The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-08-04

are getting It ready for the market. Sales
men look II over and instinctfvely pick II
out for what they call a winner Thus.
In the end. II sometimes happens that
particular story pushes itself to the front
by this subtle and inexplicable process.
1t is a most interesting business. Then
press sheets are sent out to the dealers.
as well as posters and other promotion
matter, and at last the book Ia placed
on sale. After this the newspaper critic
does his worst or his best II the latter.
his review is printed in the publishers
advertisement, for every word of praise
is influential. II 1t is a good story. Smith
will tell Jones' as I have said. and II II
II q poor story 1t will fail to get the ul-
innate personal word Of the reader, and
the campaign SO Enthusiastically inaugu-
rated by the publisher will have been. at
least. partly in vain. The plain people
decide most questions in this country.
They elect books TO public favor as well
as men to public ONCE"
, why has Indiana become a literary
center2"
TT was settled by Puritans from the
Eost and by cavaliers from the South
The result was strength of purpose and
grace of mind. The little red schoolhouse
quickly followed. and literature. like Jill.
came tumbling after. Mr.. Howells has
said that Indiana Is the most distinguished
literary region In the United States, and
Arnold Bennett recently put Indianapolis
on the literary map for all time People
here read books and talk books and write
books. and sometimes get them published.
The story that Failed.
Edward Egsieston, Lew Wallace, and
Maurice Thompson gave US our early
literary atmosphere. Why they wrote
| The Hoosier Schoolmaster.' Ben Hur.'
and Alice of Old vincennes.' and why
many native sons-Riley. Harrington.
AIDE. Nicholson. Mccutcheon. and a noble
| army Of others-have distinguished them
selves as authors rather than as bakers
and candlestick makers Is a problem for
the psychologist and the historian. Lew
Wallace, with his courtly mannrs, his
varied experiences his romantic and dra-
matte attitude toward life, probably in
| spired many an Indiana boy to try his
hand at authorship"
Moreover" j said. he was handsome
ly rewarded In the matter of money"
Ben Hur.' as book and play, made
him a wealthy man. 1t was published in
1850. Thirteen years afterward the Har-
pers are said to have paid him 10000
for his Prince of India 1t is unsafe to
measure the prospective success of
, second book by the known success Of the
first. No man in any work can always
be at his best"
"A single book, Tho Gentleman from
Indiana made Booth Harrington IA
nous"
That's true. But he had been sending
manuscripts around for several years
and promptly getting them back. His
apprenticeship in all respects was liberal
He kept on sending and receiving until
finally he wrote Monsieur Beaucaire, q
short story Of 10000 or 1900 words It,
too. was rejected three or four times, as
remember. Then he wrote The Cen
tleman from Indiana, It was printed in
1899. Beaucaire was published the fol-
lowing year and established its author
with those who had failed to be i'm
pressed by his earlier novel. Some writ
ers have only one story in them. Again,
a new author. full of his subject, sits
down. and with grace, power, and natu-
ralness produces a really excellent story.
the critics praise him, and his readers
write him letters. He sits down again,
but this time he writes for his publisher
to the audience that applauded him. and
to the reviewers. Naturally he IL self
conscious and often turns out failure
Harrington, happily. underwent no such
Transformation"
"And the great American novel;"
I'VE are going to publish it this fali,"
laughed Mr.. Rowland, "and I imagine a
number of other houses will get II out
about the same time. The great Ameri-
can novel has been and is being written
in sections 1 don't mean geographical
sections, but physical One leg has been
written here. an arm there. Some one of
our intellectually has done the head; one
OF our psychologists will do the soul
And then. some happy, far-off day. the
great literary master will come and will
assemble and articulate these members
of one body and breathe the breath of
immortality into them. and 10, we shall
have the great American novel"
Copyright, 1sfz, By James B. Morruw)