New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-08

fession whatsoever. some inherent capacity. as
well as some natural predispostion- is nlshly
desirable. Indeed. II brilliant ano conlpiete
success is TO be achieved. these things are rad
icailv necessary. Nevertheless, education IN
dustry and persistence win frequently develop
upon a very slender basis of original AFFINITY
or inclination a preacher lawyer. doctor SOL
der merchant mechanic or engineer II Is
true that the great theologians. the great en-
-gineers. the great physicians the great SUI
diers and so on, are born as well as hlaoe'
but one can become an excellent eXampiar IN
almost any profession upon praouc'iiiy 10
original talent or predisposition whatsoeVer-al-
nvays proyided he has compensating talents Tor
Industry and application. and educational op-
portupities with which TO make the most OF
them.
julius Cesar. FOR instance. was not what
was called a natural soldier, but such was
the extraordinary clearness of his mind. It's
mathematical and executive qualities, that al
though he did not begin campaigning until ne
vas well along in wears, he speedily mastered
his contemporaries by his intellectual military
development, and left a record for successful
fighting long unparalleled. Yet as great cap
tain he could not be mentioned with Ale1an-
DER. Hannibal Napoleon
Artists. poets and authors stand in differ
ent category. Even Indifferent ones have to
he born as well as made Now, after that
declaration, let the reader not take me as an
example too seriously. 1t is q bad thing for
an author or for any one else TO take himself
TOO seriously. by the way. From my earliest
DAYS I have spelled the word Author with q
very large A. and I looked upon him with
corresponding awe I have scarcely dared TO
claim 10 belong to the ancient and honorable
guild and certainly l should never have as
sluled TO write Oh authorship as profession
had I not been constrained thereto. I have
not taken myself very seriously as an author
neither, il may be urged, has the public
although the writing Of books is my profess
sion and if a man may have two, with the
preaching Of sermons, is my vocation also.
Assuming therefore that a natural founda-
iion is peculiarly necessary. indeed indispensa-
he. in the profession of Authorship. how shall
ono find out that he possess it? BY expert
ment. The publishers lists are filled with such
experiments. They spring up in a night and
fade awav in q day. What test is there TO
apply then by which mani the word
generally and consider it as inclusive OF women
throughout this article-Inay determine tenta-
lively that his talent lies in the direction
Of writing, at least so far that he may be
warranted in making the experiment. No
test If we may judge from the experiments
made. and yet there is one Now what is il?
The first requisite Of q book, philosophical
historical. romantic. whatever may be its char
acter which challenges attention is that It
shall he interesting. II il be not that, all its
other merits, whatever and however many they
Iuay- be- are either lost or labor under a heavy
disadvantage. The ability to put things clearly
and in an interesting way is the basic condi-
lion Of successful writing. Some few men
who do not have this ability prove the rule
by the law Of exceptions, and make books
which must be read for their other qualities
or their contents; but these very books would
lie The more read and the more highly es-
necessary to book salvation of being first of
ell interesting.
Therefore, the would-be author should try
first OF all TO ascertain If he possesses the abil-
ity TO tell things Interestingly. clearly and
briefly. The last two follow the quality Of in
terest as matter Of course. To be obscure
and verboset-well those qualities would con-
denim anything. If. in addition the faculty
OF being interesting, he possesses the gift Of
Imagination. il he can make pictures in his
minds eye, and can translate these pict-
ures into words that other people will see
them, nay, must see them, he. he can be
perfectly sure that he stands on the royal
foundation and that all he needs for success
ful building is study, application and perse-
Herance.
Let US suppose that he possesses the ability
90 make things interesting and the quality Of
imagination which can evolve things to be
MADE interesting. How does he get 20 be an
author? BY working at it, He studies gram
mar. he learns 10 write correct American. Many
authors so called. know little Of grammar. or
are indifferent 10 its laws. He studies rhetoric
and the nice Of words to enable him
citferentiate between good and bad diction: and
Incidentally punctuation and spelling in order
not 20 drive editors and compostors mad He
studies the use and abuse Of words. not on
the principle Of Talleyrand that they are TO
conceal thought, but the contrary, to
press Il. The great modern dictionary. with
fts fund OF Illustration. quotation and its nice
Determinations, should be his constant COM
panion. Finally he studies the great masters
OF literature in every field. but especially in
his chosen field, be it philosophy, history. po-
etry analysis. science. or that which includes
them all in greater or less degree fiction!
II he is 10 be historian he must acquire
and cultivate the habit Of thorough research.
He must learn irstinctively where to find things
and how 10 extract Information from sources
which he has discovered. He must have as
keen insight for an authority or an autiSori-
Sstive statement. valid conclusion aSa
newspaper reporter has for news. He must
neglect no source OF information however
humble. He must have the ability to weigh
the evidence and decide unerringly and i'm
partially, against his wish il need be, among
conflicting statements and claims for that
which IS true These qualities are those which
90 to make up what is called the historic
sense He must exhaust the outside world Of
whatever ii has TO; give him before he draws
upon himself: and he need not fear that he
win lose originality thereby. There is moth
ing new under the sun" said by Of
The Oldest and wisest OF authors. The only
hing new IS the way OF putting the old. And
- tie vvould-be author has not a way OF