New-York tribune., 1900-07-14
HOW RIDER B4GG4RD BEGAN TO WRITE.
From Success.

From Success.
My first attempt at imaginative writing was
made while 1 boy school. One of the
masters promised prize to that youth who
should best describe on paper any incident, real
imaginary. l entered the lists, and selected 4
scene at operation in a hospital my sub
jeCt. The fact that l had never seen opera
tion crossed the doors of hospital did not
deter in this bold endeavOr, which, however.
was justified by its success. l was declared 10
have won In the competition, though probably
through the forgetfuness of the masterl l re
member that never received the promised prize.
My next literary effort, written in 1876, was
an account of Zulu war dance. which 1 wit
messed when was on the staff OF the Governor
Of Natal 1t was published in The Gentlemen 5
Magazine" and very kindly noticed in various
papers A year later wrcte another article. en-
titled "A Visit to the Chief SecOCOent" which
very nearly got me into trouble.
was then serving on the staff of Sir The
nv initials reached South Africa in its printed
form shortly after the annexation of the Trans
vaal. Young men with pens in their hands are
proverbially indisCreet, and in this instance I
was no exception In the course Of my article
had described the TransvaaI BOer at home with
a fidelity that should be avoided by members of
a diplomatic mission. and had even gone the
length of saying that most of the Dutch women
were fat" Needless to say my remarks were
translated into the Afrkander papers and
somewhat extensively read. especially by the
ladies in question and their male relatives: nor
did the editors of those papers forbear 70 com
ment on them in leading articles. shortly after
ward there was great and stormy meeting Of
Beers at Pretoria. AS matters began to look
certain the exciting cause, and returned with
the pleasing intelligence that they all talk
ing about what the Englishman had written
about the physical proportions of their women
kind, and domestic habits. and threatening TO
take up arms to avenge Ii.
OF my feelings on learning this I Will not
discourse, but they were uncomfortable, To say
the least Happily, in the end the gathering
broke uD without war being declared but when
the late Sir Bartle Frere came to Pretoria some
months afterward he administered to me n
sound and we'll deserved lecture on my indlscre-
tion. 1 excused myself by saying that | had set
down nothing which was not strictly true. and
he replied TO the effect that therein lay my
fault l quite agree with him. indeed there is
little doubt that these bald statements OF
fact to the stoutness Of the Transvaal "fraus"
and the lack of cleanliness in their homes came
near preCipitating a result that, as il CHANGED
was postponed for several years. Well IL is all
done with now. and l take this opportunity of
apolOgizinG TO such OF the ladies in question as
may still be living
l think that il in an article by a fellow
scribe. wherein. doubtless more in sorrow than
in anger, that gentleman exposed the worthless
ness of the productions Of sundry of his brother
cess l had met with writer Of fiction was
due to my literary friends and 70 nepotic crIti-
cism. Yet nobody was more outside the
ring less acquainted with the art of rollins.
logs than myself.
The advice that l would give to wOuld-be au-
thOrs. IL | may presume to offer IT, is TO think
for long while before they enter at all upon
career so hard and hazardous but having en-
tered upon it, not 10 be easily cast down There
are great virtues In perseverance. even though
critics sneer and publishers prove unkind.