The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30

by remembering the two helpless ones al
home. And there was always some read
ing to be had. Reading had been the salt
Of my whole life. although ] have been
shut up 10 two books for a whole voyage
the Bible and Bleak House both Of which
/ read through from beginning 20 end so
many times that, If ] were to state the
number, / should certainly be disbelieved
The need Of piecing out his clerical sal
airy as the size and necessities Of his fam
lily Increased, led him, about six years
ago. to try his hand at writing He met
with many discoura gemeuts at first, and
with no really substantial success until
he brought out THE Cruise of the Cacha-
lot his only book thus far, though he
is TO bring out another soon. OF che hit
the book has made. he says: when the
CachalOt appeared men whose names
had read with awe as the august arbiters
of literature wrote 10 me. and wrote OF
me, as IL they were all in one grand con-
spiracy 90 turn my head, and the only
place where my book has been totally ig-
nored is in the London morning daiies."
Mr.. Frank Norris. the young novelist
has freed himself from routine work as
reader for publishing house and returned
to California. He has made a six months
trial of New York, and decides that he
hnds California. much more to his liking
IL isn't, however, because ne likes Cali
f0Tnia better that he now returns there.
lie goes to gather material for new
novel, or, rather, for several for he has
In his head a scheme of such dimensions
that to execute ii fully. In its several
parts he shall have 20 write not less than
three novels. In so young and new a
man as Mr.. Norris such a project would
ordinarily seem ambitious enough to jus
Try questioning smile But l don't think
any Of the few friends TO whom he has
confded il has had the least inclination in
that direction. In almost every published
review of his stories, particularly of his
last one, "McTeague," some reference is
made to his unusual capacity and power;
and those who know the man himself are
even more impressed with this than those
who know him simply through his books.
A perfectly modest and rather silent man.
he still justifies to you in some way that
you can hardly figure out his fitness to
undertake as large work as he will
return to California is sull return
home for Mr. Norris; his family live at
San Francisco. For, The present, however.
he Will be engaged mainly in the southern
part OF the state. He has not given up
New York for all and ever; his expecta-
ton Is 10 return here, at least for a time,
toward the end Of the year.
New York Is as good market for the
sale of literary productions as a man could
desire-if only his productions are salabIe!
Excellent proof is afforded by the recent
experience of Mr.. Seumas McManus. He
came over TO this country about the first
of the year as complete and 'pulless"
stranger as could be. He knew no one
here, and l think, brought no letters of
introduction. He had published a number
OF stories and sketches of Irish life in
Dublin newspaper; but not one of them,
probably, had ever been read here. Tn
der the pen name of Mack" he had
published two books that were more or
less known In Ireland and England, but
here they were not known at all. During
the three months of his sojourn, without
having anybody 20 urge his claims ex-
cept himself, he has sold seven or eight
stories to Harper's, ~ like number to the
Century, several to the Saturday Evening
Post. and @ good number TO other periodi-
cals and he has brought out one book.
and he has two others accepted for publ
cation soon. He is not by any means an
urgent or aggressive man. He presents
himself and his matter simply and mod
estly, taking Neither with undue serious
ness. But what he writes has always an
obvious charm in its genuine humor or
pathos, and this secures it's quick accept
ance by editors and publishers
Mr.. McManus has as easy a way I'm his
production as In his selling. His sketches
and stories come direct and warm from
the life he has led himself from his birth.
and he writes them straight off, in sort
of schoolboy's copybook, and never so
much as reads them over.
Herbert E. Hamblin has lately finished
railroad story for boys. 1t will be pub
lished serlally in the latter part of the
summer and the early fall, and then an
pear as a book. Although Mr.. Hamblin Is
driving the pen with such energy these
days, he has not ceased to do his usual
days work in driving an engine. He
has lately suffered severe bereavement
in the death of his wife.
Gen.-better known as Capt-Kiue
writes from Manila that he has not had
much time of late to devote TO literature
and one can readily believe him. but. like
most writers when the publishers are
urging, he thinks he is likely TO have
quite an abundance soon. He also saws
what also one can readily believe. that
he is gathering a wealth of good mate
rial e. c. Martin.
GnV m urDnrs rrUr.. mo