater, but only
those who have worked in the field OF let
tsrs themselves know o. the erssureS, the
| turning of sentences and clauses ami tina
many rewritings that evolve the deiishts u
the printed page. Facils work was never
good ork As old Ben johnson said,
Easy writing makes hard reading
Using IA Adaptable Old Story.
There is no more useful article in this
world than an adaptable old story Lowell
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