Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THOMAS NELSON PAfGE TELLS OF EARLY DAY Succeeded at First But Later Learned What Rejection Meant-Story De cliued Grew to be a Novel. New York Sun.... ... ... ... ... .. When Thomas Nelson Page submits to being interviewed, which is not *ften, tha task of the interviewer is made eujoyaole not onily by what the author says. but by his manner of say ing it. 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 fection of traditional courtesy and there is so much of geniality in his smile that one must forgive him many questions instead ot just being able to mention a theme at the outset and then *u-t .stEn. 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 a rest at York Harbor, Me. Mr. Page has about completed the en'largement 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 que4tioq, "i 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. "Yes, I have been doing some other work also-some stories-and for some weeks past have been working in a way on a 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, "is 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 se 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 a matter in which I am profound ly interested." "How did you come to write your first book?" "Welil I had always been ambitious to write, .and I had scribbled from the time I was a boy. Just prior to the time of the Yorktown centennial in 1881, when they were talking about a celebration, I got the idea that I should like to 'write up Yorktown for the old Scribnerr'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 ofid home of my family, with a view of bettering my chances for the billet, I sent the editor a story and a poem. The story was accepted and the poem was re turned, though that too was lonfg aft erward accepted a-nd .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 I am still pursuing that course."~ "Do you not send them under your own name?" Ii have written anything that I think worth sending out I 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 ha doesn't appear very eager about it I 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 I have confidence, for though- the edi torial judgment is far from infallible the trained professiona mind, added to a feeling for literature, is some thing for which I 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 tYen T make an effort to bet ter the story." "Is it your experience that editors are apt to differ in their views as to the r erics cf a story?" "O .y s, in every case, as far as I know, there has been a difference, due, I think, to the makeup of magazines. One editor might feel that a certain sort of story would fill a gap in his mwazine, while another might have on hand as many of that kind as he wished. Ther' an editor might take a story at one tim"e and not wish it at another for the same reason. "'Marse Chan' was not published for four years after its acceptance be cause. I believe, the year 188S1 was thought too soon after the War Be tween the Sections to publish a story diealing so exclusively with the South ern side. At any rate that was a -rc.:(Y ma r:e t was nublished ir "He Is a prosperous fL Teiephwo EnimnC A telephone c means convenience user, but it adds vali enable you to sell yo vantage. Telephone can be bad at very Ic Write for our fre Farmers iUne Dep SOUTHERN BELL I & TELEGRAPH 13 South Pryor St., j could not have met with a kinder re ception." "Did you ever write a story that was declined a*id that afterward proved successful?" "Yes, a story that afterward proved as successful I think as any of my others, though the failure to accept it was for reasons such as I have ref ferred to." "Would you care to give an in stance?" "A story called 'Run to Seed,' which I have always esteemed one of the best things I ever wrote, was declined by a magazine because it had in it what the editor termed profanity. No, Ihave never had a completed novel eclined, but my last novrel;, 'John arvel,' was written 10 or 12 years sgo in the form of a short story that would have run through only two or three numbers of a magazine. It was hown to an editor who did not want t, and afterward to another who did. But a condition was attached to its ublication which the second editor id not care to accept, and by this ime the story was beginning to ex nand in my mind in a larger way and Iwas beginning to feel that if I were going to deal with vital problems ol the present day I should use a largei canvas. Accordingly I laid the stor3 by, and eventually it developed into e novel." "Is it your experience that a rea ccurrence suggests a story?" "Frequently. Some one picturesque or tragic incident will talke hold of man and as he begins to revolve it 11 his mind its relation to life at larg1 will assume its due place, and thei when he undertakes to present it il its proper setting, if he would be true to conditions, ha finds a reflectioA o life much broader than that he firs had in mind. I knew of a youni preacher once going and rescuing al lTfortprpte e:ir? in subshttialiy th Marvel.' and I think this was reall: the genesis of the story. "No, there is no especial literar: centre In America as there is in Eng land, at least not in the sense tha London is the literary centre of tha country or Paris is the literary capita of France. From time to time ther have been places or sections whic] might be described as literary cen tres. For example, many years ag. Boston was. Then there grew up il the' South after the war a set of writ ers, who though scattered dealt wit] matters with a Southern setting. No, I am informed by the Sun there is centre to the westward, and I hay not mentioned New York. Tom Ald rich used to say that whenever a lit erary man died in New England th New York papers would assert tha the literary centre of the country haa moved to New York. If it has no already moved hither, in my opinio: the literary centre is eventually to b here, for one reason, if no other, tha this is the centre of publishing. Ther are, of course, many other obviou reasons. "Why New York has not more mani festly become the literary centre C the country in the sense of a Londo: or a Paris. in my opinion, is that on ing to natural conditions New Yor: has given itself up to commerce. an the chief activities here operate s generally to the commercial as t overwhelm other activities. One grea department of 'iterary activity ha made this a centre in its great news papers and periodicals. For the quiet r and more abstract side of literatur T'I mer. He has a telephcoe." flhe Lanid n the Farm not only and comfort for the , ie to the land and will H ur land to a better ad- P N service on the F arm w cost. e booklet. Address artent 'ELEPHONE COMPANY tlanta, Ga. necessary conditions. The time will doubtless come when in the heart of the city there will be the opportunity for men to be sufficiently secluded for reflection, but at present New York is rather like a great market place. "Not that one, if he knows how," hastily added Mr. Page, "can not find In the midst of it now a most charm ing 'literary spirit. For example, not long since in a great downtown res taurant I heard an old man talking of literature in a way that would have charmed Charles Lamb and made Dr. Samuel Johnson smile his approval. About him was the rattle,and roar and splash of 100 tables, at' which every stock on the market was being dis cussed, but Henry M. Allen was among the writers and the poets, and not even De Quincey or CharIes Lamb ever talked more charmingly. "Now York can not be properly termed the -literary centre of the coun try for one reason, because of the vast extent of the colintry itself which makes it impracticable to reach here easily and with little cost, and a liter ary man may be produced anywhere. Then there is the apparent lack of individuality in a great city which woulld be less pronounced in a smal ler place. Men in great crowds rub off their salient features and don't make such obvious material for the purposes of fiction. So many of them Iact alike and look alike .that one in writing a story about New York is apt to be driven for material either to the extreme types of fashionable folk or to the extreme poor. "Still I believe New York must be come a eliterary centre equally with London and Paris, but it will be only when editors and publishers have learned that the news stands are not to be the final tests of literature, and Swhen there shall be some other stan idard among people than that of the 'best seller.' Though, Mr. Page ndded mind being a 'best seller.'" NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT - ANID DISCHABGE. tAli persons holding claims against the estate of James C. Davis, deceased, are hereby requested to render same,~ 1 duly attested to the undersigned, e r - my attorneys, Blease & Dominik, on or > before the first day of January, 1911. t and all parties indebted to the said - estate will make immediate settlement. 1 Notice is hereby given that the un 'dersigned will make final settlement on the said estate on the 8th day of SFebruary, 1911, at 11 o'clock in the - forenoon, and willl immediately there -after apply to the Probate Judge for SNewberry county for her final dis charge as Administratrix of the said estate. t Nellie E. Davis, t Administatrix. SNewberry, S. C., Nov. 28. 1910. 11-29-1taw-6t. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. -All persons holding claims or de mands against the estate of Mary M. Humbert, deceased, are hereby notified to present same duly attested to John M. Khnard or to our attorneys, Messrs. Hunt, Hunt & Hunter, on or before the 27th day of December, 1910. John M. Kinard, Exectors James P. Kinard, Exeutos of the last will and testa mnofMary M. Humbert, deceased. 11-22-4t-1taW. :n ubsrihe for The morpd and frM This Cr ot ................. * - WHICH ABSOLI WITH OTHE Must Be Sei Is toba Has Arrive At Mr. H.' B. V Girls and B Now what a jiffy. Subscrij Begin early an the start, whici Have aLe and Upright Piano .. ..... ... ...*./* - . - I - - - -- - - - .. - . ........... ....... IS OFFERED JTELY FREE R hANDsOME PRIZES mto Be Aappreciated e Given Away by d and On Display' Jell Offce o Frind S. - okll Offic onFend B sy