The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-26
evidences of this oontentment of we'll
merited success.

HIS FINANCIAL C
asked Mr.. Howells which one of his
books he liked best. / then asked him.
without waiting for hat answer, which
one of his books had the best popular sue
cess. feeling instinetively that the authors
pet was never the one hat was the most
popular. lie said he considered his strong
est book was The Modern Instance" OF
his novels. The Hazard of New Fortunes
had had the largest sale.
asked him then. considering his success
IN literature. what were the Inducements
of q financial character to hold out TO a
youthful aspirant. Mr. Howells said that
be did not think that any one ever should
20 into literature on account OF any great
profits TO be realized therein. A man who
did not depend upon journalism might
work a long time before arriving at an IN
come OF 81, 200 o year. Literature IS III paid
in comparison with the work of almost any
other profession. Mr.. HOwells said:
II know very well the business value of
my own reputation. / know exactly what
i have accomplished in that direction.
The success that | have made. and the rep
utation that i have obtained. would. in
any other profession, entitle me to at least
four or five times what l now receive"
He then added: g! make at the outside
between $4,000 and $3.50 o q year. This
result, viewed from the stand point of q
beginner in the literary work, has q colos-
sal look. Viewed from tho stand
point of an equal success in other pro-
Just to add that writers do not work as
many hours as the men of other professions.
This is not generally 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 pro-
fesslon, but in reality literary people work
less hours than do the members of almost
any other profession. This 10 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 literary
n artistic wOrldf'
Mr.. HOwells laughed as he said: Il am
afraid i do not believe In moods, as they
are usually defined. A writer or an artist
is in q good mood for his best work when
he has overcome the natural Discrimination
10 work, so as 10 assume, at least, the viz
tue of industry"
This financial result is accom- lished, &C.
cording TO Mr.. Howells. through steady
work and In several fields. He has been o
regular monthly contributor to periodicals.
i nTbs ye Atlantis tie M Wa nIs' then tine c aHsro 9,
Magazine" secured his services, and now
The Cosmopolitan" flies his name as ed
itOr. Besides his novels. he has alwayshad
these editorial duties to occupy his
in the morning. He writes from three to
four hours, finishing ct the luncheon hour.
/ o'clock. His afternoon is generally de-
voted to editorial work and to reading, his
evenings to social diversion and casual
readings. He never writes in the evening,
for if ne did he would not be able to sleep.
CRITICISMS OF NEWSPAPERS.
Mr.. Howells has written some critical
essays upon journalism. asked him if he
considered that the work of journalism
could be properly classed as literary. Did
he consider the newspaper world as a good
preliminary field for the best work of
the highest literaturef Mr.. Howells
confined his remarks to O denial that there
was any essential difference between the
newspaper world and the literary one ex-
cept the difference that sometimes exists
between two warning neighbors. They
they are both human. lie said:
Il think that the difference will
be found in methods. The newspaper
men ana the literary men pure
and simple both 60 to life for their facts.
The newspaper men regard the facts of
much more i'm portance than their method
of presentation. The literary man makes
the method Of presentation of first impOr-
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 1T honestly with an eye on the
morrow of pOsterity."
Mr.. HOwells then went on to make q
q very fair criticism of the newspapers of
This country. They are in a period of de-
velOpment. he thinks. At present they are
ov~ershadowed reportorially. There is too
muchenergy expended in gathering merely
so-called news. There are too many things
brought together In which the reader can
and should have no interest. The
thousand and one petty incl
that are grouped together In newspaper
columns are protitless expenditures of
money and energy. These often remote in
cldents are presented In an attractive way
reading everything In the newspaper with,
TO quote Mr.. Howells, as profitable q re-
suit as would be found by q man leaning
over the parapet of o bridge and splitting
INTO a rapid-flowIng rIver.
His advice to young writer's. people who
are anxious to become literary workers.
was. frat. to be sure they had something TO
say, and then to seek to say 1t In the sim
plest possible way. There should never be
any straining after effects. any hunting for
temperance in the employment of adj
~jectives and an effort to keep as
clearly as possible TO what 10 to
be related. The writer should always
sink his individuality. He should always
be subordinated 10 what be was trying 10
do. The difficulties III the way Of correctly
and simply giving the picture of an ordi-
nary incident In life are enormous, said Mr..
Howells. Correctly and simply to describe
the act of a person III entering and going
out of a room Is only appreciated by one
who seeks TO portray even such q simple in
cldent as that.
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 stilts-has been retired to the
background with the professional orator.
The public speaker of to-day does not de-
pend upon fiowery phrases. upon overload
ed sentences and skilltul climaxee. The
thought with himis of more Importance
than such rhetorical With the
orator. as with the writer. tina simpler his
methods the greater his effects.
LITERARY DEVELOPMENTS.
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 writers excelled. The
critics, who are enchanted with the work
of Guy Maupassant, and who set him up as
an example of perfection in description and
as the ideal short-story writer, could fiDd
his equal among the short-stOry writers of
this country. Mr.. Howeils thought that
the work of Niles Wilkins in power of de-
scrlption, in pathos, and in dramatic action
was fully the equal of the best work of the
great French writer. The short stories of
Sarah Orne Jewett could compare favor
ably W it'll the best work Of the forneign
writer's
Mr.. Howells did not 90 into great detail
for the moment beyond the IN cited
above. He thought the most encouraging