The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-14
AS THEY GROW IN pETTo.
Some Curious Facts About the Evo-
luton and Ripening of Stories.


luton and Ripeni of Stories.
There is always something interesting about
tue details of the methods employed by an
author IN constructing a long story. When
you read such story, fully Illustrated and
pouno 10 DOCK form, or In process OF pnbliea-
ZION serially in some magazine, II all runs so
smoothly and easily, and shows so little ap-
parent enort on the part of the author or the
puohsher' that story writing appears to the
unlnlVated simple and amusing task. This
Is by no means The case, however, and some
OF The greatest Writers, whose books show
the least effort. Will be found upon examina-
tlOn TO nave spent The greatest time Ia their
preparation.
CHARLES Dcken s. manuscript looks more like
the Wild scratches OF maniac than a carefully
prepared story. In many instances he has
erased word and supplied mother, and again
erased second aud supplied a third and
sometimes even a seventh before he found what
ne considered the proper one, and If you ex-
anime these words carefully there does not ap-
pear sometimes, TO be any vital difference be-
tween them, and yet when the Whole Is COM
pleted Us smoOthness and literary quality has
been really achieved only by his painstaking.
IL IS more than interesting, therefore, when
sucn queS Ion comes up 10 hear from some
uthor who is to-day writing books that are
popular. A case OF this Kind occurred some
son In relation 10 his story, "Aflual With the
flae." Thr idea occurred 10 Mr.. Henderson
10 write story OF naval lie for boys. The
hrst question was where 10 lay the scene of he
story.
II thought at FIRST, of course" SAID Mr.. Hen.
uerSon, "Of the old midsbipman DAYS, where
could put two or three boys on board mar-of-
war as mldS hlDmen, and follow them through
some OF the battles of our wars This, how
ever. seemed such familiar subjeci, and had
been done so often, that / decided that | must
turn elsewhere. ana then the loea occurred TO
me: Why not Write story of cadets recently
graduated from Annapolis and stationed on
board OF one of The modern men of-War OF the
WhHe squadron? This, at least, had the merit
of being new. as no long story had been written
WITH the scene laid upon modern man-of-war
armed with modern guns. managed by cleo
Flclty' ana with all the modern improvements
and inventions.
Ii this were taken the next step would be
10 nnd some suitable station for the Story, and
mere ran against stone wall. There had
never been actually an engagement of the
most modern American steeEarmored battle
shlHS' ana then 1 must have some actual &C.
NuIiehc since otherwise &c would be nrces-
AIRY TO make the story out of whole cloth and
Inat would necessarily detract from its value.
- was then Obliged TO turn 10 recent history to
Sc some engagement or war could not be
useu as the basis OF The story. / here was
INC Oh.iean revolution of ye or two ago.
"Hen me CITY OF Valparaiso was bOmbaTued
oy the Chilean navy. That seemed unsatiSfac-
tory, as lt would be difficult to get American
caCetS upon those boats; and the same obieC-
lloh occurred 10 each of the other two or three
incidents OF tile ind that have taken place 10
lie history of the world during the last few
Years.
Tie subject looked hopeless for the time
1einE. WI suddenly news came of the out
break OF The revolution In BraZi!, and l be-
sau 10 watch thr events wi h interest, there
being The chance that something might offer
NstH suitable 10 my purpose. And this really
happened as every one Knows. In the frs
place some American steamships were fitted
OUT u go down 10 Brazil nd assist President
PeXoto against The Brazilian navy, when had
TeYoled. l followed The papers day by day.
ana finally learned that the Detroit, the New
1Otk aud raj Warships of The United States
Navy were ordered to Rio de Janeiro TO defend
american interests. Aud in the midst of all
this came the Incident of the DetrOit's firing
upon the Brazilian navy. Here, then, was my
material, and mad but 10 follow events TO the
close To ma situation for my Annapolis eradII-
ates and Tor the sc Ne of my story''
Mr., Henderson, who is an officer In the Naval
Reserve OF the state OF New York, as well as
an author. and who had in this capacity served
for short Intervals on most OF the cruisers or
deIed 10 Brazil, found no difficulty in working
no the story as soon as the material was fur.
nlshedi ard 1t was IN this way that "AtioaI
with the Flag" was bOrn-New York Com
mercial Advertiser.