The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-06

Already known as the English
Jules verne-His Literary strug-
giles and Successes.
Correspondence The St. Paul Globe.
LONDON, Jan. 23.-To be called the
English Jules Verne after being about
two years before the public as a ro-
nance writer is surely an enyiable
reputation. H G. WELSH first book was
published in 1895, and from the hour of
its appearance the critics were forced
to admit that a new star had become
visible in the literary armament. A
scientific romance is always pure and
healthy. A scientific romancer who
has acquired the reputation that Mr..
Wells has In so short a time, is a.
prodigy, and prodigies are always in
teresting to read about. Those who are
not born prodigies think they are, or
believe they can become one. and so
they like to know how the living
prodigy works and thinks and acts.
To find out something about the per-
sonality and home life Of the author
of 1.-The War of the Worlds I made
a cycle trip to "Heatherlea" at Wor-
cester park, armed with notebook and
pencil, and finding Mr.. Wells in great
good humor I had no difficulty in OBJ
tanning from him the complete story of
his life, literary struggles and sue
cesses.
MY father was brilliant bowler on
the cricket field" Mr.. Wells began en-
Enthusiastically, land one of his feats
was the clean bowling Of four wickets
with four consecutive balls, in a match
between Kent and Surrey, at Brighton
somewhere back in the sixties. My
wife's study is downstairs; and I must
tell you," he continued, that Mrs
Wells tackles a good deal of my cor
respondence-her handwriting is indis-
tinguishable from my own. She reads
all my proofs, and takes off my Shout
ders a very considerable share of my
work"
How do you get through so much
work? What is the routine? L sug-
gested, feeling naturally interested in
this point.
"Well, in the morning I merely re-
wise proofs and typewriter copy, and
write letters. and, in fact, any work
which does not require the exercise Of
much imagination. If it is fine, L either
have a walk, or a ride on the cycle
We also have a tandem, and sometimes
my wife and take the double machine
out; and then, after lunch, we have tea
about half past in the afternoon. 1t
is after this cup Of tea that 1 do my
work. The afternoon is the best time
of the day for me, and l nearly always
work right on until o'clock, when we
have dinner. If 1 am working at some
thing in which feel keenly interested,
1 work on from o'clock until after
midnight, but it is, on the afternoon
work that my output mainly depends.
81 write everything with a pen. You
see, / have got into the bad habit of
interlining, and that is impossible with
typewriter. None Of my work is
ever reeled off with a singing nib, as
if 1 were answering an examination
paper 1 walk UP and down between
my sentences. Then when it is all
done 1 have a typewriter copy made,
and go to work hammer and sword
and cut sometimes. half of it out.
81 once admitted that [ had turned
out 1000 words in a day, and imme
diately the book-reviewers discover
great looseness in my construction.
Naturally, I do not, on an average, turn
out anything like that. But the way
Of the novelist is hard-one must say
something"
Then, in answer to my question, Mrs
Wells began to explain why the fair
sex played so little part in his books.
your heroine is either desperately
uninteresting, and there's no reason
for her or else she is so interesting
that she takes hold of you, and insists
upon occupying too much of the can
vas. A love story is something COM
plete in itself, I think. My stories are,
as a rule, built about a peculiar type
Of idea which does not admit Of
natural live interest"
land where do you get your ideas
from?" 1 asked.
THAT is a deep psychological point"
said the novelist, and he began to ex-
plain that no one could really answer
such a question as that. The scientific
papers suggest a great many ideas,
some so extraordinary that they hardly
require to be elaborated. He never
hunted copy All the ideas that a man
needs come to him without an indecent
scramble after them.
81 am, perhaps, a little superstitious
on that point" he continued. II be-
lieve that there is only one way which
is the best in which to treat certain
subject, and If you turn 1t over and
over in your mind, this particular way
suddenly suggests itself like an inspira-
ton"
And he explained his belief that how
ever thoroughly a writer might feel
that he appreciated the public's taste,
he must always write so as to satisfy
himself before he thought Of pleasing
it. However expert an author
might become, he ought never to be
satisfied Directly a man. says, as 1t
were, THAT will do he Immediately
goes head over heels backwards.
1.-THE creative Imagination" Mr.. Wells said
in answer to g. question, sis, 1 believe,
freak. The unimagnative man is, have no
ticed. as a rule. very clear minded, very
certain. He has an excellent memory, where
as, If I may judge from myself the man
with imaginative powers has a very IN
trustworthy memory. II it is the number of
a house he wishes to keep in his mind, he
grasps the fundamental fact that it is COM
posed of two certain dgits, but later on he
cannot for the life of him remember in which
order those two digits come, don't you see?
He reconstructs. He receives the impression
of certain object in his mind and he after
wards evolves a distorted image"
'I detest social intercourse" went on Mr..
Wells; formal calls and so forth; but we
always devote Saturday afternoon to my
friends. and are delighted to see any congo
NAL souls who will help us to make our
half holiday pleasant"
WAS your writing propensity an early one?
Did you spin scientific yarns to the boys in
fhe