Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-02-09
and had an hour or two Of ca

and had ap hour or TWO oi eoinoS' 'oAA WIN
him.
found Col Sullivan seated in a revolving
chair facing q roll top desk. As came In ne
had before him large sheet OF paper ana q
new, sharp pelecil. He was trying to think
of a word. The Office boy said that Col. Sui.
Ivan had been trying to think OF the word
He rose and shook me cordially by the
hand and then asked me how literature was
looking from my standpoint. He said ne
thought literary people ought to stand Dy
each other and asked me II would tell him
the French synonym for the smuggling recital.
I said / did not know exactly, unless we
called it the soiree de scrappe or something
like that. The term seemed to please him.
so. taking out his tablets and his tongue. he
made a note OF 1t.
IF not asking too much. Colonel said /.
scratching q match on the leg Of the great
Gtterateur. and lighting my cigar with 1t. I
would like to know your literary habits and
hours Of work, together with your portrait.
for publication. 1t would do you no harm
at all. and it would tickle the reading public
just about to DEATH
%. certainly-certainly. The papers has
always stood in with me. and am ready to
tell what know thatn jerk iteratoor out
of the SOUP"
We'll. now. Colonel. would you mind tell
or perfunctory?"
mo. It's none of them at all. At least.
that's my idea about 1t. The janitor tends
to that jest WRITE"
4 know: but is your work easy? Do you
write rapidly. as Howells and do. or is it
like having felon? In other words. do the
children Of your brain keep you awake
nights? Do you write q sentence and then
60 to the hospital. or do you turn out copy
by the pound?"
%. yes. of course. That's it. always did
turn out my stuff by the pound. didn't
understand you at first. Yes. my work Is
for the paper and knocks the spiral springs
out Of me-.
-One more question. Colonel" I went on.
drawer of his desk; how does thought
first come to you? Does it come stcalthily
upon you-the way it reaches Browning. or
is it born with full set Of teeth and side
whiskers as it comes to the think tank Of
Lord Tennyson?"
L guess I don't tumble. Petic. I can't
seem to sabby. as we say. thought you
came here to talk about literatoor and
things"
Well. did. Colonel. I did. But what
the people want to know is your methods of
thought. so that they can do it themselves.
See? AS soon as the young writer's know
how think is thought the difficulty is over.
Well. now. we aim to get all the various
methods together and then a writer has no.
body to blame but himself il he doesn't sue
coed. See?"
Yep"
well. now you understand. if one writer
puts his feet in hot water with mustard In
it. and ties q red yarn string around his
thumb. we take thai and use it with our
other information. and thus we get a good
idea of how to do any kind of writing. We
also want to know. as I say. how thoughts
come to each literary wonder. and so I ask
you that question. Do your best thoughts
come to you early in the morning when the
dew is on the heather and the little song
birds are paying attention to each other.
or at eventide. when the shrill cry of the
dewdad is borne across the bosom Of the
silent night?"
"Oh. now you touch me. get on to your
undercut style. Yes. of course. Christie
pher Columbus. yes. You talk SO much
like Sylvanus Cobb that I'll swear at first
didn't follow you ut all. Well. I think my
best thought is in the morning In the
evening my thinker is confused. would
rather do something else in the evening.
Morning is good enough for me.
work. what writer's do you read most to
give you style and finish? Do you prefer
the old tones of almost forgotten lore? Do
you read mostly Xenophon. and Plutarch.
and Cantharides. or do you prefer such men
as James?"
Il don't care a cuss for the pharmacy fell
lers you speak of so fur as that goes. and as
for James. I've always said he ought to be
dom time in Missouri fifteen years ago..
well, Colonel. would. you just as soon
give me an idea OF your literary habits
right through. say for one day."
Yes. OF course. get up tOlerable early