Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04


Mark Twain went to Europe to reside
temporarily year and half ago, and
with the exception of brief visit to this
country last July has been engaged in lit
erary work there.
Some of his sketches and his long story,
which was continuation of the story of
Colonel Mulberry Sellers, were quite widely
published in this country and in England.
OF course anything that Mark Twain
writes is sure to be read Yet there were
some indications here that he was not
maintaining in these later works that pop
ularity which he gained when THE Inno-
cents Abroad" appeared.
On the other hand, his long story is
greatly enjoyed in Great Britain, so that
now he is understood to be engaged upon
another something in the same line. He
is also to write a volume of sketches, par
ticularly of the German people. There has
been some surprise that Mark Twain
should of a sudden renew the literary
activity of twenty years ago, and several
reasons have been given for it. 1t has been
said that some of his business investments
have not proved profitable, although he
has the reputation of being the keenest
business man who has made afortune with
the pen. His friends say, however, that he
has an ambition to produces u literary work
not wholly humorous, but of more serious
import, by which he will be longest re-
membered.
Other American authors are contemplate
ing long residence in Europe. William
D. Howells, it is said, regards his residence
in New York city as only temporary,
and as soon as he can make his ar
rangements he will go to live permanently
in Italy, country which has great fascina-
tion for him, and in which he did the first
literary work which gave him fame How
ellis is Accommodating quite rapidly, and he
will soon be able to live handsomely In
Italy upon the income of his investments.
Nevertheless his pen, instead of relaxing,
Is buster than ever He has a contract to
furnish two of the monthly magazines
with series of papers and another with a
farce. He is at work upon one new story
and has another mapped out, and his
literary plans involve work which it would
take nearly five years to complete.
The first installment of a new story by
Robert Louis Stevenson has been received
by his publishers. Yet it is a story which
Mr.. Stevenson contracted to write five
years ago. He has literary work laid out
two or three years ahead, and is now en-
gdSeu upon HeW SlOry WHICH Will Dt
likely to give Mr.. Howells grief, since it
will be wholly romantic and not in the
least realistic, in the Howells sense.
Miss Wilkins, who has achieved ex-
traordinary popularity, will have no idle
moments fer the next year or two if she
does all that publishers ask her to do.
There seems to be something of reaction,
however, on the part Of the greater critics.
u a rf N n
Miss Wilkins, while she has talent, has no
great artistic de' clopment of it, and that
her stories are mere bits of reporting and
are the doings Of people who are not ex-
acrly interesting.
Miss wilkins ambition is in the direc-
ton of the drama, and one play which she
has written is soon to be published. Her
method must be changed or she will be
unable to produce play that can be acted,
no matter how delightfully."- it may read.
Richard Harding Davis is engaged in
writing q series Of sketches of life as it ap-
pears In London to American eyes. Davis
has also had his attention turned from
short fiction to the stage, and recent trial
Of a one act play OF his leads his friends to
believe that when he has discovered the
art of constructing q play he may produce
one which has not only the literary quail
ity, but, what is Of more Importance, ade.
ouate dramatic construction.
Mrs Burton Harrison, whose latest
novel, Sweet Bells Out of Tune" is ap.
pearing serially in one of the magazines,
has already mapped out a new story which
will probably be completed about the time
the serial is finished. Like that, it will be
a s5udy of New York social life. Mrs Van
Rensselaer, Cruger, who is a friendly rival
Of Mrs Harrison in this form of fiction,
has nearly ccmp,gte9 q rev story which
will be published in the spring.
Publishers say that the two greatest sue
cesses in fiction since Robert Elsmere''
appeared have been Mr.. Barrie's "The Lit
tle Minister" and Thomas HarGy's Tess"
No American author has, since the publ.
cation of ''Ben-Hur," gained such success
as these two authors with these books.
More than $4,000 copies Of "The Little Min
lister" have been sold in the United States
and nearly as many of '"Tess."
Barrie is at work upon two new stories
and one play. Mr.. Hardy, who cares moth
ing for dramatic writing, has new novel
mapped out, and the publication of these
stories will be what no announcement of
an An nerican novel nowadays leads to-an
important literary event.
E. J. EDWARDS.