The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-02-28
LITERARY CELEBRITIES.
Most of the Leading Lights Are Averse to



Correspondence.
Because writing is my trade is no
reason why should be expected to fol-
low it for pleasure" said Mark Twain
to 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 writer's of the day. Bret Harte,
for example, positively refuses TO 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 so much that most of
his letters never reach him, and those
that find him receive but scanty atten-
ton. Mr.. Howells is not over-particular
with his correspondence, and James
Russell Lowell and Robert Browning were
even less so. Ouida takes pride in say
ing that but one letter in a hundred
receives reply at her hands. Mrs. Oil
plant, the English novelist, is also
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 Ban
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
eplstles which come to them through the
mails, there are others who answer each
letter as if it was the only one they re-
ceive 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 to his desk. Lew Wallace is
likewise inclined to answer all letters
Donald G. Mitchell derives pleasure
from his correspondence, and, with the
assistance of an energetic wife. replies
in every case. T. Marion Crawford and
Henry James are both agreeable and
ready letter writer's George William
Curtis Is both prompt and graceful in
his responses to all. Among women
Mrs. Burnett, perhaps the busiest, is
one of the most satisfying of cores
pondents. The two women generally
mentioned in one breath-why no one
knows Mrs. Humphrey Ward and Mar
garet Deland-are kindly to their I'M
known letter writer's. Mrs Alexander
and ''The Duchess" the two English
popular novelists, invariably respond
even to the most trivial letters. Schol-
arly Amelia B. Edwards is brief but
certain in her correspondence. Marion
Harland is another whose pen is always
at the command of those who write to
her. Mrs. Custer regards it as duty to
respond to letters. Harriet Prescott
Spofford's affability of manners extends
to her correspondence. Rider Haggard
answers nearly all letters by the type
writer, while Max o. Rel devotes two
hours of each day to his mail. Dumas
and Jules Verne employ secretaries.
and by their assistance quickly diminish
the mail which come to them. Taken as
a class, authors are more burdened with
letters than almost any other profes
siOnal men and women, yet few are more
cordial as correspondents w. Box,
in Philadelphia Times.