New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-03
LONDON LITERARY GosSrn
PERSONAL NOTES ABOUT vARrors =.
THORS AND ARTISTS ~

/ l.
by admiration and perslstently shuns obs..'
tlon and publicity. Since his return TO r,.
he has lived In retirement. protected
| against interruption OF labor avoided so.,.'
fractions. and has seldom teen seen IN
| When his presence has been secured az
! ing card for luncheon or n dinner. he has
late and gone early, and has seemed nAir.."
to the interest taken in him. II there hav. ~
| constant references TO his work in the nra..
has done nothing to advertise himss, =.
stimulate public CURIOSITY No newsnsn..
porter has been allowed 10 interview him. -.
has been no literary log rolling for his hs,..
and he has not seemed to take hlmsel, q, ~
ousy as Is the habit of most Of the celsh-,
OF the day. He has gone on quietly vii, :,
work and stoutly resisted all efforts to w.
and pet him as a lion.
The effect Of this deliberate policy a, -
enacement has been noticeable. II has lne,.,.-
the power Of his personality by lmpartinr ;, /,
| an air Of mystery. II has intensified the ,,.
of the Klpling worshippers who are never s.,.
OF offering incense TO his fame as the onlv =.
az England" the prophet OF the rev dl,re,.
ton Of Imperialism and the greatest ma.,..'
English prose" BY avoiding publicity =,
social attentions he has strengthened HI, -.
upon his circle of admirers In literary TorS.
who find It easy to meet ordinary celehrs.
but very difficult 10 obtain access 70 him 4,
for the great audience whose heart was tove.,
by the noble Victorian hymn. "Recessonsls =,
respect has been increased for an author NJ.
works in silence and will not be llonzd
these days when many literary artists sr,,
themselves to be drawn too easily and are q,
stantly on exhibition and vulgarzed BY =.
sistent advertising. Mr.. Kip.ing's preference.
privacy and sef-respect is 10 be heartily n,
mended He returns to America unostenta,ss
~ as he came to England a few years ago ~
carries with him the Characteristic trait q n
serve and dislike OF publicity.
Another eminent author. whom would >,
self describe as the greatest living master o. !.
ton. Mr.. Thomas Hardy, has similar name
of life. He lives in a village 81 his ogn ",
beloved Wessex and works out Of sight d !,
own home. Like Mr.. Kipling. ne Is a r,-s,
Of the Atheneum and Savile clubs, but /,
seldom seen in London, and is not what Is =,
nariy known as a club man. He comes to d,
don every spring to spend a few weeks b.,
always glad to return to rural England xhsr
he has peace and quiet. In the controygsa
which some Of his later books have excited u
takes no part. What he writes Is submitted ~
public Judgment. and he communes with his Or
heart and Is still He Is one OF the most modes
and least pretentious Of men, and needs to Il
coaXed TO talk about his own work; and VIE,
he does speak OF II, the manner is one Of subj.
charm. without a tone OF self-assertion. NJ
Hardy is so simple and gentle that II ls rg
necessary for him 70 be on his guard agsins
being lionzed. He does not need to assume y,
Kipling's bristling style and TO warn !ntrud.n
that he has no intention Of being bored. Z,
does not go out Of his way to meet people ng
does he avoid them like a recuse He is NOS
delightful companion with that freshness a..
simplicity Of nature which are naturally a&
ciated with great intellectual gifts
The most characteristic portrait OF Mr Hilt'
is a little etching by Mr. William StuzS rA4s
reveals the strongly marked forehead. The deep.
ly set. dreamy eyes and the well-modeit eaa
and conveys an impression OF intellectual power
softened BY pensive melancholy. II is a rough
hewn face, with force OF character behind X
and an expression Of refinement and gentlsness
He is not a man Of the world, but man
Wessex He has done for rural England vri'
Dickens in his day succeeded in doing fo' he
swarmng hives OF London. With reals-
like Balzac's. he has portrayed the humor. ru'
sion, romance and pathos Of rural life In =
cluded and old fashioned sections OF the sorn
ern counties. I once asked him whether ne y
drawn directly from the life, and he sald u
he had not done so. except In one or TWO =
stances. His Joseph Poorgrass. with the NJ
tiplying eye" is. fancy. one OF these eXcepuo'
and Of Tess he had only a passing gHmps-
the sight Of a face which haunted nls mem''
and inspired his imagination. Mr. Harry 90
not need To draw from the life as DicSehs :
in London. He is stepped In the sprH
Wessex. and knows instinctiyely all Its vaHiF
types OF character.
Americans are 10 be favored in the au'Vn'
with a glimpse OF Dutch novelist VINO y
great favorite In London. This IS MI y "
Van der Poorten Schwartz, better known
Maarten Martens. He will cross the A'Sl~
for the first time TO have look at Afne'H-
where his stories Of Holland life have oeen WV
ly read. and. as he says himself, have Osen
erringly understood He has trayeI!ed WV.
in Europe. but lives in a delightful old easus
Holland and ordinarily he is seen IN L0NS-
during the spring. where he has many "'''s'
friends Mr. Barrie being perhaps the mOss
innate among them. Having been oorh III %
land. that Babel of modern tongues ne
accomplished lngulst. and can write VII" "
facility in many languages. but his ltera' A
has been done almost exclusively In hns
His first novel was written in English sn'
strong was his faith In IL that ne n'' a..
courage TO publish IT at his own expense =,
the manuscript had gone the ROUNDS y
reading houses and had been repea'eu'
jected. -.
This Dutch novelist has paid the na'"'.s
atty for writing in n language when Is W ".
mother tongue. He has been conside'e'
triotic and has been charged with sa'hN~. ~
own country, because he has not gone Ia A.
for characters. incidents and plots ~
cusatlon Is not we'll founded, since ne 80.
drawn from tho llfo. but has used the "a a
lawyers and merchants of the Nethe'' 10,
general types Of human nature In wo'A'. e,,s.
the psychological problems and NORA ~ ~.
Of his imaginative tales. Apparently !" ,,s
sitive to criticism. for he has wril'e" 0,
work which will not be open 10 suN 4. 20