The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-22
ATLANTA. CA, TUESDAY. AUGUST %. 1898

Dick. history tells no more of his adventures
nor is it alleged that he ever again visited the
distant valley beheld the face OF his High
land NauSic2a.
anecdote probably would "rest lovely pearl
in the brain. and slowly mature in the oys-
ter" till it became novel. Properly ham
died, the incident would make Il very agree
able first chapter, with the aid of scenery,
botany, climate. and remarks on the man
ners and customs of the red deer out of ST.
John. Then, probably, one would reflect on
the characters OF Mary and of Richard. Mary
must have parents. of course. and one would
make them talk III Scotch. Probably she al
ready had Il lover how should she behave to
that lover? There is plenty of room for
speculation iii that problem. As to Dick, is
he to be Iothario, or Il lover pour lie bon
motif? What are his distinguished family
to think of the love affair, which would GER
tainly cnSUe in fiction, though in real life
nobody thought of it at all? Are we to end
happily, with Il marriage or marriages. or
are to wind all mp in the pleasant, pcsSi
mistic, realistic, fashionable modern way?
! Is Mary droNn the hapy in the mucklc
pool? Is she to suffer the penalty Of her
crime at Inverness? Or, happy thought, shall
we not make her discarded RIVAL lover meet
Tick in the hills On sunny day-are they
Oaking hint from facts TO fight duet
with rifles? L see Dick lying, with a bullet
i'll his brow, on The side of corric; his
blood crnsons tie snow, an eagle stoops
from the sky. That makes prctty pictur-
esque conclusion to the unwrittcn romance
of the Strath.
Another anccdOtc occurs to me; good, |
, think, for a short story, but capable, also,
Of being dumped down in the middle Of a
long novel. 1t was in the old coaching days.
\ border squire going north in the
coach alone. At village he was joined by
man and young lady; their purpose was
manifest-they were a runaway couple,
bound for Gretna Green They had not tray
elcd long together before the young lady,
turning to the squire. said: "NouS parlcz
Francois, MONSIEUR? He did speak French
it plain that the bridegroom did not
and, to the end of the journey that remark
able lady conducted lively and affectionate
conRrl satiOn with the squire in French
Manif.stly, he had only to ask and receive
but, alas ne WAS an adventurous, plain gen
tlcnan; he aiighted at his own village: he
drove home in his own dogcart; the fugitive
pair went forward and the Grctna blacksmith
united them i'll holy matrimony. The rest is
silence.
/ would give much to know what that T0ung
persons previous history and adventures had
been to learn what bcfell her after her
We ddng. to understand. in brief, her cox
duct and her motives. Were | Il novelist. Il
MlupasSant, or u Meredith. the muse, from
whatsoever quarter she chose" would en-
Eighteen me about all, and L would enlightcn
YOU. Eut | can O1ly marvel, only throw
ont the hint. only deposit the grain of sand,
the nucleus of .'omanca in some fertile brain.
Indeed, the topic is much more puzziing than
the conclusion CT my Highland romanre. In
that case fancy could ind certain oho axe,
channels, into one Or thu 1.h"r u ->T6dtiA
irtSt no Y. BItf' see 3fest~t.' : inrol,,o,
lives of these three Iuerrly net pei I.,79's n; e.
coach As rule. fancieS are capable 81
Icing arranged in but few familiar pat
terms, so that it seems hardly worth while
to make the arrangement. But he vino
looks at things thus will never be Il writer of
stories Nay, even of the slowly unfolding
tale of his own existence he may weary, for
the combinations therein have all occurred be-
fore 1t is hackneyed Old story that he is
living and you, and !. Yet to act on this
knowledge is to make bad affair Of our lit
tie life: we must try our best TO take 1t Sc
riously. And so of story writing. As Mr.
Stevenson says, Il man must view his very
trihing enterprise with il gravity that would
betit the cares of empire, and think the small
est Improvement worth any expense Of time
and industry The book the statue the
souata must be gone upon with The unreaSon-
ing good faith and the unliaSginS spirit of
children at their play
That is true, that is the worst of it. The
man the writer, over whom the irresistible
desire to mock at himself, his work, his pup
pc;s and their fortunes, has power, Will never
he 4 novelist. The novelist must make be
liove very much" he must be in earnest with
his characters. But how to be in earnest
how to keep the noGG Of disbelief and derision
cont of the memorial?'' All, there is the dit
fCuity but it is Il difficulty OF which many
authors appear to be inScnSiDlc. Perhaps they
suheF from no '''N" AHSDItEW LANG.