LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9022, 7 February 1895, Page 3

LITERARY GOSSIP.

There was a pleasant little gathering at the Authors' Club recently to do honour to Mr Anthony Hawkins, or, as he is batter known to fame, "Mr Anthony Hope," whose clever works have won for him a place in the very front rank of modern writers of fiction. Mr Hawkins, in acknowledging the compliment paid to him, drew a vivid picture of the curiosity that had been awakened in certain quarters as to his habits and methods of work, and excited considerable merriment by frankly confessing that his only system of writing was to shut himself up in his room and to cudgel his brains until an idea came.

The New York Nation states that the four novels most sold in the United States within the last few months have been Mrs Ward's "Marcella," Meredith's "Lord Ormont," Hall Caine's " Manxman," and Dv Maurier's " Trilby." Our contemporary points ont to American authors that the interest of these books does not turn on two or three characters, wire drawn to the vanishing point.but resides in the generous amplitude of the life they picture. " They do not try to float themselves on a new trick of dialect, or on personal eccentricities, or any of the other little happy thoughts which it seems to be the sole function of so many makers ot novels to ' dash down' and turn into a book." No reader can imagine that any of- the novelists named stopped to think what " school" he belonged to and was exemplifying. '• It was enough that he had a tale of human interest to tell, and had taken pains to tell it to the best of his power. The idea of classifying "Trilby" in a school! "No one who reads that book stops to ask himself Whether its author is a romanticist, a realist, a naturalist, a decadent, a symbolist, a veritiat, or what not."

Atalanta for November is a very readable number. The R9V. S. Baring Gould contributes a vivid sketch of Devonshire, as an author's country in connection with Its relation to R. D. Blackmore. He mentions that the Valley of the Doone is, thanks to Mr Blackmore's story, one of the most visited in England, Although the scenery ,is fine, and some rums remain of the cottages that were occupied by the Doones, yet it is not quite what one might expect from the description given of it by the novelist; but then, the Slid is delineated, ie must be remembered, by Jan Rid when a small boy, at an age when there is a tendency to exaggeration of difficulties, and to convert mole hills into mountains, and to turn a dribble into a waterfall. There is no doubt that, about the - time of Cromwell's usurpation, a gang of freebooters occupied the Badgeworthy valley, and maintained itself there for a considerable time; it plundered the farmers in the neighbourhood and waylaid and robbed travellers. At last, on account of an atrocious murder committed by them, the whole country side rose, surrounded the gang, and captured them. They were brought to trial for their . numerous . crimes, and were executed. The story of the stolon heir in *' The Maid of Sker" is based on a real fact connected with ah illustrious North Devon family. Moreover Mr Blackmpre worked into his story the character of a notorious pair of parsons in the same portion of the country. Parson Chowne actually was rector of Knowstoue, and the tradition of bis evil deeds is by no means faded out of recollection. The people tell still of the manner in which ne revenged himself upon any farmer who offended him. He bad two methods. One was to invite tho man against whom he meditated evil to dine with him, when he would ply him with liquor, and when h's guest drove away down a steep and iv wed hill the lynch pin of one of the wheels would como out, and the man lie thrown from hlntrap', and break neck, O' leg, or arm. The other way was-lens severe. He would say before some man whom he could trust, "I wonder bow bad Farmer X. would feel were -his rick to be fired?' Next night the rick would be in flames. Chowno uever eutered'h-to alliance with the Savages of Coleridge, nor did he end his days torn to pieces by dogs, as represented in the novel. Several of the tales told of him In the "Maid of Sker "are, however, true, as is that of his having Introduced an apple-pip into the eye ot a horse that belonged to a baronet of tbe neighbourhood against whom he bore a grudge. The story is told of Parson Chowne that the Bishop of Exeter sent word that he would visit him. Chowne.had a portion of the road dug up and filled with peat water, and then covered over with sticks and furze and a sprinkling of - soil. Tbe Bishop's carriage went in, and tho bishop was upset; but Henry of Exeter was not the man to be stopped by such a matter as a breakdown—not on the road, but of the road—and be - walked forward on foot. " Mr Chowne," said ho, "I've heard strange stories of you." " Wall, my. lqrd," answered the rector, "ao hey I of you.' But, my lord, us be gantlemen, you and I, and us pays'no notice to the chilter chatter ofa.pars'l o' fulos." Nothiqg could b brought home to Chowne. Ha was far too clever a man to allow himself to be caught in his-malpractices. Towards the end of hia days ho resigned his living, and resided In a house of his own.