The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-21

ana I felt the need Of setting myself
right by studying the whole thing and
writing its history. I have been en- +
gagged on the work for over two years
now and 7 believe that the material
for the greatest American novel lies
here, but it would require a Balzac,
and I am not Balzac.r
Hobart ChatheId-Tavlor. auditor Of
THE Crimson Wing makes q serious
proposal to establish schools or fiction. f
after the fashion Of schools OF art. Let
the masters take pupils and teach
them the elements Of novel writing. he
suggests.
What sort Of pictures" writes this
author. would a man turn out who.
having provided himself with 4 box Of
cel0rs, an easel and a canvas, sat down
TO paint with no more knowledge OF
his craft than can be gained from look
ing at art exhibitions and reading the
opinions Of a few critics2 But that is
the task 3 young writer must set for
himself. He has a dictionary, a desk
and a pad Of paper. and he can go to
a library and look at books. or to be
more exact. consult them; bue suppose i
Mr.. Howeus should really take the
time TO instruct him, would he not
learn in a year-Ehat otherwise he
might not learn in a Iffetime-the prin-
ciples of his art. the technique2 Draw
ing. perspective. composition, color,
light and shade, all the elements of the
painter S GRAFT ElAL gE taught. EIEEE@c-
IS the same elements enter into novel
writing. the difference being that the
painter touches the heart through the
eye and the novelist through the mind.
1t may be said that writers are born,
not made. So are painters. But how
many master painters of today would
be painting even tOlerably well if they
had been turned loose in q. picture gal
lery with canvas and box Of
colors2
instruction in fiction writing would
improve the mediocre and perfect the
good. it would not. Of course. make
the hopelessly bad even mediocre. I
know of but one example OF my theory
and a fairly good example it Is Guy
/ de Maupassant was taught to write by
+ Custave FIaubert- For years he was
not permitted to publish, and his crude
efforts we're torn Up time and again.
but finally ne sprang full-agmed upon
the world Flaubert used to talk to
him somewhat like this. You see
that cab horse across the street; there
is lust one word in the French lang
tuage to describe his attitude. Find it,
IF we young writer's who are CROP
ing away in the darkness OF our own
. ignorance could only go to Flau2est
and have our manuscripts torn up, il
we could only be made to find the one
word there would be fewer books in
the world but I believe there would
+ be more masters of technique like Guy
de Maupassant.
THE Last Word by Alice MacGow-
an. a story of the experiences Of a Texas
girl in New York is so largely auto
biographical that reading OF the story
is well worth while because the author
and the heroine VIII be found to be an
interesting person Miss MACEDONIAN
came 10 New York about twelve years
+ ago and took up newspaper work on one
/ Of the large dailies- The newspaper men
] and the people outside with whom she
1 came in contact liked her cheerful,
breezy manner hSe was optimistic
and confident. and had a way Of making
others believe in her. For some time
she wrote special articles for a literary
bureau. one series of these articles
f called "A Texas Girl in New York with
the addition Of a love story, formed the
basis of The Last Word. published
only last fall
THE fourteen years which have
+ elapsed since Matthew Arn0ldfs death, !"
writes Mr.. Herbert Paul in the "Euglis
Men OF Letters Series have added
greatly to the number Of his readers,
especially the readers of his poems. NO
poet OF modern times, perhaps no Eng
iish poet OF any time. appeals 50 d.
reetIy and so exclusively 10 the cult
waited taste Of the educated classes. To
say that a classical education was
necessary for underSta nding him would
perhaps be to go too far. But capac-
ity for approaching form and style the
. charm of rhythm and the beauty OF
words, is undoubtedly essential It may
be said Of Mr. Arnold with truth, and
1t IS his chief praise that the more
widely mental culture spreads the
higher his fame viii be he was not,
indeed. a profound thinker. He did not
illuminate, like Wordsworth, with sin
gle fash the abysses of mans nature,
and the Utmost recesses of the human
soul. He was not, as Plato was, spec
tat0r of all time and ali existence. his
aim was, as he said of Sophocles. to see
life steadily and see it whole But he
saw it as a scholar and a man of letters
He interpreted greater minds than his
own He almost fulfilled his ideal He
+ knew so far at least as the western
world is concerned. the best that had
been said and though in all ages
Next to Milton, ne was the most learn
ed Of English poets
z W. Townsend Of Chinmie Fadden
fame. has Just completed q novel Of
western and New York life, which VIII
be published in book form early next
month. The story is quite different
from anything which Mr.. Townsend has
done heretofore involving q set Of PEG
pie who win out in the struggle for
wealth in the west and come to New
the principal western character is cloud
ed by an injustice to the family Of an
old friend. 50 that the play Of conflict
ing emotions throughout the course ct
the story makes a worthy subject Of
treatment in the study Of character.
Those who have read the entire manu-
script say that the picture Of life IN
New York city is unusually good This
judgment is just what one would ex-
peet from Mr.. Townsend The novel
ought to have considerable sale
HERBERT BREW SIER-