The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-06

ner she hears what the rest have been
doing during the time she has spent in Sc
clusipn, and collects thus the experiences
of man of affairs. a woman of the world
and a Cambridge undergraduate. beside
those of such visitors as are frequent at
a hospitable house. Thus. Mrs. Craigie
is fond OF saying. she obtains all the
knowledge of what is going on that she
cares for. And herein we may find.
think a cIew 10 a notable characteristic
of the books she has hitherto given Us,
which are not so much stories as studies
of individuals. Mrs. Craigie is no special
note taker: she does not start with
background as. for example, NJ. Zola is
now doing. and select her figures to suit
it. Rather does she take an individual
such as the silly. selfish. sensual Anne in
THE Gods. Some Mortals and Lord WICK
enham,'' and trace priori the develop
ment OF her character and It's conse-
Quences on her surroundings. And-given
only the literary faculty-no more knowl-
edge Of life is required 10 do this than
you may find by looking deep enough into
your own heart. II will be interesting 10
watch the result of the experiment which
Mrs. Craigie II now making In the book
on which she IL at work THE School for
Saints Is being written for the sake of
it's story rather than for the development
of any individual character. and 1t will be
the first of her books which she has
ventured to entitIe "a novel;
You will not be astonished 10 hear that
Mrs. CraIgie writes slowly and laborious-
". correcting much and destroying more.
She has never been under the Journalists
dire necessity of learning the art Of skim
ming the froth of thought Now and
again, out Of friendship for Mr.. T. +.
O'Connor or Mr.. Lewis Hind she has
written a critique for the Weekly Sun or
the Academy with the result that the
practIced pressman has shed tears AT such
wanton waste Of ideas. that he would
have husbanded for n months consunp-
ton. For Mrs. Craigie packs an article
as a woman packs a travelling trunk
with certain pride in leaving out moth
ing that II can hold. She uses none of the
modern aids To composition. neither die
tating to an amanuensIs nor having any
dealings with the typewriter. [ well re-
member marveiing at the copy which
John Oliver Hobbies sent over-I think
II was from Davos-when THE Gods
Some Mortais and Lord Wickenham'' was
running in the Pail Mall Budget. written
evenly. delicately. clearly. with scarce an
erasure To a thousand words She con-
feSsed 10 me afterward that the version
which the printer saw had been several
times refined. having been written over
and over again with her own hand For
Mrs. Craigfe has an artistic conscience
and is quite unsparing OF the labor
limae." To some. perhaps. IL may seem
that the appearance of elaboration is TOO
evident in the brilliant polish OF her
work. and that the FIRST fine frenzy of in
SEPARATION IS apt 20 "vapo-ate I'm the In Dor
nj refinement Mrs. rraicie fancy.
takes "A correct estimate OF her power
and knows tina, the charm Of her work
lies in SIS woritma nship rather than in
is Inspiration Anh this very fact will
prob8by prevent her from ever attaining
. wide popularity with the public that
reads for the sake Of the story rather
than for the manner of its telling