The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-07-22

ONION, July 21.-Arthur W
Marchmont, whose stories of ad
venture are popular on both
A sides of the Atlantic. has just
been telling an interviewer some
interesting things about his first efforts
In the gentle art of novel writing. And
in this connection he has quaint story
to relate about an early romance of his
that never was published, but which
aroused quite a feverfSh interest In the
first publisher to whom it was sent
The novel in question was March
mont's second attempt at romance writ
ing. 1t bore the ailuring title, How
We Won 10000 at Monte Carlo" and
il had hardly been dispatched TO a
prominent London publishing house be-
ford It's author received letter from
the head of the firm inviting him to
call. Naturally he was elated, but this
sentiment changed to surprise when the
publisher demanded eagerly. rs this
story true, Mr.. Marchmont2
OF course 1T was the veriest fiction.
but the budding author thought indefi-
niteness the wisest course. and so made
some evasive reply. Whereupon the
man of books explained that the story
was so realistic that he thought 1t must
be true, and if so he was particularly
anxious to get some further informa-
ton about the system" by which tho
10000 had been won! He added naive
ly that his firm was just about bring
ing out Bible, and therefore could
not well bring out gambling novel at
the same time, but just the same he
was nightly keen over Marchmont' 3
mythical system" 49," says March
mont. I'VE discussed the system, and
I brought my MSS. and my disappoint-
ment away with me-.
AS already explained, this Monte
Carlo romance was its authors second
effort in the story-writing way. lie
wrote first what was termed close
study of morbid psychology, and PAID
-. us publication. 1t was reviewed IN
about 100 papers and received both ex-
travagant praise and blame. One re-
viewer, who is now well known as q
man of letters, declared that it would
be read and remembered when the
majority of the then current novels
had long been on the dustheap. An
other pronounced 1t the feeblest OF
trash. Net result" says Mr.. March
mont, "a sale of fifty copies. the loss
of my money. a head half-swollen and
half-withered a very modified opinion
of the infallibility Of reviewers in gen
er;l and a determination to persevere-
Marchnront's next venture after the
Monte Carlo story was a pleading OF
psychology and action. But the action
was not rapid enough to make the
revcholagy 80 with the publishers. and
they all rejected 1t. After that ne
uu.iidoned psychology. morbid and
otherwise, and devoted himself to sto-
ries OF incident and adventure, his first
work in that line. BY Right of Sword.
making quite hit on both sides of the
ATLANTIC.
1t is not generally known that
Thomas Hardy was an architect before
he took to writing novels. That his
first love still claims his attention is
shown by o paper he wrote recently on
church restoration for the Society for
the Protection OF Ancient Buildings
His views on church restoration may
be summed up in a sentence He does
not believe in 1t. II he were a prae-
ticing architect, he says. nothing could
INDUCE him TO tackle the Job of restor-
ing a church. But he has very pro-
nounced notions as to how 1t should be