The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-25
IN The LITERARY WORLD.
MR.. MooDY,s AUTHORIZED 81

MR.. MOODY'S AUTHORIZED 81
OGR-APHY.--1n accord with the ex-
pressed desire of Mr.. Moody, his biog-
raphy Is now being prepared by his son,
William X. Moody, and viii be published
by subscription from the press of Flenl-
ing II. ReveA Company. Naturally this
viii be the only work having the appro-
val of the family or being in any sense
authorized or authentic. Announcements
having appeared Of several Lives
some even claiming to be Official" or
''the only work approved by the family
and friends 1t has become a painful
necessity TO discredit all such works and
to state that any other than the author
lied biography referred to will be issued
not only without the approval but re-
gardless of the urgent protest OF the
family and friends.
All statements that Mr. Moody s
schools or family are interested in, or
are to be aided by any book other than
the official work are most misleading
and evidently intended only az catch
penny devices.
Mr.. Moody was particularly anxious
that the errors and misrepresentation
OF former unauthorized works and
misleading newspaper reports = should
be corrected in an authentic work pre-
pared by his son, thus obviating the
multiplication Of partial and inhar-
motious biographical sketches. 1t was
universally known that Mr.. Moody ell-
tertained n strong aversion to the circu-
lation of portraits of himself during his
life ut is time enough for these az
we'll as for a biography when l am
gone he often said. The family por-
traits and many other Illustrations have
therefore been most carefully guarded
and these will only appear in this au-
thorized work. The work is 10 be sold
by subscription.
The New York Critic has started an
interesting means Of gauging popular
taste by printing lists of those books
most in demand at the great libraries of
the United States. In seven reports out
of twelve given in this months list the
popular novel of the month is Richard
CaTyel. In spite Of its extraordinary
circulation another edition of twenty
thousand copies Is announced this week.
This puts it in its three hundred and
thrtieth thousand.
Joe Mitchell Chapple writes interest
ingly in the National Magazine Of n
day spent with Winston Churchill and
gives an insight into the home life and
method of work of the famous author.
He says in part:
ain the center Of what was an old
pasture, some distance away. is little
wooden shanty resembling Dakota
clam shack In this building WAS a
roll-top desk and typswri err and the
walls are covered with rows Of reference
books.
Here is whore Mr. Chur hill works
and has written the greater part of a
new American historical novel-whit h
covers more recent period and n more
western locality than Richard Carvel.
There are seven boxes which held Ike
seven different drafts made of every
chapter and pinned n each page are
the memorandums from which changes
are made. 1t was indeed interesting to
note the evolution of the manuscript OF
Richard Carvel' from the first draft.
Words changed, phrases altered. every
thing made to fit. Chapters discarded
an entirely rewritten. titles shifted
sketches. plots and all data kept with the
precision and system OF thing legal docu-
ments. -..-----.-..---
When one secs al t:lis The value If
work is appreciated. An the final ex
hlbits X. Y. H. u the proof sheet, with
a railroad map on the nargin5, arc such
as printers welcome when reported lost
or missing. The intcrlineations and
Flooding, painstaking care reveal how
and why Richard Carvef ranks high
as perfected Workmanship in modern
novel writing
Mr.. Churchill himself says: Yes
history was always a passion with me
and long had a defined purpose ia
write historical novel. and WAS well
along in 'Carvef before DIR. Mi:chelrs
Hugh Wynne. Quaker appeared.
presume the historical thought waves
began about the same time"