The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-21

one failure, and / mink II ! hau nov inAel
tied cons1derahle Scotch ~tAuaoity from IA.
parents i would have been discouraged
!. Why, 1 was writing more than twenty year
, when / made my first distinct success"
And thai was self Help, was " noty'
.Ihat was Self Hell y, said Dr. Smiles
(which has been by far the most successful
and popular Of my works. 1t grew out Q
lectures that / had delivered from time =
time. and was published III 1863. las via
sale surprised every one. myself most o
all"
fused At frat by the publisher 70 whom j
was otfered?' W
"Ie YOU have" said DR.. Smiles land hare
he ohuckled glesfullyl, you have read TIT
truth III first publisher to whom sut-
mitted the work sent me word after 2 time
to come and take it away. Hs said there
as people, would not read il. ]
finally got DR.. Murray. OF Albemarle
street, to issue it. He allowed me
two-thirds OF the profits. Probably ht
We'll, that book WAS an instant, SUCCESS and
my reputation was established. Not long
after / met at a dinner the publisher who
cad refused the book. The sucoess OF the
work was discussed and the publisher said
to me that while other houses were we'll
enough MIS- was the one to push r book.
Why, MIR. - I said. don't you know 4
brought .Self Help" to you and you would
not touch lt?' You don't moax, to say thntt
our house had the offer of self Help?"'
That is just what ! mean, and can snow
YOU the lettor in which you refused it."
1t was Easy to see that DIR. Smiles liked to
tell that little story. He. chatted along
about his various other books which have
had large sales in almost every country and
seemed especially e~ratitied by his popular
ity in America. for he referred to it moro
than once. He spoke feelingly, too, OF the
honors that Italy had conferred upon him
and his close friendship with Garlbaldy,
and then fell into Il reminiscent mood. -.
Eighty years is q long time to live" he
said. Il remember the battle of Waterloo.
| When l was young stage coaches we're in
use. remember the introduction of
steamboats, and railways, and | have seen
gas come into use. Now VIC have that won
derful thing, the electric telegraph, and
those wonderful boats, the Ieutonlo and
the Majestic. Edison has done much for
us. He is the most wonderful man We have
living. I want to write m article about
him some day. a.
you must have been intimate with
many famous men in your timer
Yes" said the aged author. mt. Glad
stone and other eminent men have written
me a great many letters ut one time and
another"
IBID you know Lord Beaconsfeld?'
We'll, no; but I saw him often. AT my
instance he got q pension for Thomas Ed
WarQ6B. tEH SCpLCA 1AatuEAAAbts 4 1GA01ADUA
very well seeing Lord Beaconsield. then
Mr.. Disraeli, N the committee for the es-
Establishment Of free libraries. The only
member of that committee still llvlng
besides myself is the earl of Wemyss. Lord
B%rougham / know we'll and Coledon, the
late Lord Iddeslegh. Sir Stafford Northcote
was also a q great friend Of mine. When l
was younger I saw Il lot Of Hugh Miller.
Poor fellow, he had q sad end. Then George |
Stephenson was q warm friend OF mine. N
wrote his life, you know, and 1t was one OF
nv most successful books"
''Mr. Smiles, do you think the young
man or Young woman Of to-day has more
chance to succeed in fife than when you
were young?" "a e.
.Undoubtedly, most undoubtedly" was
the prompt reply. Look at the advantages
now held out to the young. educational and
otherwise. 1t was not SO in my day., al
though l. coming from Scotland, where
there wee good schools even when I was q
boy-had better opportunities than many
Others"
And the young people seem to be taking
advantage Of it tooy'
.Yes, indeed. Look at the young men in
England, in America, in Germany. in fact
the wos Id over, what grand. noble. enduring
work they are performing Tor humanity.
for the state and posterity. Young men OF
to-day are greatly favored 4.M |
"What about woman's work?'y
''Ihey are doing finely. Women are do
ing better work to-day than ever before:
They have made great progress IN all
branches of labor"
you still have literary work on hand.
have you not, doctor?"
"Well, | have only just completed my
life of Murray, the Publisher. That took
me a long time. l had to look through let
ters extending over three-quarters of a
century. and then to collect them. It cost
me a small fortune in soap and water to
wash my hands after the dusty work. How
ever, that is lone with. At present I am
writing the life of g curious fellow, a Pro-
vencal poet and philosopher,-a man called
Jacques Jasmyn. l I'M translating it into
prose. have also been asked to write the
life of Josiah Wedgwood, the celebrated
potter. He was a fine old fellow. What
other work | shall do / cannot now say.
But you can say to my friends in America
that have q good deal of ability to work in
me yet. if am so years old. Some of my
best known books? Physical Education;
or, Nurture and Management of Children
History of Ireland Railway Property, its
Conditions and Prospects, Life Of George
Stephenson Self Help Lives of the En-
glneers' five vols.), industrial Biography
Lives of Boulton and Watt The Hugue-
nots,' Character The Huguenots in
France etc., Life OF a Scotch Naturalist
George Moore. Merchant and Philan-
thropist,' Life of Robert Dick Duty
Men of Invention ana Industry Life and
Labor James Nasmyth,' "A Publisher and
His Friends My Life of Stephenson was
tho result of the leisure of a businegs Jour
ney to Newcastle. | was at Banff on behalf
of Thomas Edward, and at John O'Groat's
for my work on Robert Dick, Baker and
Geologist,' which is illustrated by myself.
My 'Huguenots i'll France was suggested
by a fo%rtnight's tramp over the Alps from
Dauphiny into Italy"
And 80 the old gentleman cha.ted on in
his snsy, genial way. Just as | WIS about
to leave he arose and said it was time for
hint to take his usual walk.
II shouldn't be alive if | didn't walk" he
said, with a smile. Il used to ride, but
think walking is quite as good. | walk
down to Hyde Park in the morning, and |
also 40 out for a walk in the afte noon"
] saw him a little later with a stout stick
in his hand, trampinp right sturdlly over
his usual route. Everyone seemed to know
him. Ragged utchina touched their caps
as he passed and their mothers favored
him with their bast courtesy. For all the
old man had a smile and a kind word.
And it is iii this calm and pleasant man
ner That the aged author ia living out his
later years. And in all England no one
grudges him his success. Indeed, / know of
no really successful man who is more gen
orally esteemed. But then he has never
bean bitter hinlself and his work has lain
IN a direction where he has helped many
men and anta2onized very few. But looked
at IN any way he Is an interesting man,
No one IL 80 wise but that he NAV be tho
better for a course of DIR. Smiles whoaa in