The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12

myself with teaching cultivated English
people the geography of the United States,
OF which, as rule, they are hopelessly ig-
norant."
And which country provides the best
numor or has the keenest appreciation of
1T is difficult to answer whether humor
is keenest here or in England. The finest
English humor would not appeal to US
sometimes. You have great humorists IN
your annals-Sydney Smith and Charles
Lamb and w. 8. Gilbert. We have none
like them. Do you remember how Mar
ryat described keel hauling as undergoing
great hardship that is a perfect piece
of English humor."
We'll, Mr. Stockton. and what is the
tendency of modern American fiction pa
"Emphatically, it is toward realism, !"
was his prompt reply. '.Very few would
read Z. 4. Poe's stories NOWADAYS. We
Americans are masters of the short story
art, and most of those short stories are
distinctly realistic and so are those of the
French, especially Alphonse Daudet's."
literature much ?"
WAR LITERATURE UNPOPULAR.
To my great surprise, Mr.. Stockton re-
piled: II hardly think it has. We have
very little war literature. 1t will be more
popular in thirty or forty years. time At
present We are too near its dread reality.
Memories are too keen. 1t has, however,
brought out some Southern writers like
George w. Cable and his creole life of
Louisiana. Curiously enough, Amelie
hives, who IS a Southerner, writes best
about New England life | endeavor to
describe the common people, for, as Dick
ems found, there Is more in them.
The people of the Middle states. for in
stance. Look at my book. the Casting
Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs Aleshine.'
Those ladies developed all the characters
tics of the thrifty housewife of the inland
country. Those are the people | like to
write about best"
And which critics do you like best, Mr..
stockton, your American or your English
critics?'
well, as a rule, the Americans have
treated me best. The Saturday Review
headed note on me The Woes of the
Prigs.' | liked it much. | don't think
the English critics have done me much
good. The Great War Syndicate which
wrote, and which treats of an imangin-
airy war between England and America on
the subject of the fisheries, was noticed
very fully and scientifically by your army
and navy papers"
Mr.. sTocKToN's MOTTO.
My eyes were straying round the ROOM
Mr.. Stockton's house is called The Holt
and so l was interested to read the legend
painted on the fireplace:
~ e that frequent the hilles and high
est hotties of all assist me with your skiilful
DULLES and listen when call"
1t was capital motto for q literary man,
and | remarked on it.
Yes" replied Mr.. Stockton, sit is from
an old English poet named Tuberville."
The quaint old sampler on the wall spoke
to me tale OF quiet New England life,
and Mr.. Stockton told me that his family,
coming from Malpas, in Cheshire settled
in New Jersey in 1867. Before left
said:
"Mr. Stockton, some English ladies babe
me to be sure and ask you which did the
princess point out to her lover, the lady or
the tiger?"
Tell those ladies, :" smilingly replied Mr..
Stockton, that as soon as become a lady
l wall tell them. None but a woman
could decide it. That little story was not
written for publication, but was composed
to tell at a literary gathering"
X. BLATHwAYT.