The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-01-02

every day HIS llsSsS OeSG
long that It goes very easily. You take
good subject, put your pen on the
paper and the editorial writes Itself!
This is my work in the day time. My
story writing is done at night. usual
w begin 1t after tea when the children
have gone to bed. I.then pick up the
story where I have left off and write
away until bed time"
elbow much of this do you consider
good evenings work."
about 1000 words" replied, Mr.. Har-
ris. "Such writing is easy for me. =
like it, and when l am tired from my
other work take it up and soon feel
rested. 1t is rather amusing work, you
know, and does not require much care
Il should think you would have to
revise. it over and over again"
mo, on the contrary" was the reply,
Il revise very little. ! have not the
time, and the work Is such that it does
not require it. It is, think, work for
the day. i don't suppose 1t will last"
sIs not dialect writing an invention
of recent years?"
eyes" replied the great dialect writer
OF the South 'It seems So Walter
Scott was among the first OF our au-
thors who used it largely. Burns wrote
many of his poems in dialect, and Ten
nyson, you know, wrote much dialect
verse. Chaucer was written in the Ian
guage of his time, and it is curious that
in some respects the dialect used then
was somewhat the same as that of the
plantations today"
Mr.. Harris has always been fond Of
the old English classics. The simpli-
city of his style was largely cultivated
through his study Of the great English
authors during his boyhood. AS he
talked thus of Chaucer and other writ
ers I wondered as to what books had
most Influenced him, and l asked him
to tell me something of his book loves,
saying I supposed that he read much.
II read somewhat was the reply.
"But it is hard for me to say what
books have had much effect upon my
work. When began to set type on the
plantation I found that my employer
had large library. He kindly allowed
and among those which read first was
the Vicar of Wakefield It's simplicity
delighted me, and read it again and
again. L think I could today repeat
pages of it, still read it and enjoy it
almost as much as when l first saw it.
It is so genuine, you. know: Another
author whom I especially like is Sir
Thomas Browne. It is a strange thing
that though this man had library of,
perhaps, two thousand volumes, en-
bracing the works of modern writer's, as
we'll as the English classics, that I in
most cases took to the classics.
"Then another book that I read a
good DEAL" Mr. Harris went on. sis. the
Bible. It is one of the best books in lit
erature. I like. it and I read it more
and more" ..~
What portion Go you read most! !:
:The New Testament: replied ''Un-
Gle Remus" 81 especially like Paul's
Epistles and the Gospels. I am very
fond Of. parts of the Old: Testament.
They seem to fit into my nature; at
certain times, and there are hours when
a chapter or so of Ecclesiastes seems
especially approximate. .~..,.
"By the way, Mr. Harris, what is your
religion anyhow"
'Uncle Remus" thought a moment
and then said rather soberly: ''That is
a difficult question to answer. / hardly
know myself. / can only say believe
in all good men and all good women. l
should not want to live if had no faith
in my feilow-men.