The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-28
WHEN 'FRANK. DANBY'
FEARED A 4'HOODOO"
Writer Who Scored With "Pigs
In Clover'sHas Hadan I'm
canny Experience.

Special Foreign Service. -
LONDON Sept. 81. Mrs. Julia
Frankau = Frank Danby'-whose
novel Pigs in Clover was undeniably
the big success, is authority for some
uncommonly interesting details regard
ing her literary experiences, which
have not yet found their way into print
at home. 1t seems that, having been
encouraged by no less person than
George Moore to-try her hand at story
writing, Mrs. Frankau had about as
discouraging an experience with pub
fishers as ever fell to the lot of a rO-
mancer This is why it was that. for
twelve years. Frank Dandy abandon
ed all thought of getting her living by
story-telling-and then wrote Pigs in
Clover" and made great strike.
Frank Dandy" is, of course, one of
literary family. siHOwen Hail. the Ii
brettist, is her brother, and Mrs. Aria,
the famous woman editor her sister.
Up to the time of her marriage, how
ever, Mrs. Frankau had written nothing
whatever and the friendly hint which
she received from the author of "Es-
| Their Waters came largely by accident.
| Moore, who met Mrs. Frankau through
her husband, was struck by her strong
personality, and not long after asked
| if-she would write for him letter such
| as would be written by woman under
certain circumstances-hi intention, of
| course, being to use it in a story. Mrs.
F'rankau consented and the letter she
produced revealed to Moore so much
| literary ability that he strongly urged
! her to try her hand at a novel. Mrs
| Frankau's social engagements We're
| many, howeyer,sand she had little time
| to give to work which might be fu-
| tile. But suddenly her husband broke
| his leg in hunting accident, the fu-
| ture .authoress spent her days and
oh c.h xy Ii 3ril hoy,
| that in need of some occupation to
! distract her mind she began writing
| novel, reading to her husband during
| the evening what she had produced
| through the day. So her first book,
| Or. Phillips An Idyll of MAZDA Vale
! took shape. sShe sent it TO a publisher,
! but he failedlalmost Immediately after,
! so Mrs Frankau got little or nothing
for her work. However, she persevered
| and wrote "a Babe in Bohemia" a
! newspaper story, which also was ac-
| cepted by a publisher But hardly had
| the last copy of Mrs. Frankau's story
| tumbled off the press than its publisher,
| too, went into bankruptcy. The au-
| thoreSS, however, was not discouraged,
| for almost simultaneously with hearing
of this second disaster, she received a
| commission from a third publishing
house to write them sensa tional nov
Ell. She agreed and 1.-THE Copper Crash
| was the result. 1t seems almost in
| credible, but, soon after the appear
ance of this book its publishers put
| up their shutters exactly as the other
| two. had done. No wonder that Mrs.
F'rankau thought that she was "hoo-
| dooed and gave up novel writing.
1 She didtnot lay aside her pen, however,
4 but tried another line--the production
of works on art for the Macmillans-
| regarding whose stability there could
| be no question. For twelve years after
| the tragedy of 1.-THE Copper Crash,''
! its author esehewed fiction writing but
| then came the inspiration for pigs in
Clover and this time there was moth
ing to stand between her and success.
BY the way, her pen name of Frank
Dandy came to be through a printers
! error. The, authoress first novel was
| signed FRANK Demi," which was de-
| signed to mean half Frankau," but
! the printer made it DANNY" and Mrs.
| F'rankau let it stay So
| Perhaps the most impatiently await
| ed novel of those soon to be published
is Stanley J. Weyman's new romance.
THE Long Night, But curiosity is
rife over Ouidas forthcoming story.
"Helianthus;" H. c.: Wells new VOL
ume which will be called Twelve
| Stories and a Dream" and the latest
romance from IF. Marion Crawford.
THE Heart of Rome" Capt. Kettle
| permanently,
| title of Cutliffei Hynes new novel.
/ ''McTodd," is evidence that he has
| yielded to the demand for more about
| the taciturn Scotch engineer The
] American novels to be published here
shortly include Winston ChurchilPs
| Conquest Frederick Palmer's "Vag-
| abond,' and "A Doctor of Philosophy,
| by Cyrus Townsend Brady.
j. j. Bell, who wrote seWee Mac
| gregor," believes in utilizing the sun
| ny season for hay making. He was in
| London the fother day. making ar
rangements regarding the new series
| Of stories which he has undertaken to
write for "The Woman at Home" but,
| he has now gone back to Argyllshire to
| begin work upon them. This series
| will be called Jess and Company"
| Jess being the enterprising wife of one
| David Houston, "a glazier by trade, but
! a gardener by preference
According to a personal friend of ]. M.
| Barrie's, the first literary work of any
kind that the author of "a Little Min
| 1ster ever did appeared in the anna
teur. paper published at Dumfries
| academy, where Barrie went to school
/ This valuable journal was known as
| The Clown, and Barrie'S first contrf-
| buttons thereto took the form of per-
formances in the style of Artemus
Ward and were entitled. "Reckolections
OF Skoolmaster." The first of them
opened in this impressive fashion:
When 700 read the following ar
tickles / think L hear 700 exclaim,
Who is this crate lateraily genus ap-
! peering before our eyes and takin' our
harris by storm?'''
1t seems that the youthful editor of
4 The Clown was in the habit of COM
menting under the head of advice
to Contributors" on the quality of the
various articles submitted, and, in view
4 of what has happened since, his re-
marks to j. B. ARE especially worthy
4 of preservation. tf'Your Reckolections'
are exceedingly well composed" the
juvenile humerist was informed. and
it was gracefully added, Eve shall be
very glad to hear from you again
4 soon" H