The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-06

THE ART or Authorship"
An enterprising Englishman. Mr..
George Bainton. has made book
which he calls The Art Of Author
ship" The idea il Mr.. BaintoE's. but
the work is not. The book is written
by galaxy of well-known authors Of
England and America, of whom he in
Quired their opinions on the subject Of
literary style. One OF his first letters
was addressed to Miss Marie Corelli. u
writer OF the Ouida school. and the an
swer must have been like dash OF cold
water in his face
''As you ask me whether in early
life i gave myself to any special train
ing for the literary profession, I Il ink
it is but fair to tell you that am in
early life still II suppose you would
not call woman OF four and twenty
very old y. and that therefore my
training IL training be considered
sine qua non, must perforce be going on
in my case now, however unconscious
ly to myself"
Mr.. Browning. having passed early
life when Mr.. Baint0n's letter reached
him, was not offended by its wording.
and replied:
by the indulgence Of my father and
mother. l was allowed to live my own
life and choose my own course In II;
which, having been the same from tho
beginning to the end. necessitated a
permission to read nearly all sorts Of
books in well stocked but very mis-
cellaneous library. / had no other d.
rection than my parents taste for what
ever was highest and best in literature
brt l found out for myself many for
gotten fields which proved the richest
of pastures. and, so far as preference
OF a particular style is concerned. I
believe mine was just the same at first
as at last.n
Mr.. George Meredith says land theae
are those who will agree with him):--
Il have no style, though l suppose
my work is distinctive. am too ex-
perimental in phrases to be other than a
misleading guide. can say that have
never written without having clear in
vision the thing put TO paper, and yet
this has been the cause Of roughpess
und uncommonness in the form OF
speech"
Mr.. Froude replies in much the same
veiu:-
Il have never thought about style at
any time in my life. l have tried
merely to express what l had to cay
with as much simplicity aud as little
affectation as could command.
AS rule. when 60 over what have
written. find myself striking out su.
pertious epithcets, reducing superlativss
into positives, bringing subjuuctive
moods into Indicative. aud in most in
stances passing my pen through every
passage which had seemed. while was
writing it, to be particularly fine. IL
you sincerely desire to write nothing
but what you really know or think,
and to say that as clearly and as briefly
as you can, style will come az a matter
OF course: ornament for ornaments
sake is always to be- avoided. There is
a rhythm In prose as well as IN verse;
but you must trust your ear for that
or the American authors quoted, Nr.
Lowell Is the most cminent. lie
writes:-
IF l have attained to any clearness
of style. think it is partly due to my
having had to lecture twenty years as
professor at Harvard. II was always
present to my consciousness that what
ever l said must be understood at once
by my hearers. or never. Out of this I,
almost without knowing Ii, formulated
the rule that every sentence must DO
clear in itself. and never too long to be
carried, without risk Of losing its bal
ance, on single breath of the speaker.
Ii have ever sinned against this rule
1t has been in despite Of my better con-
SCIENCE
Mr.. Bret Harte gives to his dexterity
as type setter the credit of his con-
deDsed style as writer:
Il was very young when first began
to write for the press, and. as n very
young and needy editor. learned to
contrive the composition of the edito-
rial with the setting OF its type, and 10
is possible that TO save my fingers mo-
chanical drudgery somewhat condensed
my style. This was In country where
people lived by observation rather than
tradition, and the routine was not
without q certain Christening effect on
both writer and reader"
Mr.. Bainton's book has not reached
this country yet, we believe, but its ar
rival ia anticipated with no little inter-
est The extracts we have given are
taken from the English papers. The
Art OF Authorship " i'll attract the at
tention Of all who are interested In the
profession OF letters, aud the literary
aspirant will doubtlese fnd in its pages
many useful hint. The Critic.