The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-02

IL. 'T don't know" remarked the novel
list, Il must think. Things may happen
Let IL be hoped that the writing table
and the pen will hold him fast Politics
can spare to the world such brilliant
writer. "a Change of Air." said Mr..
Hope, was written in my law chambers
at the Temple in 1898. and during the
| same year / published my novel Half
| Hero a story dealing with colonial poll
| tics. 1t had only a small sale as two
volume novel. but has done we'll as six
| shilling volume
| In the meantime Anthony Hope has
| struck out in an original line. Mr.. Os-
| valid Crawford was at that time editing
| the illustrated weekly paper called Black
| and White, and had introduced as
| novel feature into this paper a weekly
story told in the form Of a dialogue. He
related that one day he received from a
| writer, whose name was not known to
| him, such a dialogue, which, when he
had read it, convinced him that there
| was for this writer a very brilliant future
| in literature. He at once wrote to An
| thony Hope and asked him to continue
sending him contributions of this kind.
| TO HIS FIRST LOVE.
After my defeat in South Bucks"
continued Mr.. Hope, II returned to the
Temple and resumed my dual occupa-
tons as a barrister and an author. After
| I had written Half Hero / wrote 1.-THE
Prisoner of Zenda, and. history having
always fascinated me, / fashioned it in
the form of an historical novel. That is
| to say, historical in one sense, for it is
really a modern story of incident, the
scene of which is laid in an imaginary
republic. 1t was published by Arrow
smith, and at first sold slowly. But the
reviews were most favorable, and did
much for it, and, once it had got a start,
| ii went ahead. think there were some
twice as many in America.
/ 1.-The Prisoner of Zenda," which estab-
| lished Anthony Hopes reputation, was
| written in a short space Of time. Said
the author: 81 vary greatly in my work.
| Books of character take me a longer
time; incidents come quicker. Such, at
| least, is my own personal experience"
After writing 1.-THE Prisoner of Zenda"
Hope began contributing to the West
| minister Gazette a series of dialogues
| similar in style to the one with which he
| had flashed the light of Partisan bril-
lance into the dull editorial room of a
| Fleet-Street newspaper office. There
were the famous Dolly Dialogues" ko-
dak pictures Of witty conversation,
which were so greatly appreciated by
|
fishers Of that paper Immediately re-
| printed them in book form, and of this
| book brought out a first edition of rot
! less than 10000 copies. This work was a
| revelation to England, and dull British
| ers were heard to humble in club sTuok-
| ing-rooms, ut is, then, after all, possible
to be witty and sparkling in English"
| Anthony Hope has revived the art of
| conversation, which, even in France, as
I De La Rochefoucauld would have it, was
| dead art. He gave in a nutshell the
| sparkle of a comedy by Dumas or Mari
vaux, the import of q tale By Daudet or
by De Maupassant.
| my dialogues are my pure creation"
| observed the novelist in reply to my query.
| In other words, Hope does not listen
when in society; he has no hook in his
| hand and no basket on his back He gees
to his head for his repartee, To his mag
ination for his plots. He moves largely
| in London society, but he closes rather
than opens his ears. The people whom
| he invites us to listen to are people wi,o
might be, but are not. They are the cwn
| creations of his genius, people when che
| would dearly love to meet in a drawing
| and vacuous society of bOrss.
Il have never attempted writing for
the stage, though people lava told me
| that my dialogue is not uninteresting.
| That may come later" 1t IS TO be hoped
that the attempt will not long be post
| poned. A writer of mot embarrassing
! dialogue is wanted for the stage in the
land Of England, where ne MS been
| waited for since Sheridan
Mr.. Hope is hard and regular work.
er. He comes to his chambers in Buck
ingharn street with *ie puhceuatiry - a
bank clerk. II reach here At / quarter
TO 10 in the morning and work or until
in the afternoon, or even later. / DO not
set myself any fixed task TO be performed
each day, but work rather by time and
l "a 10 hof hoe dc Il ri1fr
worker, and, though l never re Xri.e. l
revise carefully, and am very fidgety
over my work.
Il am not, in any sense. a great read
er. / have so little time for leading,
though when I do read L pref IT novels,
and my favorite authors IRE Meredith,
Kipling and Stevenson. / am also very
| fond of Norris's works. My plea sire in
sport remains. L have had 70 sive up
football. to my regret, but L r,anagc to
get in a little lawn tennis. And 90 GU.
little into society in quiet way. / am
| afraid that / take too little exercise for
my place seems TO be at 10y writing
table, and, as | have said, the greater
part of my day is spent here"
Anthony Hope, who from his magma
ton draws adventure of a keenest Sturm
und Drang, and reticent himself, has
put into the mouths of a legion of spir-
itual children Of his own, let loose over
English-speaking lands, the wit and
verve and brilliance of conversation
which, in society, we listen for in vain,
and can only hear in faintest echo from
the few stages for which the acknowl-
edged masters write-a sparkling COM
pany of takers who. with their pleasant
and inspiring sayings, have belied those
who have sung cynical requiem over the
art which chiefly charms this poor life of
ours, and Is Its greatest happiness-the
art of conversation. And il is from a
house at the bottom of gloomy London
cul-de-sac, under the gray mist of the
Thames. and i'm an atmosphere of head
ache and ennui, that this sparkle which
has overfiowed the Engiish-speaking
world goes forth.
ROADS In NEYN JERSEY