The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-26
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUTHORS
IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH
REPORTERS.

Busy Literary Life.
New York. March 25.-For any one In a
position to remark them well. it is inter
esung 70 study the differences between
weil-kaown authors in their treatment Of
reporters and interviewers. Mir. Howells
has always stood peculiarly well with
them. because he has always dealt with
them IN the perfectly simple and direct
fashion in which he seems TO deal with all
men ana all things. He almost never de
hies himself 10 them. and answers freely
most of the questions they ask; and yet
he seems TO have as little trouble as any
man, and much less than many men, with
their excuses of zeal. He has the wisdom
not to force them too much on their in
ventlon, and I think he rarely has cause
20 complain OF misrepresentation The
harder it is to really come at man, the
greater temptation it Is 10 seem to have
come at him.
Mark Twain is one who is none too cor
dial to the intervicwers. He may have
double reason for this; besides the ordi-
nary dislike of a modest and sensitive man
to talking about himself through the newsa
papers, there ia the objection that if he
makes any jokes or tells any stories land
Mark Twain can scarcely talk without do
ing so), he may render good literary ma
terial unavailable to himself. An author
can work over his IDEAS a good many
times without particularly impairing their
commercial value; and so, If he chances
10 conhde a few fine thoughts to an inter
viewer, he imposes on himself no neces-
sary loss. but the case Is obviously differ
ent with jokes and anecdotes. don't say
that Mark Twain really considers this,
though he very well might: but, at any
rate he is a VIGOROUSLY tough subject for
the interViewers. Yet interviews with
Mark Twain are not of infrequent appear
ance; aud a very little reading in them by
any one who is IN the least expert in such
matters discloses why they are so. They
are derived much more from Mark
Twain's published writings than from any
other source. Ideas and expressions OF
his already In print are given new set
ting by the ingenuity of the interviewer;
and with those who do not know better,
which, of course, is The majority OF the
readers under whose eyes 1t comes. the
thing passes veFy we'll for genuine inter-
view.
They affect in England a great horror
of what they represent as American" dis
regard OF the sanct!ties of private life:
but | observe that English authors as a
class talk of themselves and their affairs
for publication quite as freely as Amer
lean authors do. There are few in both
countries of whose personal life We hear
next to nothing.
George Meredith is perhaps the most
striking instance; the public knows not
much more Of the details of his life than
a. lrpouS Of Gbakagpaarefa There ara some
instances where the very pertinacity with
which an author has put off reporters has
given him a certain publicity. Lord Ten
nysons dread of being written about
amounted to almost a disease; and yet
long before he died he was perfectly well
known to all the world In an the details
and peculiarlties OF his daily life What
Kind of house he lived in; how he wrote
his poems. which ones of them he himself
preferred, how he read them 10 his visi-
tors; what wine he liked and how much of
1t he drank; how he dressed. and even how
he ran into the shrubbery TO avoid the
porters-was related again and again; so
that when, after his death, the authorized
biography, in two goodly volumes came
out. you found little in 1t regarding the
actual man that you did not know before.
So well defined are the differences be-
tween authors in this particular that there
First, we have those who in their dread of
the reporter almost kick him out of doors.
These, happily for themselves and every
body, are very few. Second. we have those
who, in the like dread, pretty generally
manage, without making any great to do,
to keep out of his way. These are more
numerous; and owing TO their tact and the
sincerity of their reserve, usually hold
the good win even of the reporter. Third,
NE hnar 81
self, are thrown inlo spasms neither of
dislike nor delight; quietly hear what he
wants, and so far as they think they may,
yield 10 his requests. These, l think are
the largest number; and fortunately So
for theirs is the attitude most consistent
with general good sense. Fourth and fin
ally We have those who not only re-
ceive the reporter with decent cordial
ity, but fairly run after him, depending on
his lifts not little in making their way,
though not a few of them, in his absence
affect for him contempt equal 20 any
shown BY those OF the first class. These
are fewer, | should say, than those of the
third class, but not nearly so few as those
OF the first or the second.
There aren't many men to whom. when
the duty devoved upon them of providing
wedding journeys, fortune has shown her
eNiA 81 itStpAul d. Sllt tAtlDllGQ 0GrSef to
Mr.. Cleveland Moffett who has lately
made what his friends all account a very
happy marriage. An engagement to do a
piece Of work for Harper's pleasantly
compelled him to carry his bride at once
10 Chicago The special task for a man
of Mr.. Moffetts skill in such matters was
easy, imposing nothing that was disagree
able or irkSome, and the reward, presurn-
ably, was generous. Then. returning "a
New York and pausing only long enough
TO make ready, he set out again with his
bride, of course, for Europe, in fulhIment
of another magazine engagement His
stay over there promises to be of the
pleasantest. HIS commissions will carry
him to London. Paris, Berlin and Der-
haps other capitals; he win not be partlc.
ularly hurried in the execution of them
and the reward, presumably, Will again
be to his satisfaction.
Mr.. Moffett, by the way, is an examine
OF the good that sometimes attends trust.
ing to ones fortune. Five years ago he
was holding what they cali a desk" posi-
ton on one Of The New York newspaners
II was not agreeable for him: the SALARY
was small, the work combining and with