Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-26
=. Marion Crawford Talks Upon
Novel Writing.
LARGE SALES OF POOR BOOKS,
cha,b Sayings About Various Books, and
Various wtTers as Well as About
lho People Who Read
the Books.

For Tho SUNDAY Gazette:
New York. March AZ Marion
Crawford, who sailed for his home IN
sorrento. Italy, ON the 18th Of this
mouth, leaves behind him vast amount
OF work accomplished during bis visit
here ana a hust Of new Odnirers, Tho
sales Of bis novels have greatly Increased
SINCE he came, IN spite OF the fact that
he was already one of the most popular
OF present-dny writer's 1 fancy that he
has made considerable money here,
though his readings cannot be regarded
na especially successful. but his talks
upon the ara Of n0vel.wriung have been
Nery popular and ON his return he will
give more attention 90 these than he has
yet done He had originally planned to
stay Ia this country only couple OF
weeks that IS until the private business
whidl brought him over was finished.
but he was offered pressing Inducements
10 spend not Gully the winter but the
summer ns well here and he thought
seriously OF deYotinE several weeks 10 n
study of the Worlds fair and 10 the
preparation OF series of articles upon
~ Ills departure for home however
has put an end to ths schcmc and he viii
not oo seen IN America again until the
iair Is over lie has already completed
arrangements for the publication of hs
hrst volume OF essnya, 20 be entitled
probably, ''rho Novel; What Il Is" and
OF ms reecntly completed story, "Pictro
Hmilon, The essays ARE based upon
two already published articles on the art
of no,el.wriung; but these articles have
been elaborated 20 more than twice their
length They represent practically Mr.
Cuwlords first efforts nc essay writing.
though before he Won his fame as
story-tcucr he wrote number Of lite
llly nnd scientific papers that attracted
no particular attention and are now for
gotten lie is at present thinking of
writing similar papers ON the drama,
ana putting them into n companion yul-
umo. lie hes besides. mado uirlure.
mpnts with publishers In this courtry TO
write an article Ou Pope Leo Nll. ana
70 interview his holmcHs. An inter-
view VITA the pope rs such n writer AS
Mr. Crawford, whose catholldty would
make lis way into the vatican COMPARE
lively easy, would surely be one OF the
sensations Of the day.
Tho curious statement was made 10 me
the other day that publishers IA this
country nave been known TO make from
ASWb 20 $4,000 on novels that win no
rvpute ana possess not n particle OF lite.
rary mort. ! asked a wellknown pub
usher or New York " this could posi-.
piled. 1T IN not only true. but h Ia a
common occurrence. / have In mind now
one house that has made vast amounts
of money through the publication of the
novels OF woman whose mime Is never
mentioned in literary Journals yet this
Womnn grlnds out &C least one novel a
year sometimes two. aud everything she
writes y read 10y thousands Her work
has nothing 20 command it. II Is cheap,
SENSATIONAL, and u riYca no food for
thought Perhaps this II why IL Is 70
popular You must remember that there
Is "a class Of society below the intelligent
people with fair appreciation of what
n literature and what IN not, ana that
this class Ia numbered by the millions
and has TO have los reading mntter
suited 70 il taste, The works Of the
best writers would bore them; conae-
9uenuy the works Of the worst writers
thrive among them"
! have heard through the brother Of
William Watson that the poet has com.
nielely recovered from bis recent illness.
lie Is himself again. are the exact
words OF the message, Mr. Wntsons
brother, who b. engaged in business IN
New York city declared nc the time the
news Of the poets Illness was received la
this country, that he thought lt was only
a temporary alteration OF mind, and his
surmlte has proven tO be correct WIN.
lam Watson's now poem, "rho Eloping
Angels, n now IN press. IL win make
volume OF sixty pages literary man
who has read IL told me the other dny
that Il was one of the finest things that
Watson had yet done. The recent boom
Ia MAtsOn's work has been remarkable.
short time ago his publishers brouglA
out an edition Of his complete poems,
and second edition has aircndy been
called for. This IN almost nm unprece-
denied experience In the case Of so young
a poet; indeed, doubt II Il has ever
happened before.
Speaking Of poetry reminds me of the
remark made By q publisher the other
day In reply 90 The question whether the
publication Of volumes of poems paid.
There " no kind Of literature" he said,
THAT N no unremuneratlye M poetry,
Take. for example. The work Of Alfred
Austin, the well known English poet.
doubt II thore Is any nppreciable sale of
bis books IN this country; indeed, 1
should not be surprised 10 hear that
there was no sale Whatever Under
these circumstances the rapid sale of
William Wats0n's work seems The more
extraordinary, II Is 20 be- explained IN
part Of course, by Che sudden notoriety
into which he Waa thrust by The three
remarkable events IN his life that fol-
lowed in quick succession bis proui-
nent mention for the gureatcghip lmme-
diatcly after the death Of Icnnyson: the
present OF 1000 which be received from
Mr. Gladstone out Of thf royal grant
fund. aud bis dramatic attack Of ip-
sanity ! asked literary man who has
been closely associated with him not
long ago II there could be any connection
between these three circumstances. he
smiled aud shook his bead. AIR Wat.
sons Illness" he replied was simply q
repetition " a slight attack Of q similar
nature that he bad a dozen years ago.
The recent dinner Of the Authors
cub, which marked The tenth hnnlFcr-
Eary 0f the clubs existence, was inter
esting for many reasons, among others
because u gave strong testimony 10 the
fact that New York N now the literary
center of the country. TIE club hut done
good work IN bringing the authors to-
gethef ir way that could not help 20
gTe them benefit as well as pleasure.
Now that it has estnblishid itself on q
hrm basis, Il IA certain 10 become d
periaancnt institution and 10 widen rs |
scope considerably Nearly every Amer /
Tea anthOf 0f prominence Is on rs hst |
Of members, aud ] doubt " d gathering /
moore truly rcpfpseniatige n Amcrcan |
literature could De found than that /
which assembled at the dinner the other /
night The speeches were az Admirable, /
and the spirit ~ cordial feDgHsuip that /
Nl.s manifested Was ID delight " those /
who believe that DO literature there
should ~ 10 f1ufiies n ia hoped that /
before long tho club VIII have 4 house I
81 ~ own. iikt tie older and neher
cnha Steps have already been taken /
10 obia'a inopfy ~ ihis purpose by ne