The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
WHAT 1T COSTS TO WRITE A HOOK
OF REAL ADVENTURE.

Literary EmpIOyment-Lnte word
From Gen. Charles kinE-Mr. Me-
Manus' Good Fortune in America.
MIR. Frank Norris Return 20 Cali
fornia and Ills Literary PIans-Va-
rious Items.
New York. April 29.-James Lane Alien
has been living ali winter AT Washington.
where he has been working on another
novel of Kentucky life. He seems TO find
that Le writes best of Kentucky when
Le is away from it-an experience not in
frequent with writers, due no doubt, to
the familiar fact that any locality OF
which one is fond takes on a special grace
aud glow when one is removed from Il
When he wrote his first short stories Mr..
Allen was making the experiment of liv-
ing by literature alone here in New York.
He found 1t the same hard experiment
that it has proved to most others who
have tried ii. and he returned afterwar1
for several years to Kentucky For sew
eral years past, however, until he went
10 Washington, he had been living mainly
here again il has been a long harl
struggle with him, one that none but a
man of heroic resolution could have gone
through, and not until the great success
of The Choir Invisible" l suspect, did
he feel perfectly sure that the fight was
won. Earlier books, Of course. met with
an encourag ing reception, but the best of
them left him still with his way more or
less 10 make. Now he has only his way
to maintain But even this is not neces-
sarily an easy and simple matter, and 50
far as mere strenuousness of labor is con-
Cerned, Mr.. Aliens present differs little
from his past. He goes to his desk each
morning with the greatest regularity aud
strives away there with all the patience
of genius until well on in the afternoon.
No reader of his writings need 10 be told
that he does his work with care; any one
can see that every word is we'll considered
The publishers are already announcing the
new novel, but it will not be published
until next fall, and it has not l think
yet left the authors hand. IT is 70 have
title adapted from Shakespeare, as 50
many novels now do the passage chosen
being THE mettle of your pasture" in
Henry VS." famous address TO his SOL
diers.
have just received from friend i'm
London some passages of autobiography
lately communicated to him by Frank
~
the Cachalot." which so many readers are
now pronouncing the most enthralling
narrative of true sea adventure that has
ever come into their hands. These pas
sages indicate that, II anybody wants to
repeat Mr.. Bullens literary achievements
in kind as well as IA measure he will
have to begin early in life; for Mr. Bull
lens own career was one unbroken sue
cession of unusual experiences from the
IT to l.,
18th year, since which it has had a rather
more normal course.
] was born in London in 1857" he saws.
my father being a journeyman stone ma
son. My mother / never knew, for while
was an infant my parents separated
ieaVing me, their only child. TO the mercy
OF my fathers sister a poor drcssmaker
who never married TO her tender care I
am indebted for seven happy years"
or his life with this aunt he adds: "Her
usuaI bedtime was a. m. mine was Z D.
m; SO as / slept with her aud she Law
soundly sleeping TN 9, the bright summer
mornings were almost interminably long
10 me- But happily there stood on the
marrow mantelpiece a few books; Bible
a cookery book, somebody's advice ~
young servants, book of common PRAYER
and Paradise Lost And when | became
apie 10 read, | used TO climb cautiously
over the head of the bed, get a book. ana
s'eeS back again. Paradise LOST soon
superseded all the others. and, Incredible
as II may sound, before I had completed
my hfth year | had read il through, ar
guments, and all, twice"
In my ninth year" Mr. Rul1e,, ,oor.,,,
ues' came a calamity that swept me like
drifting ship out of the peaoefu ba,,n,,
OF my aunt's home. Education. love ana
sympathy all disappeared In their n1ar,
came munger, blows severe exhausting 10
DOT from in the morning tin II at night
ana an atmosphere of vile language A.
4as' when was in my twelfth year ar
Vel an experience of life in London thar
ouiu souhu Incredible if it were detailed
escaped TO sea as cabin how in on ,,l3
tuD OF bark bound to Demarara !"
+ rom Demarara Buslen went 10 Nto,.,..
alu oy stress of a shipwreck was Ianda,i
many at Havana. There he saws 81 49,.
iound friends and became deputv bili;oyi
marker at the Hotel ST. Isabel where M,
Siny size fluent Spanish (pcked nm In
MeAlco) and perfect assurance COR cheeky
MADE me prime favorite An tsnaI,al,
gentleman named Daykin. holding a bist
ollciai position, wanted 10 adopt me ana
WIN tnat end in view took me 10 The cor,
SUI II was a fatal mistake For M
consul had lost the run of me ana CO.,
ing me again, not only refused 10 entar
tam Mr. Daykin's proposal but imp,aJ7i-
@,eS put me on board homeward -houpd
biue-Nose bark. Then | said a long eood
py TO comfort again. Arriving in Iivernool
was sent adrift TO find ii Impossible 70
se' any skipper to ship me on account Of
my ulmihutlNe size. AT last frien1l.,
ngurehead carver took me in and gave me
work until he could try and find whetber
any one belonging to me would pay ave
shhlihss weekly toward my keep while he
Taught me his trade l knew he Womb
DE unsuccessful, but I had two nonths,
employment learning so rapidly thai he
was delighted with me-
AFTER this. for several months. he led the
HE of street arab in London ana of this
experience he says But / was no ,natcI,
Tor the regular arabs, and often I bad 10
make 'wopence last two days. Never shan
iorget snatching handful of whelks ont
OF big tub in Billingsgate shell-fsb p,a,~
ket and scuttling away 20 dark corner
win them, only to find that they were IN
boiled, and consequently uneatable a.
though hadn't broken my fast for nearly
two days. only because / wouldn,t has
though. / succeeded la getting shin q,