The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-17
AUTHORS AT WORK.
IRREGULARITIES OF VARIOUS LITER.
ARY FOLKS WHILE WRITING.
Historian Bancroft's Ideas About the EC.
feet of Surroundings = Mrs. Fanny
uoti.sOn Burnett-Mark Twain
Novelfsts ut Work.
washington Cor. Philadelphia Times. !

the capital i, George Bancroft, author of
the only complete history Of the United
States The venerable historian is one of
the Few meshodical brain-workers I have
ever Known He Is living refutatiou OF
SCOTS assertion "that no man OF genius was
ever an orderly man" He Is a believer in
the theory t5at the brain at work is sensi-
oily affected by the external objects around
and In soma degree takes its tone from
them. Tho historian works in q long mar
row room. adorned profusely with his.or-
tcal paintings From his seat he has a full
view OF his art treasures, and frequently
gazss at them as IL for inspiration His
desk u a model OF order. Instead o; 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 q paper of pecul-
lar color. cut up in large. almost square
sheets. Il 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-
rian's thoughts AMI expression He has
often said that, with ordinary white paper
before him, the composition OF single sem
teucs was the work Of fifteen or twenty min
utes. Tnere is also but one kind OF pom
that suits him-a largo fiat one 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. Whom the pen begins to hesi-
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 a long walk, dur
ing which he Sits 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
circumstances. 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 q pleasant
relief in watching their childish move
nents. Unlike Bancroft, she doesn't ad.
here to one kind of paper through even one
work. 1t is said that nearly every install
nent of Through One Administration,
her last novel in The Century Magazine, was
written on sheets of different sizes AMI
texture A dull pencil is her favorits
writing instrument
knew Mark Twain when he was a fell
low Washington correspondent, many years
ago, before @Innocents Abroad" brought
him fame and fortune. had opportunities
to see his working habits then. aud hear
that he has not materially changed them
since. Mark was then writing letters for a
California paper, while at the same tim,
planning several gigantic works, as is the
wont Of beginner; in the field of letters.
His room was perfect chaos, his table q
curiosity in its way. On it could be seen
soiled manuscript to old
boots He never laid his paper on tho table
when writing, partly bee iuse there was no
available space and partly because
the position 50 necessitated was too
muca for his lazy bones With both feet
plunged in MSS, chair tiltel back and
note- book and pencil in hand he did all the
writing ever saw him do An ordinary
would not suffice to set in mo-
ton the stream of Marks ideas 1t must
first be thoroughly saturated with the vilest
tobacco smoke which he pulled from a viii
famous pipe-sait pipe having never re-
ccivei cleaning as many newspaper
frienIs OF thoss days can testify. He re-
garied this pipe as his salvation from |
bores. taking q CHASTITY delight in putting |
away like u locomotive when an undesira- |
bio 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.
NOVELlSTS OF THE DAY.
As the novelists OF the day receive more |
from reade rs than tho labnrers in |
my ether branch of literature, their work.
ing idiosyncrasies are proportions tely
better known. w. d. Howells is SO fond of /
writing about himself. however. that he
caves nothing for others to tell 1t is not |
owith Mr. James. Whatever else may be
aid against the author Of Portrait of a |
Lady," it cannot be truthfully asserted that
10 is conceited- II he takes pride in his
works it is q feeling FAR removed from liter
Try vanity. l have never known q moro
author than Mr.. James. Not
his great talents and acquire
nent'. he has not an overwesning conf
lence even in his ability to construct a sem
euce properly. He corrects AMI revises
very page until his manu- script is totally
llexible to any one but himself
{ has long been question among
rain workers whether morning after
loon or night is most favorable to pro-
uctioa. Soms hni the refreshing state
which follows a light breakfast best
6apted to the purpose. Others contend
hat well-ccoked dinner sharpens the in.
elect. while the majority think that night
vhen all the cares OF the day are over and
arkness has wrapped the world in silence.
5 the time when the mind is most inclined
or steady work. Mr.. James holds the last
iew
George W. Cable is said to te the most
bsorbed OF literary worker He really
cts his dialogues while writing them
ran cling about the room, addressing imag-
nary persons, smiling. frowning. making
,ve to AMI denouncing the creatures Of
is imagination. An intimate friend
the novelist told mo that
he usually quiet Cable would be
AIKEN for howiing Iunatic by any
ne who might peep through the win.
ow OF his study. The dcpictsr Of Gre
lie life Is another believer in the theory
hat labor Is more powerful than genius
Ike Pope, he makes corrections even |
shen his manuscripts are in the hands of |
he printer. Once hs telegraphoi to his !
publisher TO change a certain sentence
which he had found capable OF improve. ;
aent. 1t may be here remarked for the