New-York tribune., 1919-05-17
BY Rebecca Drucker

Tho figure Of Joseph Conrad Is a
strange and provocative one. 1t grows
to gigantic proportions with the finest
and most characteristic Of his work,
but Its solitude is lnvncible. There is
discriminating and worshipful public,
and following of disciples and inter
prefers, but only Mr.. Conrad himself
can transmit his human quality. The
temptation to see him as q demigod
him.
Some Of the obscurity is rent by a
group Of letters connected with the
publication of his latest novel, "The
Arrow of Gold." In these Conrad sets
forth some Of his own emotions about
this novel and gives us glimpse of
his feelings about his craft.
The Arrow of Gold," he writes or
December 21, 1918, to Mr. Doubleday,
of Doubleday. Page & Co., his publish
ers, "is a subject which | have had in
mind for some eighteen years, but
which l hesitated to take up till now.
This state of mind may to an American
appear very dilatory and Intellectual;
my opinion that work is not to be
rushed at simply because 1t can be
done or because one suffers from mere
impatience to do it. A piece of work
Of any sort is fully justified only when
1t is done at the right time; just as the
potentiality and the energy Of @ fire.
brigade Is justified only when a house
is on fire. To rush out and deluge the
citizens houses with streams of water
simply because the pumps are new, the
organization perfect and laudable
energy must have an outlet, would be
an absurd proceeding and very likely,
give serious offence to the reasonable
part of the public. Some feeling like
this, just as strong but Of a different
order, had restrained me. But having
found the mood / didn't tarry much on
my way, having finished that novel in
about ten months. This for piece of
creation depending so much for it's
truth on actual brush strokes, one may
say, Is rather a short time, especially
as it was also an essay, l won't say in
a new technique (there is nothing new
under the SUM, but in method of pres
entation which was new departure
in j. C.'s art-if such thing as j. C.'s
personal art exists. ] wouldn't like to
have to demonstrate this in set terms;
but some people say that it does exist.
"You have too much knowledge Of
human nature not to understand after
what have said that feel particu-
bar interest in that book, which is so
much of q portraiture of vanished
years, of feelings that had once their
actuating power aad Of people who
probably are all at rest by now I am
sufficiently of democrat to detest the
idea of being q writer of any 'coterie' of
some small self-appointed arstocracy
in the vast domain Of art or letters.
AS matter of feeling--not as mat
ter of business-I want to be read by
many eyes and by all kinds of them at
that. l pride myself that there Is no
sentence of my writing, either thought
or image, that Is not accessible, won't
say to the meanest intelligence (mean-
ness Is matter Of temperament.
rather), but to the simplest intelli-.
gence that is aware of all OF the world
in which we live"
plya disclosure which will seem extraor-
dinary to those who have visualized
Joseph Conrad as an artist aloohy pre-
occupied with the problems of his craft
and neither concerned with not affected
by consciousness of his audience
II accept the favorable omen Of your
pronouncement about the public.
have been always too democratic in my
feelings (if not in my politics) not
W QlSlIhS luLcuSSly tu0 lOca Oh
being the writer Of small and
exclusive circle. I have always wanted
to see my books accepted in the
widest possible sphere of mankind.
Mercenary considerations have but lit
tie to do with that desire, though am
not ashamed to admit that success is
welcome in every way, and mainly as
the outward, sign of recognition.
II think that in all conscience I have
Y I'M
of which you speak SO kindly is the
product Of the twenty-third year of my
writing life. To have moved you to the
expression Of such warm sympathy is
success Of the best kind"
And again:
81 am very much cheered up by your
antic1pations of q popular success. Such
as the book is have done my best for
it, and the rest is for you and the other