The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

! q W IEREu@fN II.
NJ y iSss.-Durlng a recent call
| " )l N upon Mr.. Thos. Nelson
NM Page l asked him number
~ OF questions about his it
erary work He has jusI
completed his novel. Red Rock" the first
chapters of which were published in The
January number OF Scrihner's Magazine.
This is Mr. Pages first long story. II viii
/ run in the magazine throughout the year,
and will be published in book form about
next Christmas. The story is one of the
reconstruction days. and ii has throughout
a strong flavor OF the south. The subject
Is very delicate one and Mr.. Page tells
me that he rewrote the novel several tim -
before it reached its present shape. He
| is however. very modest ia reference TO all
subjects concerning himself and his work.
| He says the novel embodies the best that
is in him. bat that he cannot tell whether
the book is really good until the pubic
| have passed upon IT,
Chat With Thomas Nelson Page
1 wish l could reproduce for you my
| conversation with Mr.. Page. He is one
| of the most delightful of takers His
voice IS soft and melodious and his man.
ners are simple and unaffected. There is
| nothing of the literary egotist about him.
! and it was only in response to many quss-
tons that drew from him the story of his
life. He is now just about IS years of
| age. He was bc.n on his fathers plantA-
| ton, Oakland. Va. In 1858 and al the time
the closed he was IL years old His
| father was an eminent lawyer and man
| of means. but the war impoverished him,
! aad there were months during that time
| when the family had no meat in the
| house. They were. as Mr.. Page says.
| deadly poor" when the war closed.
! poor. indeed. that much of his reading in
| those days was done lying before the fire
| or by the light Of pine knot. His father
a
| his book loves was Walter Scout He can
| hardly remember when he began to read
| Scots novels. and he reads them today
| with much love almost as when he was
| n boy Even at that time he liked TO
| imagine stories. and his boyish head
was filled with battles and sieges with
| plumed knights and tournaments whom he
| placed in quite different situations from
those presented by his great master Wal
| ter Scott. After the war ended. times be-
gan TO gov better. and when young Page
was 1s his father was able 10 send him 20
Washington and Lee university. During
our conversation as TO his college days
| asked Mr.. Page how he ranked as a
student. He replied: MY standing was
rot high. | don't know that | had much
ambition to be one of the FIRST honor men.
At any rate, | got no medals Of any kind.
| I suppose I was n fair average student.
but fear that I devoted myself more 10
| q member Of the literary society, and
for a time was the editor Of the college
paper Contrary TO the usual custom |
wrote short articles instead OF long &C.
says. and from this got the nickname OF
the Short Article Editor. I wrote. sup
pose much for the pleasure OF seeing my
self In print"
The Training OF Novelist.
THAT must have been very good literary
training" said I.
II suppose IL Was" replied Mr. PAGE.
II dif IL more for the pleasure OF writ
ing than for anything else. was very
bashful IN those days. ana know that !
| trenihled when first got up to speak in
| The literary society. ] Rad Chum AZ col
lege, who is now one Of the most famous
| lawyers OF the country He excels as
| debatcr. He was also bashfuI. and during
| cur college days he Joined with me- in
| methcd of improving our oratorical pow
ers. We would get together in room
| and having closed the doors would deb4te
with each other about some question One
| would stand on one side Of tho table and
one or the other and we would declaim
| away. each having a fifteen minutes
| speech and a like time for answer This
| practice helped me materially In nv work
rs a lawyer. II enabled me TO think upon
| my feet
what I'D you 10 after leaving school?"
! ! asked
'alv first work was as teacher. was
employed as the tutor Of private school
IN Kentucky. not FAR from Louisville.
taught there for year and enjoyed Il
very much. Af'er that 7 went horne. and
| later on went - lew school AZ the Uni
| veFsity of Virginia"
His Failure T." Get Into the News
did you Go any writing while IN Ken
| tucky?"
Il tried to-" replied Mr. Page. but could
get no one 20 publish what I wrote Tho
| great paper 81 the region IN which lived
| was he CourieT-Journal 7 had a great
| ambition TO see some OF my articles IN &c
! columns. | was AT this tirne much Interest.
ed IN *. MarveFs hooks, and 7 think /
! wrote some essays along that line 7 wrote
| o story or 81 ard sent them 20 The Courier
Journal The editors did not publish the
| articles nor send bark the nanusrrlrf
! Later on. sfter some - nv stories had
heen published tn q northern nqraxlue 7
| happened 70 81 one evening next 20 BAL
4 lard Smith, then editor % the Nevv York
| World AZ dinner He asked me some
( questions as 70 NY fret iterarv Vvf.~k
ard 7 told him that number ~ nv erSs
writings had been Submitted 20 him when
/ he was editor q the Courier Journal hllt
shat ne had Pc ierted them fDf course y.
I'D not remember their. and IL may ne
/ that they v@rv deservediy went into the
I waste basket"
Writing stories on states
After leaving Kentucky Mr Page went
back Z oNirglnia RE spent a short time
: Il home and fher decided 80 become l
/ lawyer He kept up his literary work
wh!ie 81 the University ~ Virginia. writ
ins articles Tor the college magazine
scsae az yhe most interesting o. hts early
attempts were made at bis home In gIr-
egula Gurlng hss vacations For a fir1a u
~as his custom - write stories far RS
friends on States and Is rub them 0ut az
t~- eadi9g them. As he tod E1e this
( said.
That must have been 8 great waste y
Z coed material. TIE stories goa then
/ rubbed as.t would te veyw vsiua5le now
u don't know sb8slt that replied Mr.
/ Page with laugh. There are many
4 things which I have written since thea