The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-12-09
THOMAS NELSON PAGE
TELLS OF EARLY DAY
Succeeded at First But Later Learned
Wat Rejection Meant-Story De-
cIined Grew to be a Novel.

often, the task of the interviewer is
made enjoyable not only by what the
author says but by his manner of say
ms 1t. Much as Mr.. Page dislikes
the prcnoun of the first person, and
opposed as he is to talking about him
self in print, his is so nearly the per-
lection of traditional courtesy and
there is so much of geniality in his
smile toat one must forgive him many
questions instead Of just being able
to mention a theme at the outset and
then ;u:t !,ste1i.
Mr. and Mrs. Page have just got to
New York on their way to Washing
ton, after dividing the summer be-
tween a trip to Europe and rest at
York Harbor, Me. Mr. Page has about
completed the enlargement of his
monograph on Gen. Robert E. Lee,
thus making over the work into a
biography.
'My reason for rewriting the mono
graph" said Mr.. Page in answer to a
queS Stio4, "is that the English re-
viewers, when the book was published
over there a couple of years ago, said
that it would have been more COM
plete If I had given the military side
of Lee, on which his great reputation
was founded, as fully as I had en-
deavored to give the personal side.
eyes, I have been doing some other
work also-some stories-and for
some weeks. past have been working
in a way on novel. No, there isn't
anything I could say about it except
that it is along rather new lines for
me. My idea," Mr. Page continued,
els to try to cover in my books as
completely as I am capable of doing
the evolution of society in America,
and in doing this, while my books are
not written in any chronological Sc
quence, I try to take things that
strike me as most vital in society
at least as they catch me in the pro-
gression of society-just as they deal
with matter in which I am profound
ly interested.''
"How did you come to write your
first book?'
*fWen I had always been ambitious
to write, and I had scribbled from the
time I was boy. Just prior to the
time of the Yorktown centennial in
1881, when they were talking about a
celebration, l got the idea that /
should like to write up Yorktown for
the old scribner|s s Magazine. This
magazine had published some verses
of mine in negro dialect two or three
years before, and when I applied for
the privilege of writing the article on
Yorktown, which was the old home of
my family, with view of bettering
my chances for the billet, I sent the
editor story and poem. The story
was accepted and the poem was re-
turned, though that too was long aft
erward accepted and published. The
story was 'Marse Chan"
DID you go through the usual
course of having manuscripts return
ed?'
"Not in the beginning at least, so
far as magazines were concerned,
though I did in the case of some news
papers, and I have since gone through
that course with magazines. In fact
I may say that am still pursuing that
course"
ssDo you not send them under your
own name?'
'iEcg. always It IS this wa: Whom
J have written anything that I think
worth sending out T am likely to try
it on an editor, making it very clearly
understood that he must not take it
unless he wants it, and if he doesn't
appear very eager about it am like
ly to let the manuscript soak for a
little while and then go at it with a
fresh eye. I am speaking of a special
editor or two, in whose judgment
have confidence, for though: the edi-
toria1 judgment is far from infallible
the trained professional mind, added
to a feeling for literature, is some
thing for which have great respect. .
do you always rewrite in such a
case?"
'The cases in which I rewrite are
not very numerous, but I always try
to ascertain why the editor is not as
ardent about the story as I have hop
ed, and ten I make an effort to bet
ter the story"
SIS it your experience that editors
are apt to differ in their views as to
the r, ariJs cf a story?'