SOMETHING ABOUT R RISING AUSTRALIAN AUTHORESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 13

SOMETHING ABOUT R RISING AUSTRALIAN AUTHORESS.

Special to the Otago Witness Christmas Number of 7895.

tARDLY a month now passes but records the success of an Australian in some particular walk of life, and the annals of athletics, science, art, literature, and the drama, include many names of which thi- young country may be justly proud. Does rowing absorb your attention? Then memories of Henry Searle will immediately come to mind, and a feeling of pride that James Stansbury holds the world's championship to-day. Is cricket your hobby ? But yesterday and the single colony of South Australia lowered the colours of Stoddart's strong representative English team, and George Giffen has again proved, himself the doughty cricketer of many a hard-fought game, the pride of Australia, if not the champion of the world. In music, Madame Melba, Ada Crossley, and young Ilutchinson are charming the English critics; as in the drama Pattie, Browne, and Nellie Stewart are delighting the theatre-goers of the Old Country and America respectively. And in literature, new writers are appearing every day ; ten years ago, and Marcus Clarke was the only Dame ever mentioned in association with Australian fictional literature. To-day we know and are proud of Kolf Boldrcwood, Ada Cambridge, Mary Gaunt, Mrs. Blitz, and A. Donnison ; and quite recently a new writer has made her debut — a young lady of 22, Miss Ethel Sibyl Turner. Miss Turner is the first successful Australian writer of those charming young people's books, which in America are associated with the names of Frances Hodgson Burnett and Louisa Alcott. Her bright little books," Seven Little Australians,"' with its sequel " The Family of Misrule " and •' The Story of a Baby," have been received with such flattering notice from the Press, that further particulars about the volumes, their author and publishers, cannot fail to be of considerable interest. This is supplied by an interview with Mr. William Steele, the representative and founder of the Australian branch of the business of the well-known firm Ward, Lock, and Bowden, who is kind enough to furnish us with the following information, none the less interesting because in the form of an interview: — " It is a little over two years ago," remarked Mr. Steele, "since the manuscript of 'Seven Little Australians' was forwarded to me from Sydney. I get a great many manuscripts one way and another, but most of them, I am sorry to say, have not sufficient merit to arouse interest or a desire to negotiate for publication. But I had no sooner read the first fifty lines of this story, when I felt that I was perusing the work of a writer of unquestionable genius and rare ability. The opening sentences —

" ' If you imagine you are going to read of model children, with perhaps a naughtily-inclined one to point a moral, you had better lay down the book immediately and betake yourself to " Sandford and Merton " or similar standard juvenile works. Not one of the seven is really good, for the very excellent reason that Australian children never are ' —

at once excited my curiosity, and offered quite sufficient inducement to go right on to the following excellent introductory paragraphs: — " ' In England, and America, and Africa, and Asia the little folks may be paragons of virtue ; I know little about them. " ' But in Australia a model child is — I say it not without thankfulness — an unknown quantity. " ' It may be that the miasmas of naughtiness develop best in the sunny brilliancy of our atmosphere. It may be that the land and the people are young-hearted together, and the children's spirits not crushed and saddened by the shadow of long years' sorrowful history. " ' There is a lurking sparkle of joyousness and rebellion in nature here, and therefore in children. " ' Often the light grows dull and the bright colouring fades to neutral tints in the dust and heat of the day. But when it survives playdays and school-days, circumstances alone determine whether the electric sparkle shall go to play will-o'-the-wisp with the larrikin type or warm jhe breasts of the spirited, single-hearted loyal ones who alone can advance Australia.'

" And in a very short time the doings or the Seven, including the tragic end of the delightful, heroine, Little Judy, were completely known to me. As a rule, I prefer to submit stories for the consideration of the London House, but here was a tale which I felt sure would be highly appreciated in England and America, and I therefore had no hesitation in making such terms with Miss Turner as were mutually satisfactory." " And what did your Home people think of your investment ? "

" They were thoroughly satisfied with the work. I learned that our reader's report was very favourable, and our managing director, Air. Bowden, wrote me that he was exceedingly pleased with it." "You did not publish it immediately?" " No. Mr. Bowden was about to visit the United States, and he was anxious to make good arrangements for its simultaneous publication in America and England. Perhaps you are not aware that copyright can only be obtained in the country of the great Republic by compliance with this condition, together with the separate production in the States of the edition intended for sale in that country." " Were the illustrations drawn in England?"' _ " Yes. We selected the best artist in London for children's subjects, Air. Alfred J. Johnson, who has done very good work in this particular department. Of course, it is very difficult for an English artist to whom Australia is unknown to depict our surroundings accurately ; but my wife is making a stay in the Old Country just now, and the sketches being submitted to her she was abie to point out anything incorrect. The twenty-six pictures are excellently done, and Australian newspapers have spoken very highly of them. Aiiss Turner was well pleased with them, and has written the artist expressing her satisfaction." " Is the book doing well in England ?" " Yes. A second edition has been printed, and the press notices have been very satisfactory. The Saturday Review says: ' A capital story, charged with incident of a lively and stirring kind, in which children play some interesting parts.' The great London Daily Telegraph says: 'There are not wanting passages of true pathos and vividly picturesque descriptions of Australian scenery ' ; and the Scotsman says : ' Young people will simply revel in the story.' " " What about America ? " " Well, at present I can tell you nothing ; but I feel certain that the country which has given us tS Little Lord

Fauntleroy," ' Little Women and Good Wives," Helen's Babies,' and ' Uncle Tom's Cabin " will appreciate Australia's contribution to children's literature."

" It is said that a prophet has no honour in his own country. How has Australia received the first work of its young authoress ? "

" Splendidly. 1 could not have wished for a heartier reception from the Australian press. The leading papers of each colony have positively vied with each other in the kind things they have showered down upon this little work. The Argus — 'Studied from life. A .strain of Australian dash and wildness in their temperament.' Sydney Morning Herald — ' Unexceptionable, healthy, gay, and innocent in tone.' Sydney Daily Telegraph — ' Will rank with the best of its kind.' Bulletin — ' A clever and charming narrative/ Town and Country — ' They are genuine creations of flesh and blood." And I could quote a score of others all in the same vein." *

" I note you refer to the volume as a story of child-life. Is it simply a child's book ? "

" Not at all, and we are very anxious that it should not get into what is known as the juvenile groove. It is a book for young and old, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and as Mr Gilbert puts it ' their cousins and their aunts.' Indeed, I cannot do better than quote the words of the South Australian Register critic, for his references to the book are very happily put — 'Has the power to relax the hard lines round the mouth of the man of business, bring a soft light into the eyes of the worried matron, and set the sniall fry chuckling with huge delight.'"

" Can you tell us anything ab)ut the authoress likely to interest our readers ? "

" Aliss Turner is a petite lady of 22. Although English by birth, the greater half of her life has been passed here. She is ever ready to subscribe herself ' An Australian,' for she loves the country. Step-daughter of Mr Charles Cope, of the Lands Department, Sydney, she was educated at the Girls' High School, where she went in 1883, receiving a scholarship, won at Entrance Examination, from the hands of the late Dr. Badham. She passed the junior and senior examinations at the University, and was several times head of the school, but a school magazine which she edited, took up much time that might have been devoted to classics and mathematics. Aliss Turner intended to go on to the University for a degree, but the school magazine had given the aspiring young litterateur and her sister such a love for writing that they together brought out a magazine called The Parthenon. This was kept up for three years, until March 1892, when the sisters, weary of the responsibilities and tired of journalism pure and simple, decided to give it up. Miss Turner next wrote a large number of short stories that were published in the Bulletin, Town and Country, Daily Telegraph, Illustrated Sydney News, and other papers. = Then she became ambitious of writing a book, but decided first not to go beyond a children's story, tales for young folks having always been to her liking, 'Seven Little Australians' is the result of this resolve, and, after four months' work, it was finished in October 1893. Since then 'The Family of Misrule ' and ' The Story of a Baby ' have met with an equally favourable reception, both at Home and in the colonies."

The sister above referred to — Miss Liliaa Turner — has also written a story, entitled 'The Lights of Sydney,' which gained a prize of .£SO offered by VLessrs Cassel and Co. So there is every prospect of a successful literary career for each of these gifted young ladies, now that the first rung of the ladder has been mounted.