Conan Doyle Talks (article 13 october 1894)
Conan Doyle Talks is an article published in The Chicago Record on 13 october 1894.
Conan Doyle Talks
TELLS SOCIETY ABOUT NOVELS.
Guest of the Twentieth Century Club at the Higinbothan Home — His Views of Contemporary Writers — Was a Society Event.
Dr. A. Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, stood before an ultra-fashionable audience gathered last night in the dainty little theater which occupies the third floor of H. N. Higinbotham's residence and told something about fiction and fiction writers. It was the occasion of the thirty-third meeting of the Twentieth Century club.
The audience had all been stated for some moments when Dr. Doyle appeared on the miniature stage with George E. Adams. Every one began to applaud, as much from surprise, it seemed, as from appreciation, for Dr. Doyle looks little like the ordinarily accepted ideal of a literary man He is not small, he does not wear spectacles and his head is not too big for his body In fact, he is just the opposite. Imagine a tail man with huge, square shoulders and 2 round face marked with a good, ruddy. English glow, his broad shirt bosom surmounted at the top with a roll collar, under the edges of which a white tic has been crimped, an aldermanic diamond lashing at the center of the expanse of white and a blood-red handkerchief thrust carelessly into his vest, and you have Dr. Doyle, novelist.
Forgot About His Manuscript.
As he stood waiting for the applause to subside something very like a blush of appreciation heightened the color of his face, and then, after waiting a moment for President Adams to formally present him, he began to read his address. At first his attention was pretty closely confined to his manuscript, but after he became warmed up he forgot all about. it and talked right out in a frank, pleasant way, frequently peppering his remarks with little sallies of humor of the kind in which Sherlock Holmes often indulged. In fact, the whole bearing of the novelist indicated that he found pleasure and satisfaction in living, and there was often a wholesome ring of hope in the future and faith in mankind in his words.
His topic, "Facts About Fiction," led him all over the ground of contemporary English literature. and he spoke appreciatively of many of the later novelists, whose works are beginning to be heaped up in the book shops. Although he never said a word about Dr. Doyle it was evident from the hopeful way in which he spoke of the opportunities before the younger generation of writers that he felt sure of his own future.
"In the literary life of a country," he said, "lies its greatest glory. Yet there is nothing so difficult to judge as the work of a man's own generation. There are So many brilliant flashes of genius that it is hard to tell what is ephemeral and what lasting. The history of literature is largely one of unredeemed pledges — a meteor is often taken as a fixed star".
Compared the English Novelists.
Confining his remarks solely to contemporary English novelists Dr. Doyle took up the names one after another and estimated their claims to greatness and their prospects for writing books which will live. Frequently the speaker read extracts from those of the authors whom he most appreciated, and he told in the modest way which characterized his whole address of his own conversations with well-known writers. He thought that no living writer could equal either Dickens or Thackeray, but that Hardy and Meredith both approached them in their own diverse ways. Of all the novelists mentioned Robert Louis Stevenson received the highest praise-the writer both of successful long and short stories and "the man who has done more to model the thought and expression of younger writers than any living author"
He said that Kipling was a marvelous master of the art of telling short tales, but that he had never yet shown his ability to paint on a larger canvas. Miss Olive Schreiner came in for a very high commendation, Dr. Doyle calling her book, "The Story of an African Farm," one of the greatest books ever written by a woman. He said that J. M. Barrie had a keen insight into the life of the Scotch and that his books had "all the eternal value that lies in truth," and were beautiful for their magnificent simplicity " In short stories he thought "Q," Mr. Quiller Couch, had few equals, and that Hall Caine wrote with "Victor-Hugo-like force." He mentioned briefly several lesser literary lights — W. Clark Russell, I. Zangwell Maarten Maartens, Stanley Weyman, Gilbert Parker and Anthony Hope.
About Novels with a Purpose.
The "school of lady novelists" came in for passing note, and, evidently referring to Mrs. Humphrey Ward, the lecturer preached a little sermon about novels with a purpose. He thought the true sphere of the story was to amuse. It was not necessary to draw life accurately, else where would "Gulliver's Travels" and "Faust" be? and the public would allow the author to choose his material where he liked, with the only reservation that it be amusing and interesting He thought that if a writer wanted to teach he should write out his opinions in little essays by themselves and not mix them up with his story. Those who wanted essays could have them, and those who only wanted stories could have them. This "gift of silence" as to his opinions the lecturer said was one of the greatest traits of Stevenson's. When he writes a story he effaced himself completely. reserving his personal opinions for expression elsewhere. Du Maurer, the author of "Trilby," was merely mentioned.
The Reception a Society Event.
The gathering was some thing of a society event. many prominent men and women being in attendance The guests were received in the ball-room on the third floor Mrs. George, E Adams. Mr. Chauncey Blair and Mrs. Frederick W. Becker assisted Mrs. Higinbotham in receiving. Two hundred guests were present.
Supper was served in the dining-room after the address. The tables were decorated with pink chrysanthemums. Among the guests present were Messrs. and Mesdames:
- Cyrus H. Adams
- A C Bartlett
- William R Harper
- Henry S Pitch
- Albert B Dewey
- George L Otis
- E A Lancaster
- Charles L Hutchinson
- Chauncey Keep
- John Barton Payne
- James B Wallet
- Clarence I Peck
- Martin A Ryersor
- Chauncey J Blair
- George E Adams
- Charles D Hamill
- John W Ela
- Thomas Dent
- James R McKay
- L C Collins
- Noble B Judab
- Elbridge G Keith
- John Wilkinson
- L S A Sprague
- Ferdinand W Peck
Mesdames
- W. K Nixot
- Julia Holmes Smith
- H M Wilmarth
- Sarah H Stevenson
- Charles Hitchcock.
Tells of His American Tour.
Dr. A. Conan Doyle arrived in Chicago yesterday morning and washed away the stains of travel before submitting to the host of interviewers. Being thus refreshed, he was himself again and received his callers in his apartments at the Grand Pacific hotel with courtliness and cordiality. His younger brother, Hay Doyle, was with him, and frequently assisted the doctor's memory on minor details.
"I arrived in the country Tuesday, week,"
he explained, in answer to a question, "and after spending several days in New York we went to the Adirondacks on a shooting trip — though we didn't shoot anything. I was very much interested in the Adirondacks, for I had read a good deal about them before I wrote my story of 'The Refugees.'"
