The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-14
By HERBERT BREWSTER.

began writing was because 1 wanted
to and l will continue as long as edi-
tors want me to-
Dorothy Dix, known best perhaps
through her Fables for the Elite. says
that cooking is the source of her in
spiration. Those who have wondered
how W. ]. Hampton turns out the GU
rious things which he has labeled
''Yawps" learn here that he sits down
at the typewriter. says in a firm tore:
Gee Whit" and then. Sect" and
then fills up whatever white space
may happen to lie between the termini
of this effort. Kate Masterson takes
her work very seriously. and labOrs
five hours day at it. Edwin Sabin,
the Iowa humorist. gets his inspira-
ton from a cat. He has been trying
for years to write something whi2h
will make the cat smile. So far he
has not succeeded. but he is hopeful.
Minna Irving writes that she is sad
dest when she is gladdest Ambrose
Bierce says he does most of his work
with his legs intertwisted; while exud-
ing globes of Precipitation and achiev-
ing copious protrusions of tongue. Tom
p. Morgan insists that the average
humorist doesn't have any inspiration,
George Hobart, better known as Din
kelspiel, says that he spends an nour
every morning thinking and getting Up
courage to go after the English Ian
guage.
"Bedween 10 and II kick ofer my
desk" he writes, land nit der left
liant I crap der EnlSilsh langvich py
der throttle und begin to shake ID"
The effect is ito render id unspeaka-
BILE. '"Und so i'd goes all across der lift
long day, and ven der night dime puds
der shudders ub I find myself Siding
dere surrounded by poor, squivering
words, all proken und bruised und
banting for ice-vater Dis is der blood
t'irsty story uf my life
Right here enters a great question
among the publishers. What rights
changes in the manuscripts of their
authors, is a problem always. 1t is
true that the work of many writer's is
very carefully edited, and this is
doubtless as ii should be. In the case
of unknown writer's, the publishers are
responsible to the public for having
issued their work. 1t would seem that
the publisher has some other func-
tion than that of mere manufacturer
and seller of merchandise. But. when
an author has established himself, 1t
is not likely that the publishers care
to disturb his work 1t is a case of
take it and publish 1t as 1t has been
written or leave 1t alone. There are
many firms, however, who find 1t diff
cult to draw the line. They feel a
certain need of maintaining the repu-
tation which they have established
with the public, on the, one hand, and
they have the keen desire on the other,
to secure the work of famous authors
who may overstep some of their stern
rules as to the class of books which
they shall issue.
The practice of getting out complete
editions is not at all a new one, but
the practice has added to 1t the idea
of getting these editions out In such
an attractive form that it has become
a noteworthy department of the pub
fishing business. The most careful and
painstaking efforts are bestowed upon
the bookmaking of many of these edi-
tons and the coming fall season will
be distinguished by a large increase in
these fine examples of the bookmakers
art. The Dent edition of Hazlitt
stands. perhaps, first. 1t is. strange to
say, the only complete edition of this
great critics writings ever cotton out
and the edition of this special issue is
limited to $50 copies for this country.
popular Importance, is a forthcoming
EDITION of Edgar Allan Poe, which, as
in the case of Haziitt is also claimed
to be the first complete and accurate
edition of the author. The publishers of
the new Poe edition say that the edi-
tors have endeavored to reproduce the
work of Poe just as Ii came from his
pen and not with the emendations and
many changes which have been made
in previous editions. 1t is unfortunate
that the authors most concerned with
posterity cannot themselves arrange
their work just as they would have it
appear after their death. 1t is posi-
bic, of course, that the future editor
of Poe may find no further changes to
make in his writings; 1t is possible al
SO that many changes may be made
which the author himself would not
have dreamed of having had made.
Perhaps the authors themselves do not
very much care how their work
appear after they have gone. Some
one once called Rudyard Kipling's at
tention to the vast amount of talk his
Illness had caused and what had been
said as to what posterity would
think of him.
What do / care for posterity," Kip
ling replied. "Posterity will take care
of itself. I will not be alive then to
see what 1t cares for me-" Yet 1t
must be remembered that among all
authors Kipling is the terror among
editors who dare to suggest any
changes in his work What he has
written thus far has been gone over
most carefully by the author, and II
is well known that he desires 1t to
stand as he has thus left it,
Mr.. Zangwill, first in the field of lit
erature of the Ghetto, is about to
bring out another volume of short sto-