San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-25
AN INTERESTING CHAT WITH THE
POPULAR NOVELIST.

For His Descriptions He Goes to Nature
with an Unprejudiced Mind-His Sister
as Model for Queen Titania"-of All
His Books He Prefers "Madcap Violet"
One of his own favorite mists was creeping
up from the sea as | rang at the door of MIR.
William Blacks charming residence in Brigh-
ton. Upon being admitted found myself
in a, large hall, wherein hung fine engraving
representing Mcleod of Dare gazing over
the dawn lit Thames ~As the drawing room
door was opened a short, well knit man, clad
in a>Norfolk shooting jacket, wearing spec
tacles, with mustache that, like his hair, is
already turning gray, came forward to meet
me with a kind and home like Scottish greet
ing.
well, said the great novelist, land so
you want to talk with me about my books.
YouSwill havefto keep me to the point, for oil
my interest id life at the present moment
lies in the prospect of my salmon fishing tour
this month in Scotland | hate talking about
my books. | always like to forget them once
they are written but still | shall be very
happy to give you any information l can
You ask your questions and l shall answer
them as well as can. At all events, | dare
say we shall get on better than when was
in New York The H erald sent a man to in
terview me- and all he did was to ask my
opinions of the country in which had only
been few days He didn't say three words
about my books and yet whole column
came out next morning."
TRUE ARTIST.
"Well, Mr.. Black" Il replied, 81 have
come only to talk to you about your books.
have often heard it said that none but an
artist could have written the descriptions of
scenery that you have written, could so well
have painted the light and shadow upon a
mountain side or the CLEAN upon the waters.
You must have watched and studied nature
very carefully" Exactly" was the reply,
land also because go to nature with a mind
unprecedented. Your scientific man, always
excepting Darwin, invariably takes with him
a theory, and he Strives to bend facts to his
theory. l am like the artists, who are al
most always right. They paint what they
see Look, for instance, at this Colin
Hunter of mine" taking down beautiful
seascape which the artist had given him.
There you have an exact representation OF
a rough day off the Scottish coast. Look at
that cloud creeping up from the horizon, and
notice how its shadow is reflected even in the
| smallest wave.
There is no light and shade there haphaz
ard, or which you would not see in real life
And in writing it depends so much upon the
| spirit in which you view a thing. For in
stance Mr.. and Mrs. Pennel, quite ignorant
of Highland life, go up north and can only
decry the country they were passing through
| for the first time. Curiously enough the
steward of their steamboat wrote to me il
| great indignation, sending me a list of the
| places they visited, and upon which they
have written so scathingly, and the number
of minutes they spent in each place. al
ways study my subject before writing upon
it. For instance, in Sunrise l make con
slant allusion to Russian Nihilism. All my
information gathered from special sources
but have been much amused at the way il
which people are even now constantly writ
ing to me about relatives who are missing il
Russia, and who, they think, are victims t
some secret society,"
Just at this moment-for we had beer
walking up and down the room in mos
casual fashion-Mr. Black stood opposite
clever pencil sketch of Mary Anderson
which much admired. YES" said he, 81
is very good, indeed. She is great frienc
of my wife" Have you ever Introduce
her into any Of your booksr' l asked. "Wen
no." was the reply, as a slow smile brol
over the pleasant Countenance, mot alto
gether; may have had her in my mind nov
and again, but never draw my character
from one person only; it would not be a Tea
human portrait, not sufficient variety
Queen Titania, however, is SO far a,pottrai
that it very fairly represents my sister.
"Ah. We" l sail '..we al love her. audi OK