The times., 1897-05-30
BEATRICE HARRADEN AT HOME
Her Methods of Work, Her ideals
and ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

Her Methods of Work, Her ideals
and Accomplishments.
London, MAY 10 Partly by choice. and
partly on account of health, Miss Beatrice
Harraden is a bird of passage, and Was
Fortunate to find her in her parental home
at Hampstead in the brief interval be
tween her return from Bournemouth, where
she has been wintering amongst the pines.
and her departure for Lucerne, where she
was hoping to complete the recovery of
her health, which, alas, has frustra ted so
many of her literary plans during the last
few years Not a word of repining does
one hear from Miss Harraden on this ac-
count: she accepts { i'll beautiful spirit
of resignation and sometimes says; 1T
is folly TO repine at God for what is, after
all. principally my own fault If l ha'i not
sn thoughtlessIy overworked my brain IN
my College days, L should not be suffer
ing now" A little longer spell OF "om-
plete rest, and Miss Harraden viii doubt
less be at her desk again, fresh As ever.
AS this is the first interview which las
appo ared with the author of -Ships That
Pass in the Night must, i'll the interest
of readers, transgress a little against Miss
Harraden's dislike of publicity on matters
purely personal She is slight aud lark
with dreamy, thoughtful expression and
indicates, by every word, look and gesture,
that she abhors conventionalities, society
manners, and loves perfect freedom 10 be
herself.
Her horne is on the breezy heights
near Hamstead Heath, and there IS a
delightfully."- quaint, old-fas ashioned style
about the house and garden, and intiica-
tion everywhere that the rooms are
meant foI use and comfort, not as Ie-
ceptacles for ornaments. Musical nstrC-
Inents abound in the rawing-rooin, for
tie wnoe family are musical Miss
Ethel Harraden is well known as d musical
COMPOSER, and Miss Harraden is herself
an accomplished player upon the Volon-
cello A younger sister. Miss Gertrude,
has q hobby for making pottery. and has
devoted much time to the study of old
brasscs. Several brothers make up fam
lily svhict is distinctly original and clever,
and which owes much of its accomplish
Inent TO the lenient and wise parental CON
troll which has given to each member
freedom to follo ow out their different
tastes and inclinstions.
When / asked Miss Harraden whether
she had early literary aspirations, she
replied that she always knew from her
childhood that she wanted to write, but
the demands of class study gave little
opportunity for her to practice original
composition After taking her degree,
however, she set to work upon stories,
which she sent to Blackwood's Maga-
zine Mr.. Blackwood evidently was quick
to recognize that the making of a novel
nlt ,ph ha rffIrr mad
her first effort, he did so with a kind
letter of encouragement, in which he
advised Miss Harraden to continue writ
ing until she did someth hing which he could
accept.
At last the dag of triumph came, when
her first published story, The Umbrella
Member appeared in Mackwood's Maga-
zine Other short stories followed, and
after awhile Miss Harraden's first book,
Things That Take d Time was published
by Messrs Black wood. A period of ill-health
followed, and upon recovery the author
produced that strangely sad, yet withtl
deeply Fascinating, book upon which her
fame at present rests, "Ships That Pass
in the Night Strangely enough. Miss Har-
raden's kind friend and counselor, Mr..
Black ", ,od, rejected the man nuscript of this
book not, however, because he did not rec
ognize the power of the story, but because
he thought it too sad to please the public
taste. Finally Miss Harradcn disposed Of
the copyright of her famous story to Messrs.
Laurence & BIllen for a mere trifle-gla'i,
indeed, TO get it published at any price. The
success was instantaneous, and the author
was overwhelmed by letters of apprecia.
tion from all sorts and conditions of people
They came from lonely Indian stations. the
backwoods of America, as well as from the
cities of the continent, and, although the
dollars arising from the large sale did not
come TO Miss Harraden, she says that she
feels compensated by the many interesting
friendships which the book. has brought her
in her own and other lands, one of the most
Interesting being with a Dutch professor
in Amsterdam. The book has been trans
latedInto French German. Hungarian. Dan
ish, Italian and Finnish.
Miss Harraden is a very slow and care
full writer, and rarely alters even a word
in her manuscripts after they are once
written Morning is her favorite time for
work. but she wilLoften sit with her paper
before her couple of hours and not v rte
more than line; at other times ideas
ceIne more rapidly. She is over-anxious
and eager tc produce the best OF which she
is capable, and fastidious over every word.
1t is probably the high state OF mental ten
sion which she works whichis rerpetually
overta King her bodily strength and leading
to breakdowns in health. I was much in
terested in seeing the original manuscript
OF .'Shps That Pass in the Might" which
Miss Harraden has had bound together.
The writing s small, but legible, the al
terations very slight. and there Is not a
single blot or ''smsdge" throughout the