The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-27

and the books of a similar kind which
nave succeeded it. In this case again
there was no discovery. In the case of
Mr.. Crockett 1 suggested that he should
pers which had appeared in a Scotch
weekly newspaper, and offered to find
him publisher. The editor of his pa
per, however, had some connection with
another publisher who had a. voice in
the matter, and in this way my proposa al
fell through. Mr.. Crockett, I may add,
has recognized far too generously the
services / have been able to render him
by defeating one of his latest books
to me. Messrs. Holder & Stoughton
are soon to publish some of his work.
But everyone knows" 1 suggested,
THAT Tan Maclaren began to write on
your suggestion. Has not DR.. Watson
explained this very fully in an inter
view in the Woman at Homer"
WELL" said Dr. NicoI, ''if there is
any case in which I may claim to have
discovered a writer 1t is that of Tan
Maclaren.' He never offered me any
manuscript, but on the occasion of his
visits to my house he told Scotch stor-
les SO racily that urged him to try
something in the style Of Mr.. Barrie.
His first attempts in this direction were
unprintable, but he soon struck OIL
Has not the British Weekly brought
out during the last year a new writer,
Daid Lyall?"
Yes said Dr.. Nicoll, "and I think
this writer may have great field with
a section of the public which none of
the idyllists has touched. Another writ
er who has made rapid progress dur
ing the last year is Mr.. W. J. Dawson,
whose London Idylls' was a book of
remarkabl bic ability. Mr.. Dawson has
recently contributed to the British
Weekly a serial of idylls on English
Nonconformity.
Il pride myself" said DR.. Nicol1, in
reply to g. further question, con having
been the first to bring forward Mark
Rutherford but in this case l have not
succeeded in convincing a large section
of the public. I myself do not much
care for Mark Rutherford's later work"
you were the first, 1 think, to in
terest the English reading public in
Mary E. Wilkins?''
Yes, have the greatest admiration
for the early work of Miss wilkins"
said DR.. Nicoll. she is much more
successful in short stories than in long
ones. Another favorite American writ
er of mine is Mr.. G. w. Gable. Among
living American poets my favorite is
Miss Phelps"
MY work has not lain SO much in the
line OIL general literature, Dr. NlcOll
resumed, "as in carrying out large theo-
logical enterprises and in inducing men
to contribute to these. For twelve years
have edited the Expositor, and in
connection with that have almost COM
pleted the great enterprise of the 'Ex-
positor's Bible which comprises no
fewer than forty-nine volumes. The
'Expositor's Greek Testament is in
preparation. I have planned and car
ried through many other theological r
les There are three writers whom 1
specially pride myself on bringing for
ward: Professor w. NJ. Ramsay, Pro-
fessor Adam Smith and DR.. James Den
ny, all of whom have been induced to
write by my opportunities
My next question concerned the
Bookman, which was founded in 1891.
'.All the best English critics. said Dr.
Nicoll, ''men like Walter Pater, An
drew Lang, Frederick Greenwood and
George Saintsbury, have been among
our contributors"
do you think there is a certain
stagnation at present in the field of
f1ction?"
st think" answered DR.. Nicoll, ait
may be taken as a general rule that
about one new writer comes forward
every year. Perhaps there has been
a certain slackening of late, but time
will show. I may say that see no