Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-26

time in London, where he found his books
circulating nearly as widely as at home.
Making a Living at Literature.
I asked him then, considering his success
in literature, what were the inducements of
financial character to hold out to youth
full aspirant. Mr.. Howells said that he did
not think that anyone ever should 60 into
literature on account of any great profits to
be realized therein. A man who did not
depend upon journalism might work long
time before arriving at an income of 81 200
year, Literature is i'll paid in compari-
son with the work of almost any other pro-
fession. Mr. Howells says:
II know very we'll the business value of
my own reputation. I know exactly what
I have accomplished in that direction. The
success that have made, and the reputa-
tion that I have obtained, would in any
other profession entitle me to at least four
or five times what 1 now receive" He
then added: 81 make at the outside be-
tween S1O,O and Sis, 900 year. This re-
suit, viewed from the standpoint of a be-
ginner in the literary work, has a colossal
look. Viewed from the standpoint of an
equal success in other professions, the re-
suit is meager. But it is just to add that
writers do not work as many hours as the
men of other professions. This is not gen.
orally admitted, as the writers have had all
there is to say upon the subject. Of course
the writer never underestimate the weary
labor of his profession, but in reality lite T.
ary people work less hours than do the
members OF almost any other profession.
This is equally true of artists. The artistic
temperament takes kindly to leisure"
He Doesn't Believe In Moods.
'You do not believe in moods, then, that
one hears so much about in the literary and
artistic world?"
Mr.. Howells laughed as he said: 'T am
afraid do not believe in moods, as they are
usually defined. A writer 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, at least, the virtue Of
industry"
His advice to young writers, people who
are anxious to become literary workers, vas,
first, to be sure they had something to say
and then to seek to say it In the simplest
possible way. There should never be any
stralning after effects, any hunting for un-
usual forms. There should be great tenn
perance in the employment of adjectives and
an effort to keep as clearly as possible to
what is to be related. The writer should
always sink his individuality. He should
always be subordinated to what he is trying
to do. The difficulties in the way of cor
rectly giving the picture of an ordinary in
cident in life are enormous, said Mr.. How
ellis. Correctly and simply to describe the
act of person in entering and going out of
a room is only appreciated by one who
seeks to portray even such simple incl
dent as that.
No More Literature on Sti'ts.
The simplicity and naturalness of the
present standards of good writing were in
keeping with the trend of modern develop
ment The artificial writing of the past,
literature on stills, has been retired to the
background with the professional orator.
The public speaker of to-day does not de-
pend upon Aowery phrases. upon overloaded
sentences and skiIlful clima1es The
thought with him is of more Importance
than such rhetorical ornaments. With the
orator, as with the writer, the simpler his
methods the greater his effects.
During the other visit, Mr.. Howells
opened the conversation by discoursing
upon the present tendency OF literature in
the United States. He said, "When the
copyright law was passed, we got out our
ascension robes and were prepared for
wonderful things. We expected too much,
however, and, naturally, there have been
some disappointments. 1t is, however,
step in the right direction. 1t is OF greater
advantage to the foreign author than to the
American, for, as Mark Twain truly said,
Eve used to steal pounds from them where
they stole pennies from us. "
Mr. Howells thought that one of the best
developments in this country was in the
writing of short Stories. He thought in this
the American writer's excelled. The critics,
who are enhanced with the work of Guy
Maupassant, and who set him up as an ex-
ample of perfection in description and as
the ideal short story writer, could find his
equal among the short story writers Of this
country.
Sketches If Travel.
Mr.. Howells said that he regretted very
much to see that two features of literary
work were apparently going out. These
are the essay and the travel sketch. There
was nothing more delightful to him than
good travel sketch, yet the tendency of
writers was to ignore such subjects because
they say that everybody travels nowadays,
and consequently the subjects of travel are
no longer new, and consequently less at
tractive. He thought this was mistake.
The fresh eve and the point OF view were
what constituted the interest in travel
sketch. People who have travelled are al
ways more interested in reading about the
places lneV nave Stcll NhCh ucSCiioCu W
someone else than those who have never
made any voyages.
Mr.. Howells, in speaking of his own
methods of literary work, said: 81 have
long ago learned to distrust and utterly to
disbelieve in the idea of losing oneself In
ones work. Whenever 1 have given way
to the so-called inspiration of the moment
and have worked with reckless enthusiasm,
1 have always found the next day that my
work was rubbish and all lost. The writer
must not lose himself in his characters or In
his story. He mast retain his self-posses-
sion, his self.control, and be constantly IN
the position of an outsider studying care
fully his effects He must be saying to
himself, is this natural? is this right? in
order to obtain the proper gauge OF the
value of his picture.
81 know this view is opposed by great
many enthusiasts. but it is my judgment
that the most artistic work is produced by
the man who is in the clearest possession of
all his faculties and who is the least swayed
bv his emotions, in the pursuit of purely in
tellectual work. What would be said of a
sculptor engaged in the modelling of figure
if he gave way to his emotions, closed his
ewes to an outside view OF the general pro-
portion OF his work, and plunged into gen.
eral passion of exc IN without any regard
TO the appearance o. mis- work as whole?"
T. G. CRAWFORD.