Evening journal., 1888-07-06
FRANCES HoDasoN BURNETT.
How She woriss-Her First stories--what
She Receives.
Especial Correspondence ]

amazing development and multiplication
Of the newspaper and literary periodical
Nearly everybody writes NOWADAYS
until it has become almost n distinction
not to write Yet among tho many are
few who have reaped a rich financial re-
ward. They who have done SO found
their harvest in the field Of fiction. II Il
an old, trite assertion that the imagina.
tion is the faculty whose exercise com.
mands the highest price. SO it does. il
said Imagination runs off on path and al
pace that pleases. Then It makes what
is slangily called 'hit;" its books sell,
publishers are gracious to its owner;
newspapers publish flattering sketches OF
him; the public run after him, and other
writers envy him.
Rare, indeed is the writer who re.
ceives, as does Mrs. Frances Hodgson
Burnett, $4,000 for a novel published
serially and as much again when put IN
book form. Happily, literature, Ike the
stage, is profession in which women are
paid as well as men. Sex is not taken
into account. In fact, IL is generally ad.
mitted that genius is sexless.
Let beginners take heart and be on.
couraged rather than cast down bv Mrs.
Burnett's success. She had to climb from
the ground slowly to her present enviable
round on the ladder of success. Whv.
there is a story of her that when girl of
~ and living with her mother. sisters
and brothers on q farm near Knoxville.
Tenn, she gathered wild grapes and
hired a little colored girl to take them
into the town and sell them, IN order To
buy postage to send some stories to pub.
fishers. Her sister, who read these tales
with pleasure, suggested that she try to
find market for them: but they kept
all this profound secret from the two
teasing brothers, who knew of Frances
pradllection for writing, and were given to
making fun of 1t. One Of them fre-
quently INDUCED in long conversations
with imaginary persons, gravely remark
ing that these were dialogues from book
by Frances Hodgson, now In press and
soon to be published. Many a genius has
felt the whitening ridicule of ''big broth
efs" and grown up sisters so keenly that
life time of success could scarcely win
back his self confidence. / think 1t is
George Eliot who speaks of 1.-THE brutal
frankness of near relation"
Yes, and when young DR.. Burnett mar
ried Frances Hodgson the first families"
in their locality thought he had con-
descended. But the sequel proved, as Is
often the case. that the provision of the
first families" had been at fault. A little
later, at his wife's earnest solicitation, they
went to England to give him an oppor-
tunity of studying diseases of the eve, a
speciality IN which he has since attained
eminence. At that time Mrs. Bur-
nett was beginning to succeed with her
pen, and 1t Is said that her work sup
ported them during this time.
Mrs Burnett is Of English birth. She
was born in Manchester, England. and
lived there until her tenth year. On tho
death Of her father her mother brought
tho family to Knoxville, where sho had a
brother living. who had repeatedly as
sured his sister that America was the bet
ter country in which TO bring up a family.
Mrs. Hodgson took farm, where her two
sons and three daughters could work and
earn their bread. Yet they grew poorer
instead Of richer.
Frances first story was sent TO Ballou's
Monthly. Tho editor praised it in let
ter to the young author, and said he
would publish it, but would not promise
to pay anything for it. She had the good
sense to reply that what was good enough
to publish was good enough to pay for.
Tho story was returned to her. She sent
1t and others to Cooley and Peterson, and
ono day received a check for S35 from
Cooley in payment Of two stories. She
persevered and soon had a market for her
work. Peterson's Magazine published
many of her stories before she became
famous enough to enter The Century and
other periodicals who are apt to wait for
an author to win his literary spurs before
they win give him hearing.
Now, Mrs. Burnett commands as hirh
q price as any American novelist. Her
fame was founded on 'sThat Lass O. Low
iie's, an English story, drawn from the
memory Of her life in Manchester. and in
which the dialect Of the lowly people Of
Manchester is admirably portrayed. "Ha-
worths, another English story, she con-
siders her hest literary effort, and it
brought her 9he highest financial reward.
Little Lord Fauntleroy" has also been
tremendous success, and is one Of tho
sweetest stories in the English tongue.
lt has been translated into many Ian
guages. One Of the authors own little
boys Is tho hero. These children are said
to be extraordinarily beautiful, and their
parents are devoted to each other and
TO them. "Fauntlcroy" and one short
story are all she has written in foury years,
owing to much suffering from nervous
prostration. $50
Mrs. Burnett Is very fond Of society
and is greatly lionized ia it. but her health
is too delicate to enable her to give time
TO both society and literary work. She is
young to have accomplished SO much,
being yet IN her thirties. it is said.
She writes IN the morning, usually
from until o'clock. A certain stint Of
labor is vigorously insisted upon, neither
health nor mood being consulted. II the
inspiration comes, perhaps the writing
goes on until dusk. If it does not, the
afternoon is given to recreation. She has
often told her friends how she would go
to her ''den IAN upper room OF Der house
in Washington--and procrastinate, toss,a
ball IN tho air, toy with pencil, or do
any Of the hundred little things which
writers do when they don't want to drive
themselves to work. At last she would
heroically begin. and, as Dr. Sam John
son expressed it, 'set herself drudgingly
to it.
In appearance Mrs. Burnett is described
as petite, and trife given to what James
Lewis, in ono of his comic characters. calls
''em- bonepoint, with every consonant
pronounced in fun. Her hair inclines Ia
reddish tinge. and her features are large
and expressive. She has the repute 81
being a good talker and also a GOOD
dresser. She was one Of the first ladies
in Washington TO wear Directoire
gown.
Nobody need suppose because We hear
very little about her husband that he is 4
nonentity. He IS a successful oculist.
agreeable society man and cultivated gen.
tleman. MARIE Sr. 5oHN.