Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-03-07
LITERARY ceLEsetT,es


Most ~ The Leading lights Are Avesse ~
Correspondence
because writing is my trade Is No
reason why should be expected to foi-
low IL for pleasure,' said Mark Twain
70 me once, and forthwith the humorist
destroyed several letters lying before
him on his desk. And this opinion is
apparently shared by not few Of the
famous writers Of the day. Bre. Harte.
for example, positively refuses 10 an
swer any but letters Of business nature
or from friends. Tennyson ignores all
letters without discrimination. except
in rare instances. Robert Louis Steven
son travels around 80 much that most Of
his letters never reach him, and those
that find him receive but scanty aften-
ton. Mr.. Howells Is not oveF-p2rticular
with his correspondence. and James
Russell Lowell and Robert Browning we're
even less So Ouida takes pride In say
ing that but one letter in hundred
receives reply at her hands Mrs. Oil
plant, the English novelist, Is also a
poor correspondent, except with her in
innate friends. Frank r. Stockton has
recently formed the habit OF answering
letters only after they have been re-
peated two or three times. George Ran
croft's age prevents him from being at
tentive TO miscellaneous correspond
ence. while the poet Whittier and Walt
Whitman have been compelled for the
same reason to resort to silence in nu-
merous cases But as there are those Of
the literary guild who ignore the public
epistles which come 10 them through the
mails, there are others who answer each
letter as il it was the only one they re
ceiye in single post.
No author Is more Amiable as a cores
pendent. for example. than is Oliver
Wendell Holmes. who answers in some
way or other almost every letter that
finds its way 10 his desk. Lew Wallace is
! likewise inclined TO answer all letters.
Donald g. Mitchell derives pleasure
from his correspondence, and, with the
assistance o: an energetic wife, replies
| in every case. r. Marion Crawford and
Henry James are both agreeable and
ready letter writers. George William
| Curtis ~ both prompt and graceful in
| his responses to all. Among womer
| Mrs. Burnett, perhaps the busiest i,
| one of the most satisfying of cores
! pondents. The two women generally
| mentioned in one breath-why no ont
knows Mrs Humphrey Ward and Mar
| garet Deland-are kindly TO their I'M
| known letter writers. Mrs Alexander
| and THE Duchess" the two English
| popular novelists. invariably respond
4 even to the most trivial letters. Schol
arly Amelia Il. Edwards is brief bui
certain in her correspondence. Marion
| Harland is another whose pen is alwayi
| at the command of those who write Il
| her. Mrs. Custer regards il as duty t.
| respond to letters. Harriet Prescott
Spoford' 5 afability Of manners extend,
TO her correspondence. Rider Haggard
answers nearly all letters by the type
| writer. while Max o. Rel devotes tw,
| hours of each day TO his mail. Duma'
and Jules Verne employ secretaries
| and by their assistance quickly Diminish
the mail which come to them Taken a
| a class. authors are more burdened witt
letters than almost any other profes
sional men and women. yet few are NOR
cordial az correspondents w. Box
in Philadelphia TimeA