Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-05


: Manv a literary aspirant wrote in his
day to Charles Dickens, asking for ad-
vice and criticism on accompanying
MSS. The novelist, who was kindness
itself to such people, once replied to
demand of this kind in a letter recently
offered for sale:
Il have nc reason to be very earnest
in advising you to abandon all thoughts
OF literature as a pursuit; and in eX-
pressing to you my firm conviction that
if you dc not, you will devote yourself
to Il life of misery, heartache, disap-
IOintment and regret. Whether the
substance of your book be true or nc
titious is nothing to the purpose. IL
YOU cannot grace truth in the nara
ton, and have not the faculty of telling
it in writing, you should either leave 1t
untold or leave it to the chance of be-
ing told by someone else. If it We're Il
reason for writing that what is written
is true, surely there is nothing to pre-
vent the whole civilized world from be
coming authors, inasmuch as every
man, woman and child has some truth
full experience and might, on such 4
plea, rush into print with it. l do not
discern in this piece you have sent m"
one element of success, and l see such
obvious defects in it, as regards the
commonest rules of literary compost
ton, that | honestly believe you would
find it as difficult to bring it into any
shape or form of merit rs you would
if you were to try-tO make a steam
engine of it,"
Dickens added that he wrote with
great reluctance and VITA little eX-
pectatiOn that you will defer to my
Judgment" and he ended thus: THE
sad consequences that flow from mis-
taken trade present themselves fire.
uucntly before me in terrible shapes.
However poor you are now, rely upon
il you will never be the richer for THIS
kird of effort, and will only lavish up
on it the time, the hope and energy
that otherwise directed, might lead to
happiness. If you knew how much il
costs me to write this, and how often |
en.lcavur to make the resolution that [
will never read what is sent to me as
your manuscript has been. you would
at least value it for it's sincerity. If
YOU viii reflect that thcr" is nothing
wrong or disgra .cful in such mistake
as 7 believe you are ten ling to, and
that it is on of every duy occurrence,
YOU will at least receive it as kindly rs
| mean it.
Thomas Y. CroweH < 20. have in
press IA new edition of Ralph Waldo
Trinc's In Tune with the Infinite"
making the fftieth thousand Of that
popular work.
IT is said that no editor engaged in
publishing Il serial story by SienkieWlcH
ever received the whole Ms. of novel
from him Mt once. Of his long histori-
cal romances he never wrote more at
q time than the paper published III one
day He is given to sending in install
ments of two pages each. Novel writ
ing stirs up all his nerves, and While
it is in progress he goes restlessly wan
dering from country to country.
1t is doubtful if the people of Besan-
con are now ignorant of the fact that
Victor Hugo was born in their town.
There was u time, not so very long ago,
when they were ObliviouS of that dis
tinction, when the authors name was
not even to be found on the official list
of Famous Children of BeSancOn."
Jules Claretie and a friend once visited
the town in search of HugO's birth
place. and no one they questioned had
ever heard of the poet until they came
across a rural postman who thought he
remembered someone of that name liv-
ing "in furnished apartments"
a
advertised men of letters of the day
taking for eternal renOwr the little
noise that they make en- PEASANT. lie
to think of the postman in the street OF
Besancon giving us that terrible lesson
of life, and showing us the worth o.
true, pure, blazing literary glory.
Miss Beulah Marie Dix and Miss
Carrie A. Harper, who elaborated in
writing 1.-The Beau's Comedy" about to
be published by the Harpers, are both
college girls. Miss Dix took the degree
of B.A. at Radcliffe in 1897, the degree
Of MA. in 1898. Miss Harper took her
BA, at Radcliffe in 1896, and MA. in
1895 When these two young women
decided to write n book together. they
spent winter in research, and after
that retired to a farm where many OF
the scenes of their story We're to be
laid. With the exception of walking
trips to various places described in the
book, they remained closely at then
desks for over six weeks, at the end OF
which period they had completed tht
manuscript. Miss Dix already has sew
eraI other novels to her credit.
-
Now that Mcclure, Phillips & Co
have acquired the rights of "a Gentle
man from Indiana" they are the pub
fishers of all Booth Tarkington's works
Monsieur Beaucaire," which is follow
ing its predecessor closely in sales hav-
ing reached the 5000 mark, was Me-
Clure- Phillips book from the start. The
same firm will publish Mr.. Harrington
new novel, which is soon to commence
serially in McClure's Magazine. 1t is q
story of Indiana life at the time of the
Mexican War.
A playgoers' edition of Richard
Harding Davis Soldier of Fortune
mas just been brought cut. It is Illus
trated with is reproductions, in black
and tint from stage scenes Of the
oramatization now playing to crowded