The Portland daily press., 1892-07-09

Britain, and spent much time in Londo on,
where he found his books circula ting
nearly as widely as at home
I asked Mr.. Howells which one of his
books he liked best. then asked him,
not waiting for an answer, which one of
his books had the best popular success,
feeling instinctively that the author g
pet was never the one that was the most
popular. He said he considered his
strongest. hook WIS "The Modern In
stance" OF his novels, "The Hazard
of New Fortunes had had the largest
sale.
asked him then, considering his sue
cess in literature, what were the induce
ments of financial character to hold
OUT to youthful aspirant. Mr.. Howells
said that he did not think that anyone
ever should go into literature on account
of any great profits to be realized therein.
A man who did not depend upon journal
ism might work a long time before arriv-
ing at an income of 81, 900 year. Liter
AZURE is i'll paid in comparison with the
work of almost any other profession.
Mr.. Howells said:
II know very we'll the business value
OF my own reputation. ! know exactly
what l have accomplished in that direc-.
ton. The success that have made, and
the reputation that 1 have obtained,
would in any other profession entitle
me to at least four or five times what l
now receive" He then added: IT make
at fha 0uteida batwaa,, 410 mn ord
O00 year. This result, viewed from the
standpoint Of beginner in the literary
work, has a colossal look. Viewed from
the standpoint of an equal success in
other professions, the result is meagre.
But it is just to add that writers do not
work as many hours as the men of other
professions. This is not generally adj
is to say upon the subject. OF course
the writer never underestimate the
weary labor of his profession, but in
reality literary people work less hours
than do the embers of almost any
other profession. This is equally true
of artists. The artistic temperament
takes kindly to leisure.
"You do not believe in moods, then,
that one hears SO much about in the lit
erary and artistic worlds''
Mr.. Howells laughed as he said: 81
am afraid | do not believe in moods, as
they are usually defined. Awriter or an
artist is in a good mood for his best
work when he has overcome the natural
disinclination to work, so as to assume,
ut least, the virtue of industry"
This financial result is accomp lished,
according to Mg. Howells, through
steady work and in several fields. He
has been a regular monthly contributor
to periodicals for years. He was first
the director of "The Atlantic Monthly"
then ''Harper's Magazine" secured his
services, and now 1.-THE Cosmopolitan"
flies his name as editor. Besides his
novels, he has always had these editorial
duties to occupy his time. His writing
hours are always in the morning. He
writes from three to four hours, finish
ing at the luncheon hour, 1 o'clock His
afternoon is generally devoted to edito-
rial work and to reading, his evenings
to social diversion and casual readings
He never writes in the evening, for if he
did he would not be able to sleep.
Mr.. Howells has written some critica
essays upon journalism. asked him if
he considered that the work of journal
ism could be properly classed as literary.
Did he consider the newspaper world as a
good preliminary field for the best work
of the highest literatures Mr.. Howells
confined his remarks to a denial that
tween the newspaper world and the
literary one, except the differences that
sometimes exists between two warning
neighbors. They may differ as to each
others merits, but they are both human.
He said: II think that the difference
will be found in methods. The news
paper men and the literary men pure
and simple both go to life for their
facts. The newspaper men regard the
facts of much more Importance than
their method of presentation. The lit,
erary man makes the method of presen-
tation of first Importance. This differ
ence is one which is an outgrowth of
different conditions. The newspaper
man does his work under the drive and
demand of tomorrow morning. The
literary man is doing his work, if he is
doing it honestly, with an eye on the
the morrow of posterity.
Mr.. Howells then went on to make a
very fair criticism of the newspapers of
this country. They are in a period of
development. he thinks. At present
they are overshadowed reportorially.
There j. too much energy expended in
gathering merely so-caIled news. There
are too many things brought toget her
in which the reader can and should
have no interest. The thousand and
one petty incidents of the various cas-,
ualties of life that are grouped together
in newspaper columns are profitless ex-
penditures of money and energy. These
often remote incidents are presented in
an attractive way, and one soon forms
the awful habit of reading everything.
in the newspaper, with, to quote Mr..
Howells, as profitable a result as would
be found by man leaning over the
parapet of bridge and splitting into a
rapid flowing river.