New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-26

con with the work Of almost any other proiess'i'
Mr. fIowells said , -, ,r,,
IL know very well the business 'aiue " w
GUN renu,ation. know exactly what have
ACCOMPLISHED in that direction The success ''',''
T bovc made. and the reputation that nave oo-
toincd would In any other profession entiue nc
TO az least four or five times what row recei'e'
fIc then added: ~ make at the OUTSIDE "e."'ei
$40 1000 and Sl5, 900 year. This RESULT 'ie"eu
from the standpoint of a beginner in the literary
work. has a colossal look. Viewed from the e'an''
point OF an equal success IN other protessio"S '"c
rcsut is meagre But 1t is just to add that writer's
do not work many hours as the men " o''''
nrofcssons This is not generally admitted as
tbc writers have had all there IL to say upon
the subject OF course the writer never unoer-
estimates the weary labor of his profession, but In
reality literary people work less hours than DO
the members of almost any other profession lhis
10 coually true of artists The artistic teinperar
ment takes kindly TO leisure"
"You do not believe In moods, then, that one
beors 40 much about in the literary and artistic
wOrldp ?" .,
Mr.. Howells laughed as he said: Il am afraid
7 do not believe in moods as they are usually de-
fined writer or an artist is In good mood
for hts best work when he has overcome the
natural dissemination TO work, so as TO assume, az
least the virtue Of industry"
This financial result is accomplished, according
to Mr.. IIowels, through steady work and IN
several fields lie has been regular monthly
Contributor to periodicals for years lie was irso
tbe director OF "The Atlantic Monthly; then
Uarrers Magazine secured his services, and now
The COSMOPOLITAN" flies his name "a editor. BE-
sides his novels, ne Las always had these editorial
duties TO occupy his time. His writing hours are
always in the morning. lie writes from three 70
four hours, finishing at the luncheon honr.
o'clock His afternoon is generally devoted to ed
itorial work and TO reading, his evenings W
social diversion and casual readings. lie never
writes in the evening, for if he did he would NOT
lie able To sleep.
Mr. IIowclls has written some critical essays
upon journalism. | asked him if he considered
that the work Of journalism could be properly
classcd rs literary. Did he consider the news
paper world good preliminary field for The
best work Of tile highest literature? Mr.. Howcils
confined his remarks 10 denial tlat theie WAS
any essential difference between the newspaper
world and the literary one. except the difference
that sometimes exists between two warning neigh
bors They may differ as to cnch others merits
but they are both human. lie said: II think
that the difference will be found in methods.
The newspaprr men and the literary men pure
and simple both go 10 life for their facts Inc
newspaper men regard the facts of much more I'M
poriancc than their method Of presentation Inc
literary man makes the method OF presentation
Of first Importance. This difference is one w'lich
j. an outgrowth of different CONDITIONS Inc
ncwspapcr man docs his work under the drive
and demand OF tomorrow morning The literary
man +, doing his work if he IL doing II honestly
Al <,n nf
His advice 70 Young writer's. people who are
anxious become literary workers. was first, TO be
sure they ind something 10 say and then 10 seek
TO say it in the simplest possible way there
should never be any straining after effects, any
limiting for unusual forms There should be
great temperance in the employment of adjectives
ard an effort 70 keep ~ clearly ne possible 10
,vIat IL ~ hr related Tho writer should always
sink his Individuality he should always be sub
ordinatcd 20 what he trying TO 90. Inc
difficulties in the way Of correctly and simply
oiying the picture Of an ordinary incident IN
life arc enormous. said Mr. lIowells. Correctly
and simply 70 describe the act OF person IN
entering and going out Of room IL only appre-
cutcd by one who seeks TO portray even such o
simple Incident that.
The simplicity ard raturalness Of the present
standards Of good writing were in Keeping WIN
the trend of modern development. The artihciai
uritr, NJ the mast literature on stills. has been
Retired 10 the background with the proirssiohai
orator. The public speaker of to-day does not
dcpcnd upon howcry phrases, upon oFerloa"eu
sentences aud skillful climaves The Thought
with him is Of more Importance than such rhe'ori-
cal ornaments With the orator, as with the
writer the simpler his methods the greater his
effects
During tLe OTHER visit, Mr.. Howeus opened
the conversation ny dscoursing upon the present
tendency of literature in the United States lie
e,ii. When the copyright law was passed, we
cot ont our ascension robes and were prepared
cr wondcrfnl Things We expected too much,
however and naturally, there have been some
disappointmcn,s 1t is. however. step in the
riqht direction II il Of greater advantage TO the
foreign author thin 20 the American, for as Mark
Twain truly said We used TO steal pounds from
them where they stole pennies from us
Mr. Howells thought that one of the b,st dcvel-
nrnucnts in thl, country was in the writing OF
,horn stories lie thought In this the American
writers eycclled The critics, who are enchanted
with the work OF Guy AIaupasSint and who set
him UP rs IN example OF perfection in desorip-
ton and as the ideal short story writer. coul'
lind his equal among the short story wrlt'is o'
this country. Mr. IIowclls thought that the work
of Miss wilkins In power of description. IN pathos
AMI in dramatic action was fully the equal oil the
hest work of the great French writer. The short
stories Of Sarah Ornc Jcwett could compare favor
ably with the best work Of the foreign writers.
Mr. IIowcll- did not go into great detail for the
moment beyond the examples cited above. He
thought the most encouraging thing was the gene
raj excellence developed throughout the country.
| The ability to write and t0 write we'll, was be-
coming universal IL not such very long
time ago when the ability TO write even ordinary
prose or poetry was considered n wonderful and
exceptional gift To be- able 10 compose even in
an ordinary way, was held 70 be great accom-
plIhment and OF the utmost credit 10 lis posscssor
The British olassics were filed with rubbish that