St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-01
TURNED OUT AT NIGHT.
Work During Cnseemly
Hours.


Portable. if not luxurious. One we'll
known writer finds his happiest inspira-
ton while smoking cigar in a hot
bath. and ut least one of our leading
novclists does his best work before he
leaves his bed in the morning. or rather
nj any time between noon and the early
hours of the afternoon.
Mr.. Swinburne. the magician OF
verse;" has been inspired by many
happy idea while breasting the waves
in lon. swim or floating lazilv on his
back. and many line of sounding
rhyme" has sprung up to bear him COM
pany on his solitary walks around Put-
ney.
Miss Braddon loves to write in sum-
mer time in the ''idyllic isolation OF
her beautiful garden at Litchfieid
house, Richmond. where the very air is
full of inspiration, and she has weaved
many of her plots to the music OF her
horses feet.
Francois Coppee is never happy with
his pen unless he has one or more OF
his beloved cats to bear him company,
and Bret Harte. when the writing fit
is on him. packs up few belongings
and buries himself in the heart of the
country. where there is nothing more
disturbing than COW. Here, with
cigar in his mouth and plenty more at
hand, his pen runs fiuently enough
when once it is started. He confesses.
however. that his first line has often
outlasted his first cigar.
Mr.. Hardy is, like so many writer's
a creature of moods. For days he cam
not touch a pen: but when the mood
seizes him il rules him like tyrant.
From early morning until late at night
he drives his pen in a race against his
fancy until he drops from sheer ex-
haustion.
1t was very different with Anthony
Trollope, who used to Pooh-pooh the
idea of inspired hours. and made
point of writing certain quantity
| every day. with the regularity OF a ma
chino. stopping when his days task
was done.
Sir Walter Besant, too, smiles at IN
| spiration. and drives his pen with the
prosaic regularity of journeyman.
Maeterlinck finds his inspiration in
lamplight. and works steadily through
the dark hours until dawn breaks. In
this love of the night he resembles
many of our own writer's of note. who
do their best work when the busy world
sleeps.
II is said that one novelist of to-day
finds dayligh, so uninspiring that h'
reso,utely shuts it out. With closet
shutters and curtains and artificialligh'
he can spend his days in the inspiration
of the night.
Jules Verne believes as firmly in thu
virtues or early morning. He rises
some hours before the ''laggarti house
maid and. like Mr.. Watts. the artist
often finishes his days work before tn
other men begin theirs.
Authors differ as widely in thei
modes as in their moods OF writing
The genial .antocrat." Oliver Wendell
Holmes. wrote almost every line tina
has seen print with single gold pen
} which inspired him fora years.
George B. Sims has weakness TO
lead pencil. which suits his rapi
moods.
!, Miss Braddon prefers steel pen TO
her manuscripts. although she uses
quill for her private correspondence
: and her ''press hand" is entirely dii
ferent from her private hand.
II GUY Boothby dictates most of hi
) thrilling fiction TO his wife, who oI
: crates typewriter. while many al
: thors have schooled themselves to tn
mechanical art of typewriting thel
: own thoughts. a process which ougf
1 to he fatal to inspiration.
Z When Mr.. Barrie was asked what
wrote WITH the answer came quicl
ly: Il write with my pipe, and, il
Iced, to men like Barrie, kipling an
poor James Payn. the vehicle was notl
a ing and Lady Nicotine" everything
: London Mail.