The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-02
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
4 Chat About the HauDtS and Habits Of
English Authors.
THEIR OCCUPATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS.
Walter Besant. Thomas Hardy, John Strange
Winter, Andrew Lang and Auberon Her
bert and Other Writers.

thors. He knows as little of idleness as he
will tell you he knows Of inspiration. lie
is always working at something. That is
the way he rests. But b. does not spend the
whole of his time-or the half of tin
writing the novels which the world admres
so heartily.
Three hours of original writing Is as much
as man can do in day" he says. and tho
opinion of most. perhaps all, literary workers
of high repute will confirm this declaration
Beside the books. those charming volumes
full of sterling work, Mr.. Besant writes arti-
cles and short stories for magazines does
historical task now and then. keeps the Au-
thors Society well in hand. edits the society's
journal-1he Author-plans an Authors syn
dictate and an Authors Club, and otherwise
labors Tor the good OF the guild. When he Is
doing something for somebody else ne APP
pears happlest- say he is writing BOOK when
results in Peoples Palace for the East End
of London, or deyising an organization by
which authors may reap the full beneht Oh
their labor.
Authors are jealous beings, perhaps not as
Jealous as actors and singers, but stu jealous
AZ q rule sensitive, and conscious OF no par
ticular loyalty to their calling. From these
faiiings OF the craft Mr.. Besant IS phenomeh,
ally free. lie "bothersp himself good deal
about the welfare ofauthors IN general ne IS III
fact refOrmer, the terror OF sweating puO-
hshers and the friend OF liberal ones he is a
warm hearted, genial man. little olun, per,
haps but very true, and quick, tar-seeing ana
Tree from the nonsense OF posing, when Is SO
much the literary fashion nowadays
Most people seem 20 imagine that Besant is
big man III stature. His published nall
Ian frr
this he certainly looks tall and sturdy PIT
he is not tall although he IS sturdy. tie Is
trihe under the medium height, II anything.
Walter Besant is as energetic rs ne Is &c
NAL imagine that If he ever plays he plays
hard. He is 20 much in earnest about his WORK
that he has no time TO spare for the small ue
lights of society lie Is one OF the lew Eng
hsh authors that you do not see III drawing
rooms and at late dinners lie does not Keep
what we call London hours lie is up at
o'clock in the morning and IN bed at II o CLOCK
at night. lie breakfasts at and oes'hs
writing little after .. ,..n
Besant lives at Hamstead. lie mas a niue
family. of which he is very fond, and he pre-
fers his home above all other places on earth;
He is a systematic worker. and his manner u
collecting and sorting material shows tlaI
he had a good training az a lournaiist' iof
his arrangement of clippings Is model OF
what the fraternity call graveyard. ne
was newspaper hand before no TOOK u
nOvel-wrltlng -, wi. r,.4
AZ 1.-Two on a Tower IS unlike All Sorts
and Conditions of Mem Besent is quick,
genial. aud he takes large, healthy views OIL
Re and the world. and he can tell good
story. Hardy is quiet, shy, slow and
apparently depressed. For all that ne
is to be met not infrequently IN places
where people fOregather and drink tea anu
exchange gossip. He prefers the country;
no doubt. and never seems 70 ENJOY himself
outside of Wessex. lie dislikes strangers or
nj onv rate does not ike them. and yet he
runs the risk of encountering them ana ne
has hardly a word 10 say after ln.Iouucuoh.
He is a difficult man 10 approach. Here.reatS
into his shell and looks wOnderlnslv out a. II
he half expected TO be killed and eaten.
Hardy is tfty-two years old. Hardy could
NOT be honized He is 50 tlmld that al audi
ence would frighten hun. lie probably
makes great ehort when he faces q o'clock
tea party. He must know you long time
before he will talk anything but common
Mace and no matter how well he knows you
he never gives your manu- HoelV si'P 90 -
Iobn Strange Winter-in private life Mrs;
Arthur Stannard-is demOnstratiye. large ana
commanding. If yOn did not know her 70 DC
an author-and you can't help knowing IL II
Won are in London long you would take her
obscuritv. In the most crowded salon you
cannot miss her. In manner she Is as DASH
inc as some OF her Iayorlte troopers 49,,
7lrs. Stannard denies the conventionalities
of literary workmanship. She cannot wrlte
IN seclusiou, but she viii write anywhere else
Nnise guests children. organ grinders make
no difference. she takes the little board Whlch
serves her for desk, puts It IN her lap ana
writes chapter Of military novel, unmlnd-
fuI If Interruptions or the conversation that
is Going on about her. She writes clear
copv." rewrites the page If she makes TWO
mistakes. and she detests quotations.
Andrew Lang is tall, think dark, and his
hair is turning gray. You sometimes near
him spoken of as zone OF the younger writer's
lie is tOTtY-seVen. ,
When he talks he drawls in the Oxford
fashion. When he laughs he sets your tee5h
on edge He has not much reverence Dut ne
il n firm believer in the trinity -AndreW Lang,
Wcliera and Shakespeare. All other persons
and things are to Grated by him rather than
indorsed He believes that Shakspearos plays
are 10 be read and not 10 be acted, ana MS
canon of criticism seems to be- heneYer
you see an author hit him.
Lang is one Of the men with no sense OF 10y
altv to- the profession Of authorship, and yet
we know what delightful author he can be
without half trying. be enjoys running
anuck at the whole profession unless e1-
cention be made, for some occult reason, III
the person of Mr. Rider Haggard. Lang loves
~ ieer and hout at other authors. hut no one
snspects him of malce-it IS only his way.
He writes charming it0rials. or leaders, az
thew call them here, on literary subjects IN
the Daily News. and III them he vents MS Sc
rene dIspeasure at Will. .
Auheron Herbert lives in the country and
dreams of a day when voluntary taAatlon
shall signalize the beginning II the individual
ist era. Herbert is mlddle-aged man :, OF
affabie manner and independent means. lie
| IL n brilliant writer on economic ana social
nroblems. he is one Of the few men VINO, III
| these hurried DAYS take time 70 write good
| English. Herbert's fault Is that he wishes t.
/ do too many things. and 70 begin doing them
81 once He would do more II he cOncentr ted
Iis forces. His philosophy is Herbert
| Spencers: and. unless II be Spencer's SELL /
! know no man who can more happily express
| the reasons for the faith that Is III him.
| Chicago Inter-Ocean.
| Literary Boston Sixty Years Ago.
II the Boston Of sixty years ago had ven
| tured to prophesy for it's library renown, Il
| is easy 10 see upon what regulations OF tn
| time il would have rested it's claims. But i
| the most familiar names OF that time are IA
miliar no longer. if Kettel and poems from
| the United states Gazette seem 10 be GENE
teries OF departed regulations the fate OF th'
! singers need not be deplored as II fame haC
| FORGOTTEN them. Fame never knew them Fame
does not retain the name OF every. minstre
who passes singing. But TO say that tam'
/ tN..e loo l..s