The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-10
TWO STYLES OF FICTION.
Comparison Of the Greatest ingiish ans
Greatest American Noveiists.

Especial Correspondence
INV YORK. Feb 5-kobert louis ste
vcnson D. in receipt oi many letters from
those who admire his writings, and who de-
sire 70 write fiction themselves, asking
him IL he will not give some advice for be
ginncrs or tell the story OF his own early
experiences. 40 that this account might be
OF value TO others who have literary amhi-
zion. Mr.. Stevenson could not expect at "a
great expenditure of time Go reply to all
these letters. so that he has determined 10
answer all of them at one time and In one
article. which will give an account OF how
be came o. write his first book and Incl
dentally some story Of his early struggles
In literature.
10 will be- a fascinating sketch, because
those who have known what Mr.. Steven
sons early struggles were have sometimes
wondered that he had the perseverance, to
continue in the face of so many discourage
mcnts and such frequent rejection ot his
manuscripts. Many persons suppose that
Mr. Stevenson made a hit with his first
book, believing that first book 90 have been
CDR Jeykll and Mr. Hyde. But that Is
because Stevenson had been heard of hy
only q comparatively limited number up 20
the time OF the puhilcat ION OF that allegory
for IN bis opinion "Jckyu and Hyde is
nothing but uu allcgory suggesting the
double nature which is inherent in man
kind
There had been Years Of incessant, ex-
hausting toll and discipline before Mr..
Stevenson was able 70 put the fancics of his
brain into such shape as would command
public approval The story OF "Jekyll and
Hyde, for instance, was very long in devel-
Cpmeut. although it was written almost as
swiftly as was Dr. Johnsou's "Rasselas.'
which johnson wrote in few days that he
n .sht raise Che money Co pay the expenses
q Dis mothers funeral
The idea which subsequently developed
into the story OF "Jekyll aud Hyde" was In
Stevenson mind for a long time He tried
To formulate DC many times. but without
such results as were satisfactory 20 him /
lie bad almost given up the hope of being
able to produce story which should sug I
C1sJ the idea of a dual nature Of men, when .
one night, finding himself at an old fash
Toned inn somewhere in England. storm I
raging without and he having no other
companion than the fire in the CRATE. there
flashed i'm his mind as by inspiration what
seemed 90 him to be the successful way Of
writing that story in a moment he began
10, and writing with what for him was un-
usual speed he completed 10. not expecting
that il would prove any more popular than
some OF the other sketches which he had
previously written. il surprised him and
OF late years has somewhat annoyed him
10 know that his fame was built upon that
story.
Publishers say that today Stevenson is
by long odds the most popular writer Of lic-
ton, at least OF fiction which is read by
English speaking people His latest short
story, The Ebb Tide had a very great
success when published serially, and the
advance demand foi copies in book form in
dicates that the edition may possibly be as
large as that of any Of his other novels, ex-
cepting possibly Treasure Island" OF "Je-
kyll and Hyde"
Those who have been reading with inter
est Mr.. Howells' papers on his literary pas
sions, which are really series of sketches
describing the manner in which he was at