Evening journal., 1911-02-03
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Literary Light Who
Scattered His Talent
BY Holland"

At one period in his career Donald
G.. Mitchell, better known to the world
of readers as Ike Marvel, creator OF
"Reveries of a Bachelor" was tempt
ed from his retirement at Edge
wood" his farm, then upon the out
skirts of New Haven. Connecticut to |
assume the editorial management of !
weekly publication called Hearth |
and Home"
Mr.. Mitchell. however found the
post somewhat irksome and further
more that it interfered with the liter
airy work he was doing at home. "Ihe /
editing OF this periodical is Of itself !
not irksome,' he explained, but it en-
tails two or three trips week back
and forth between New Haven and
New York. and for that reason ! have
given II up"
Mr.. Mitchell's successor as editor Of
this periodical was Edward Eggleston.
Like Charles Dudley Warner, of whose
accidental or unexpected success /
told about yesterday, Mr.. Eggleston
suddenly emerged from comparative
! literary obscurity with such sudden
ness and with such dazzling illumina-
ton that he was regarded for n time as
sure to become recognized as a great
| American writer Of fiction. His ven-
Wre, however, was accidental and due
| to an emergency. The story has often
been told. but will repeat enough
OF il 10 illustrate the new anocdote /
am about TO tell.
Mr. Eggleston was disappointed
about not having received a
| serial contribution which he
! expected for Hearth and Home.
Not knowing what to do or
where to go for substitute he deter
mined TO make use of some of his eX-
pericnces as a Methodist circuit rider
in Indiana. He, therefore, on the spur
of the moment almost. wrote the first
installmont of a story entitled "The
Hoosier Schoolmaster" 10 appeared in
1877 and no one was more astonished
az the instant success of this, his first
venture into fiction. than was Mr. Egg
gleston himself It determined his
career. for he decided to take up liter
ature as vocation.
The question has often been asked I:
Why did Eggleston never quite re-
peat his first success2 He had other
successes, but none so pronounced as
his first Why? Probably the best an
swer TO that question was the one once
given by Donald q. Mitchell.
"Eggleston's Hoosier SchoOlmaster,
said Mr. Mitchell was so racy of the
soil. was so evidently true picture OF
Indiana life. and moreover had just
the touch of Illusion that is necessary
for success IN fiction, that IL is no won.
der it gained widespread and we'll de-
served popularity. and that many per
sons looked for subsequent works OF
] that .NTtfIa ~ nrtruI I'm all
spects to the 'Hoosier SchOolmaster.
But Eggleston never quite reached
that high mark, and ne knew It as
we'll as anyone. He explained IT to me
by saying that If it were not for a
versatility which he possessed he un'
doubtedly would have made a greai
career as a writer of American fiction
His versatility, however, haunted him
He could write good fiction. he could
write good history, he could write gooC
biography II he had been able to con
centrate himself upon any one Of these
departments OF literature. he was sure
that he would have gained high mea
sure Of success. My versatility is the
bane of my literary life,, he told me
and it is my impression that in saying
that he was an accurate critic OF him
self And after he had said that h'
added and I could see that it came
from the heart.
"'If were ever called upon to give
any counsel to a young man ambitious
to gain literary success, l would mos
surely and earnestly say to him
STUDY my career, and be warned b,
it. Don't scatter your abilities. Con
centrate them upon one department o
literature Then, if you do not sue
ceed you may be sure that Literature
Is not your vocation
! Copyright, 1911. by 2. J. Edwards. Al
rights resrved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
''The NeurOlOgists Who Became Nov
elists 20 Gain Rest"