The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-08

idson which gives an interesting ac-
count of the novelist's life and relates
many stories of him According to one
of these tales. Dumas hit upon the name
of his most famous romance in the fol-
lowing manner:
He was out on a shooting expedition
with young Prince Napoleon, son of Jer-
ONE Bonaparte, in 1912, and after a Vio-
lent storm reached Elba. While explor-
ing they discerned a rock, sugar-Ioaf
shaped, standing out of the sea.
All said the boatman, that's where
island is full of wild goats
Indeed What may its name be?"
They call it the island of Monte Girls
to-"
Dumas later persuaded his companion
to row around the island in order to
know more about its possessions.
Whats the use of that?" said the
prince.
Because" was the reply, 81 intend in
memory of this trip with you to give
the name of Monte CristO to some novel
which 1 shall write later on
When Dumas made arrangements for
his book, called Impressions de Voyage
dams Paris his publishers urged that
his novel should be sensational rom
ance, and Dumas contrived an intrigue
involving a rich aristocrat known as
lie Conte de Monte Cristo
There is always nominal interest at
IacleQ TO the QlSSectlOn OF the authors by
the critics but when writer calmly dis
sects himself, more than ordinary interest
is aroused. Frederick NJ Bird seems to
write not of a full and bitter experience
in current magazine when he lays bare
the secrets of his profession.
Apart from egoistic imaginings. the
truth is that the literary life is as poor as
any other vocation and probably poorer
/ than most, in literary material Its de-
4 tails are not picturesque; they are not ro-
I how Into
| cept to the literary fellow himself and
not always especially so to him. There is
next to nothing in them to attract the
curious whose work and play on diff
ferent lines; and other literary fellows do
not care to hear about Them for they
know just how it is Brown wrestles with
a sonnet; all that can be said about the
process, the fr0wns and heavings and
gurgIings, has been said thousand times.
chiefly in comic papers and paragraphs. If
he accomplishes his task, possibly he gets
I So or so for the result; in one case out Of
a million or two, it may be remembered
for a decade. Smith sits down to cudgel
a novel out of his inner consciousness; who
wants to watch his throes and share the
joys or sorrows that preeede or attend Gre
alton? people sometimes do In the stories,
I notice. but these are high fights His
wife may have to see that he knocks of
for dinner, and gets to bed before a. m.
She may share his anxiety as to the con-
crete result. His intimates. If he is i'm
pudent, may say. Smith is trying to
write a. novel; and go their way.
But suppose Smith scores, or Brown IS
acclaimed as a new Tennyson? Why
then. if notoriety or fame be won, there
will be hard facts. statistics. biographies
and photographic data, articles or items
in books of reference. We shall want t,
know what the great man eats for break
fast and where he buys his trousers. But
for fiction, no. The professional life OF
the man of letters. however successful
can as a rule furnish nothing to romance
and for realism, realism car
find more to interest and in
struct in the daily experiences O
a ploughman or society woman. not tt
say of a lawyer or engineer. Machiner!
is a more hopeful field for tales than let
ters and it is being worked now. Iiusi
ness has innumerable varieties and rami
fications but what is there that Is no
hopelessly commonplace in writer
work, beyond the joy of discovery, as stu
atoms and characters evolve them
selves from his brai and take Oh
a semblance of vitality? Stevenson
could put that in a few glowing lines. bu
not in his stories; he knew it was no
a theme to dwell upon.
HERBERT BREWSTER.
George AIDES new book of Fables will +
few I4o-71