Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-10-20
THE LATEST NOVELS.
WORKS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
AUTHORS OF THE DAY.
A Lesson In Intrinsic vnlues-Two Paper
Packages Worth SIS. OOO-Mark Twain
and Robert Louis Stcvcnson-Thc Bril-


and Robert Louis Stcvcnson-Thc Bril-
liant English Sovelists and Their Work.
[Srecial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Oct. GA few days ago there
Sas delivered from II of the ocean steam.
ships which landed in New York II couple
of very small parcels upon which the hands
OF the custom house officer were not laid,
although probably no other parcel so small,
excepting one containing jewels, was
worth SO much of all the great cargo on
that steamship. They were bundles which
were small enough to be carried in an over
coat pocket, and yet they represented to-
gether a value not far from $4,000, Ill
though their intrinsic worth was scarcely
more than that of the paper with which
they were wrapped.
These parcels contained the latest work
OF two of the most successful of the authors
OF this generation, both Of them writers OF
fiction end one perhaps the most successful
humorist since the days of Artemus Ward.
This writer-Mark Twain-brought his pre-
cious parcel with him. 1t was the manu-
script of astcry which he has written within
the past year and which isshortly to be pub
lished by one of the magazines. If the
opinion of Mark Twain himself is of any
value, the story ought to prove as popular
as anything which he has done.
Not long after he landed he strolled with
that lndescribable Looping gait, which of it.
self suggests humorous considerations, into
The office of the magazine which is to pub
llsh his story. and before he had departed
the arrangements were completed.
Mr.. Stevenson's New Novel.
The other parcel contained the typewrit-
ten manuscript Of the latest story of Robert
Louis Stevenson, and not long after it was
taken from the steamship it was opened by
tender and c%onsiderate hands, as though it
were almost as preciousa as a bit of exquisite
lace. The editors of the magazine to which
this story was consigned saw that the man
uscript had been thumb marked, was dingy
with much use and frequent reading and
betrayed evidences of the extraordinary
care which Mr.. Stevenson requires of those
who have his literary work in charge.
This story was written in the Samoan is
lands last winter and suggests in its style
and its romantic interest those brilliant
stories of S~tevenson's, kidnapped" and
Robert Balfour." After it was written
Mr.. Stevenson had a copy made which he
preserved, n the original manuscript was
sent to his solicitors in Edinburgh. When
in their hands, negotiations were made with
publishers, the price demanded was agreed
upon, other copies We're made, which were
revised and scrutinized with patient fdel.
lty, so that even to the slightest marks of
punctuation it should agree with the man
uscript sent from those faroff South Sea is
lands.
This story has less than 5000 words, but
Mr.. Stevenson will receive for it nearly ST.
600. Parts of the manuscript were revised
by Mr.. Stevenson more than a score OF
times. Many sentences were rewritten over
and over again, and in this patient drudg-
cry there is furnished vivid suggestion of
the way in which Mr.. Stevenson secured
that mastery of English style which the
best critics declare is without parallel
among living writer's of fiction.
That habit, too, characterizes Mark
Twain, who is more greatly controlled by
his emotions, moods and fancies than Mr..