The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-04
MRS. FRANCES HODGsON BURNETT.
Home Life of a Literary Woman.

was over. Then for the first time she had
some relief: at least nothing more could
happen To the unfortunate man.
Several experiences not less cruel than
this one have taught Mrs. Burnett that
she must restrain herself from ever read
ing the newspapers. The daily story of
the worlds sins ana sorrows would keep
her nerves in such state OF tension that
life would be unbearable. Besides that,
she considers American newspapers in-
tensely vulgar.
The mention of newspapers brought up
the subject of tile alleged likeness of her
which the papers are fond Of publishing.
Mrs. Burnett enjoys these immensely, and
is making a careful collection of them.
To each one she gives an appropriate
name. There is one she is pa tIcularly
proud of. which she has labeled MADAM
Burke and Hair" A languorOus. black
eyed creature taken from western paper
she calls THE Light of the Harem." Most
OF the others are named after celebrated
murderessps. Tor Mrs. Burnett is fire.
Qnently made to look like those interest
ing persons. She thinks there must be in
her some latent tendency toward assassi-
nation to account for these gruesOme re-
emblanceS.
The phi ntographers themselves have not
done much be ter in producing successful
llkfnesseS of Mrs. Burnett. her pictures
usually looking like nearly any one except
herself. In many Of them there is Sug-
geSli0n of some well-known dc-Or or act
ress, Wilson Barrett. Henry Irving, Ellen
Terry and others. 1t is an Zipg how
woman with so strong an individuality
can be made to resemble so many dissim-
liar peOnle.
Mrs. Burnett is clever, of course she is.
as every one knows who has read her
books. But not every one has had the
privilege of knowing the sparkling clever
g l. l.
say mare bright things in a given time than
any other woman In Washing on, which 8
nigh tribute. And they are not fEothy
bright things such as Gne usually hears.
but have a basis of earnest thought which
fingers in the mind after the laugh has
died AWAY | have set down here few
gems picked from several of her cnnversa-
tiOns. The words are naturally mine, as
no monograph was at hand, but in each
instance the thought was precisely hers:
II have TO admit being an ahject slave
to the prcnonn of the third PERSON It, l
can only do good work when 1t is willing,
and it is very particular. l have never
heen able to dictate NY writings because
1t would rebel and 60 strike 1t In
sists Oh seeing the ink from my pen"
Interviews are almost Invariably bad.
To he an ideal interviewer one should
have he noveliSts power of analysis, and
a person who had that would be busy
writing novels"
America wears me- out with interrupt
tiODs, and yet l have done most If my
work in America. | suppose that is be-
cause most of my time in Europe is spent
recovering from the shock of having been
in the United States.'
81 g0t over caring for fame when was
in my teens. | saw the folly of working
so hard simply that the world NAV be
little longer in forgetting one. | wrote
because | had to write. The doing # the
II I'd I oh ha.r
kept on writing had the publishers sent
back of my stories"
IL should not be surprised to learn that
| am a Buddhist without knowing it.
am constantly fading that am something
/ never suspected myself of being. I ,ead
p book or an article and say to myself:
'Why, those are my ideas; thought all
that myself years ago. This man has
stolen my thunder. In the same way
Buddha may have plagiariZed my unborn
thoughts.
"Ona of nv great trials in life is to get a
coed zen. The pens other people have
are always better than mine. | never 90
into bank without cnvnting the lovely
smooth flowing pens | find there. | usually
beg two or three frGm the cashier but
when get them home they scratch as
badly as my own. There is strange per-
versity about pens.
Ever since | was child / have felt an
amusing sense OF res possibility for the
universe. When my little sister was
naughty and broke her doll it seemed to
me that was to blame l have a vague
feeling of the same kind still when greater
things go wrong"
whenever [ come to consider what peo-
pie may call NV virtues find myself pos
SesSed with an haTaSsing tendency to rpa-
son them back to faults. Thus genera 'ity
becomes weakness, Industry becomes alb
normal ambition. self-denial higher form
of setfShness and soon. / wish | could
reason my faults back 10 justification in
heredity or something else by the converse
method but cannot do it,"
The great trouble with me is that the
top joint of my thumb is too short and the
second joint too long. This means, a. the
palnisi tells me, that my reasoning powers
are developed at the EXPENSE of my powers
of decision. l see on all sides of the Ques-
tinn at the same time and come to NO con-
ciusion except in ageneral way that every
body is right"
These practical illustrations show better
than any generali5ies could the kiad of
things Mrs. Burnett says. but the accom-
naniment of her animation ana intensity
is needed TO com pletp the charm.
The story of Mrs. Burnett's literary sue
cess has been told too often to need re-
renting. Here, at least, is writer who
bears no gtudge against The race of pub
fishers. She has always found them gen.
erous and courteous, ever since the time