The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-06-24
The Literary Outlook.
(By Herbert BreWster.)

Collaboration is an art which seems to
flourish in England more than in Amer
lea. Witness the long period of literary
partnership which existed between Sir
Walter Besant and Mr.. James Rice
Kipling and Wolcott Balestier might
have been doing novels together to this
day. but for his untimely death of the
latter shortly after the completion of
The Nanlahka." Perhaps it is the
English disposition, though in the case
just cited BaleStier was a transplanted
American. For out on acknowledgements
cd shores of Samoa, Robert Louis Stew
enson and Lloyd Osborne found combined
literary efforts congenial-another case
of international amity in the province
Of letters. AS a matter of fact, how
ever, few literary partnerships exist in
this country, and, proportionately, many
more exist in England.
One of the most successful of these
writing firms came into wide prominence
not SO long ago under the names,
Martin Ross and O.. E. Someryille."
There was considerable surprise when
it was learned that the pseudonyms
concealed the identity of two Irish girls
cousins, Miss Violet Martin and Miss
Somerville. 1t had been supposed by
many, at least by those in this country
who read THE Experiences of An Irish
+. NJ" that the authors were men.
Even the editors who corresponded with
them about their MSS. used to address
them as men until the authors would
one day walk in and announce them
selves by their pen names.
Miss Martin and Miss Somerville are
Observation-Disclosures of Charles Ken
dali Bushe, formerly chief justice of
ireland, and q great wit and orator in
his DAY. He must have been a man of
extraordinary literary and artistic
tastes, because all of his descendants
have been more Or less imbued with one
or the other talent. Among the best
known of these are w. G.. Wills, the
dramatist; the Hon. Mrs. Greene, a
writer of short stories; Mr.. Plunket
Greene, the singer, and Robert Martin,
a poet of no mean ability.
The two girl cousins had written a
little separately before they met. One
day they CHANGED upon a curious old
house, which suggested the plot of a
story. A sDrained knee of one of them
started the work together. They decided
to write a Shilling Shocker," what we
i'll America would call a yellow back"
Before they had gone far, however. the
shocker element dropped out. and "An
Irish Cousin" was the result of their
joint labors. Sinse then the two have
made several tours together, each of
which has been followed by a book which
relates their experiences. Probably the
Irish K. M story is the best known
ana best executed story they have writ
ten. 1t is understood that another book
Will come from them this fall.
Althln q short tjn1n a o0ranJn+o "a
OF the works of John Ruskin will be is
sued, and strange as it may seem it
VIII contain more matter than such an
edition would have contained had Mr.
lsGskln been living. The present editors
and publishers are of the opinion that
MI. RuskIn was too careful and too ex-
actlng with his own work. Take the
case OF The Seven Lamps The manu-
script as 1t now stands ready for pub
llcatlon has had restored to it some good
words which Mr.. Ruskin had cut out,
There are also numerous notes from
diaries which the editors declare are
not personal chronicle, but are pages of
set literature.
MI. Ruskin had peculiar methods of
writing, and we lave noted, he held
illlSelf rlgldly to a standard of perfec-
'ioh- Nothlng was too much for him."
ONSS i- ~ sc Amen, his publisher
and nothing could be too we'll done. He
would get UP in the night, if an idea oc-
CURED 10 him, in order forthwith to nut
1t on record. He once said. what was
very true, that he never wrote a line for
money. He wrote because he had some
lhlng to say. If he had not been a rand
as well as a careful writer. he could
never nave got through so mucn work
l am thinking not only of his books. but
OF the many letters which he was in the
haplt OF writing. | think / have myself
Il thousand letters from him, and most
interesting they are"
Two OF the best historical novels of tho
present season locate the scenes of their
actions mainly in the Mississippi Valley
me mississippi Bubble" is fairly well
known, and in spite of the fact that it
Is a popular" book, it is a piece of fc-