THOMAS HABDY AT HOME.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 98, 28 April 1894, Page 4

THOMAS HABDY AT HOME.

In an illustrated interview with Thomas Hardy which appears in the Young Man for Marcb, the novelist declares that it is by no means difficult to write a short story. "I like doing a short story occasionally," he says, " if only as a relief to the tension of writing three-volume novels. In the midst of a book one is chained to one's task, so to ;speak; even if you .are not under contract to finish it by a pertain time,«the fever of composition' is upon you, and nothing can be enjoyed till the last chapter is finished. Since some promising young men write only short stories, there has been a theory that they require greater art. But to my mind that is absurd. "With a ehort story you have simply one episode to deal with, and it cannot possibly call for as much effort or for moro art than a number of incidents standing as cause and effect in their relation to each other." Mr Hardy does^ not believe in the idea of a I man's imaginative powers beconvnaturally exhatisted. "I belie- .mg says. "that if he liked amf .ye," ho on writing till his pir- ,a could go gave out, Most tao- • /steal strength selves prematurel -a exhaust themficial—their r *y by something arti-; and Dick' manner of living— Scott Hugo,' -<ns, for example. "Victor lor- .on the other hand, who was so ".^ m exile, and who necessarily Jived » very simpi c life mu(jh Q' f hstime, was wntinpr as well aa OVOI. th n/I "*•** 8°;od old a Se* So too wascariy lo>lf>eexcept £ i 8 philoso. S* , ■** interesting part of him. wr- tp?XPl&t secret is, perhaps, for a .-,• to be content with the life ho as leading when ho mado his first success ; uot to enter into a constantly increasing round of social pleasures and gaiety." Mr Hardy regards the drama as an inferior form of art, and does not seem inclined to write another play. " The actors and actresses," ho says, " may put into or take out; of the play almost as much as the author, not altogether in words, but in characterisation. When I went with Barrie to see his play ' Walker, London,' it was most awkward. I would laugh at some lioe or ether and say, 'Ah, now, that's good.' * Oh, that's not mine, that's Toole's,' Barrie would mournfully reply. • There is a good deal that is fresh since I was here last!" The objections to " Tess" have come, Mr Hardy thinks, "from .■wives who have played th® part of -.* ...

Tess without telling their husbands, and husbands who have played the part of Alex without telling their wives," "Tess" is founded on events which actually happened in a family which is now living, although some of the novelist's indignant correspondents, are quite unaware of the fact. '1 he old house of the D'Urbervilles in which Tess makes her confession on the day of her marriage with A ngel Glare, is but ten miles from Max Gate. It ia known, not as '• Wellbridgo House," but as Woolbridge House. Mrs Hardy keeps a book in which she records the names of the people and tho places in her husband's books. From these we learn that by " Budmouth." Mr Hardy means Weymouth ; by " Wintonchester." Winchester; by '• Melchester. '' Salisbury ; while the original of " Sandbourne" was Bournemouth. " Ab a rule, ' says Mr Hardy, " I think it iB a mistake fT a man to begin publishing when bo's vory young. A man's first efforts are almost sure to be imitative. Wbat was my own beginning? Woll, 1 scribbled from tho ago of 16, but my first book was uob published till 1871. lho first thing of mi no whioh saw the light was a short papor iv ' Chambers' Journal,' wbich I oalled " How I Built Myself a House.' writteu when I was still designing churches with Sir Arthur Bromfield. I question tho advisability of journalism as a training for the literary men. It destroys tbe spontaneity, I am afraid, of his impressions, leads him to tako too arofessional a view of life. If I. bad threo or four novels before me — ono by a journalist, auothor by an engineer, and another by a far mer — I would baok either of the latter against the journalist's for real, genuine iuterest aud freßhuesß."