The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16

though the pencil may not run as fast as
the burning thought. Transfer verse, story
or essay to paper as rapidly possible,
and then, afterwards, when the whole
thing is forgotten think of revising it for
its final form. If one wishes to get advice
Of this kind it would be difficult for him to
go back far enough to get it at first hand,
but even that will not be necessary, for
almost two thousand years ago Horace
wrote much along this line and in a better
manner than any of the latter-day guides
have been able to express themselves In
the same sense the profession of letters
has been attacked and defended for ages.
1t is now nearly a quarter of a century
since Robert Louis Stevenson expressed
the modern defense when he advised the
young writer that there were just two rea-
sons for the choice of any way of life.
1.-The first is inbred taste in the chooser;
the second some high utility in the industry
selected. Literature, like any other art, is
singularly interesting to the artist, and in
a degree peculiar TO itself among the arts;
it is useful to mankind. ] shall not say
much about the wages. A writer can live
by his writing; if not so luxuriously as by
other trades, then less luxuriously. The
nature of the work he does all day will
more affect his happiness than the quality
of his dinner at night"
In spite of much tramping, however, over
the same ground as the ancients, we are
not ready to confess that we have not ad-
vanced somehow in the field of letters.
XXX
DR.. Conan Doyle is meeting with some
difficulty in connection with the publish
IN re Iafa Of he En- iSI in al
conduct of the Boer war. Publishers for his
last work on the subject have been found
for both England and the United States,
but, although the author offers to bear all
the expenses of publication in Germany.
he can find no one with the courage to
take the matter up. At the present time
there is little love for the English within
the domain of the Kaiser, but it is GER
tainly to the credit of the American pub
lie that, in spite of the fact that a ma
jority are Boer sympathizers, there is a
fair minded spirit manifested in this coun-
try. We are quite willing to hear both sides
of a question and then decide as we choose.
XXX
Mark Twain recently published serially
a peculiar detective story which will be
brought out in book form shortly His
friends and admirers are trying to decide
whether to take the tale seriously or mere
ly as a humorists play with some words
and a strange idea. The story started out
well, but unfortunately ended up with an
imitation of Sherlock Holiness methods
that was to be deplored, since the author
had previously in the tale poked fun at the
great detective. In one paragraph the COM
bination of impossibilities was positively
ludicrous-which was doubtless the effect
the author desired to get. One character
saw an aesophagus floating in the air, and
the author told of trees blooming which
never Powered and so on. Mr. Clemens fire.
quently says he is a much understood man;
the public insist taking his most seri-
Gus statements with bursts of laughter and
fail to smile at his best humor 1t may be
a lack of perception on the part of the
reader it may be a lack of something on
| the part of the writer.
xxx
| There has been much discussion in Lon
don recently over proposal to found
British Academy in England. Fifty au-
! thors and prominent men in other callings
have petitioned the King for a charter and
| the King has referred the matter to the
| lords of the council. According to the pres
! ent plan the incorporators are carrying out
the suggestion of Mathew Arnold in not at
| tempting to cover the whole province Of
! literature. The new academy is described
| as the British Academy for the Promotion
| of Historical, Philosophical and PhiIologi-
| cal Studies. Poetry, fiction and the bellies
/ lettres are not included. 1t will be seen.
| therefore, that the English incorporators