Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-11-22

Norfa OF Letters Tame 20 lnSane
the Pomain of Fiction.
There is an unfailing fascination 81
Ssse story OF the beginnings of brilliant
careers. and especially Of the careers
OF men and women who have con-
qucred the world of readers, and have
won fame and fortune Ia the difficult
path of letters.
One of the MOST successful Of literary
partnerships had its origin is n casual
supper conversation at a Bohemian
club. Walter Besant and James Rice,
both young men Of literary ambitions,
Were discussing one of Dickens novels,
when Rice sand, casually: III / give
you write it," 81 don't mind trying"
Besant answered.; and within a few
weeks the first of a brilliant series
OF novels was under way.
Rider Haggard was reading for the
bar in the early eighties with an eye
on the v~,oolsack, and nc dream of the
career in fiction that awaited him,
when It occurred TO him, as a recrea-
zion from the dry bones of the law. 10
weave a story cut of his South African
experiences. To his surprise and de
light the story flowed fuently under
his pen. and finally assumed ample
shape as The Witch's Head" That
it was not a success mattered little;
for ii had shown him his true meter,
and paved the way for king Solo
mons Mines" and all the gold they
yielded.
liz was only when briefs resoluteiy
declined to drift to his chambers that
Anthony Hope Hawkins, a young bar
rister, In all the modified glory Of an
a~intarnished wig, turned his thoughts
to the pen TO while away the hours Of
waiting for solicitors who never came.
IL was thus that he wrote "A Man Of
Mark," which vas rather suggestive of
future distinction than productive of
present profit. But fame came quicker
than briefs after all, and his Prisoner
OF Zenda," four years later, gave him
ali the start he desired.
Grant Allen had wooed science to lit
lie peculiarly purpose Tor many years
Before he was tempted to stray Into hc-
2tion, for which he had much
respect. Perhaps no n was as sur
prised as himself to find that he could
write a story quite as.cleyeriy ms n SCI
entifc treatise. and while "Physio-
logic Aesthetics brought him repute
as n cAan OF science, "Philistia" point
ed the way to gold. which In these days
OF stress issso much better. The science
which he designed for a star became q
recreation. but Ibis heart was In It rath-
er than In his novels.
NJ. lola was tying MP parcels In
Hachctte's publishing house when he
was tempted to read one OF F1aubert's
novels. Much as the young packer was
impressed with Its ,clcverness, he
Thought he could writea novel quite as
good. and he Immediately set to work
with the results known equally 10 the
world and his bankers.
1t was the memory OF his long tramps
through the Australian bush that turn
ed Guy B~oothby's thought to fiction.
He had new material full of interest to
he reading world. Why not present Ii
in the marketable form OF o noyels
che suggestion took shape I'm ION the
Nallaby," and the world knows what
hat led TO.
f1' With Morley Roberts 1t was the
,'ame. He had for many years led a
Ffe OF adventure. which vas stranger
han fiction, In every part of the world,
4! Ind In all characters from cowboy to
,orhmon seaman 1t was easy from
such rich material TO weave the West
III Ayernus." the first OF his long Sc
ies OF thrilling romances.
Jerome IL. Jerone's bohemian life
nd stage experiences suggested 10
i linn the idea OF his first yenture in let.
ers. ION the Stage and or" as nj
hast a variant from teaching, clerks
4 PORK and acting. which had made up
\ Us %precarious existence for some
ears: and when Mr.. ZanSwin grew
,ck of teaching the three RS to young
ews. what more natural than. with
Ia skill with the pen. he should weave
story CT the children of the
Y lhetto." although this was not his first
|. enture In literature?
Marie Corclli had ne thought of fc-
on when she was training for the
ireer OF a musician and composer;
lad II WIS a strange psychicai ex-
erience that turned her thoughts to
e pen and inspired her 'Romance of
w0 Worlds" which took novel read
IL is by storm.
b 1T was loneliness and weird inspira-
on OF the South African seldt that
spelled Olive Schreiner. a dreamy GID
81 her teens. to speak her thoughts Oh
per In The Story OF an African
II arm"
81 Mrs. Hodgson Burnett was only .
hoolgirl. busy with her books when
group OF factory girls streamed past
,e window through which she was
zing. One OF them, unlike the rest.
II tall. striking girl. arrested her at
q. s8ltion; and 81 was around this single
? tture, seen for a moment. that she
(0te her beautiful story. THAT Lass
Lowrie's."
'gofessor Green. the lcgnble Oxford
#kA.or and author. was the inspiration