Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
ROBINSON CRUSOE LIFE
OF AN ENGLISH AUTHORIZES

Corell appears to have solved satisfac-
tor!ly the problem of how TO be both ia
nous and happy So have Conan Doyle and
several others who might be mentioned.
Hall Game does not impress one as a par
tIcularly happy man. But that is not be-
cause of his success. He does not try to
dodge any fame that comes his way.
Miss Mathers pessmistic reflections on
fame contained in an. article describing
her first success, which OF course was
Comm Thro the Rye" 1t made big
hit and there is still steady sale for it.
The literary aspirant who is willing to take
his chances of getting his happiness knock
ed out by fame will find the story distinctly
encouraging, for It shows that one may
write book which scores great success
although the author thinks it poor stuff at
the time.
Comm Thro the Rye" is really the
story of her own family, and particularly
her own father. She began writing it when
she was a young girl and at seventeen
started a revised version of it. but getting
scant encouragement from her relations,
laid the work aside. II the l,npov-
erishment of the family through her
fathers rash speculations which led to her
taking the work in hand again. Shs
showed some of the manuscript to George
Bentley. a publisher. He tod her to go
ahead with it and finish it in time for that
season. 1t was then April and retiring to
a little house in Ransgate she SIT TO work
writing with feverish energy night and
day. But" she says, Il got terrible
throw-back by happening to read Far
From the Madding Crowd Ii produced
SO great an impression on me that l felt
it impossible to go on writing my rubbish.
and for more than fortnight. though
every hour was of the utmost value. | did
not touch a pen. This necessitated still
ntT llif.at ION To- \, l,.gl
published on the following June 10, and SO
great was the strain that wh@n fell aisle p
| used distinctly to lear a voice saying TO
me, You must get up l wrote the last
part with pain in my head so intense that
| could hardly see the pap +, and after tbs
book published was entirely unable to
sleep"
When she finally sent the manuscript TO
Mr.. Bentley she PROFOUNDLY dis
courag with the work that shh wrote hun
it fell so far short Of what she had hoped
to make it that but fer her promise to
him she would have burned it. And yet
Thomas Hardy whose book had inspired
her with such poor opinion OF her own
literary powers, once tod nor that VII r
ever he went he was sur of finding two
books. the Bible and Comm Thro' this
Rye"
The Duke of Argyll, who has dabblad
good deal in literature and has produc
some passable poetry and extremely read
able essays, is engaged in writing his
memoirs If he is not afraid OF being
cused of indiscreticn h. could produce
an extraordinarily interesting book. From
infancy King Edwards brotherin-law has
been much behind the scenes" OF royalty
Long before M married Queen Victorla's
daughter h was on terms of intimate
friendship with her. He was very much
he did :,
chanc. to writ tne hiographe Of his IA
nous father But the late dGkes widow,
Ina. Duchess of Argyll. also had the liter
ary fever and undertook the work.