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IV. WITH OUR TYPICAL NOVELISTS
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 Edwin and Ethelinda Afterthought—Husband and Wife—In their Delightful1 Home Life.
 
It was at their beautiful country place on the Woonagansett that we had the pleasure of interviewing the Afterthoughts. At their own cordial invitation, we had walked over from the nearest railway station, a distance of some fourteen miles. Indeed, as soon as they heard of our intention they invited us to walk. “We are so sorry not to bring you in the motor,” they wrote, “but the roads are so frightfully dusty that we might get dust on our chauffeur2.” This little touch of thoughtfulness is the keynote of their character.
 
The house itself is a delightful old mansion3 giving on a wide garden, which gives in turn on a broad terrace giving on the river.
 
The Eminent4 Novelist met us at the gate. We had expected to find the author of Angela Rivers and The Garden of Desire a pale aesthetic5 type (we have a way of expecting the wrong thing in our interviews). We could not resist a shock of surprise (indeed we seldom do) at finding him a burly out-of-door man weighting, as he himself told us, a hundred stone in his stockinged feet (we think he said stone).
 
He shook hands cordially.
 
“Come and see my pigs,” he said.
 
“We wanted to ask you,” we began, as we went down the walk, “something about your books.”
 
“Let’s look at the pigs first,” he said. “Are you anything of a pig man?”
 
We are always anxious in our interviews to be all things to all men. But we were compelled to admit that we were not much of a pig man.
 
“Ah,” said the Great Novelist, “perhaps you are more of a dog man?”
 
“Not altogether a dog man,” we answered.
 
“Anything of a bee man?” he asked.
 
“Something,” we said (we were once stung by a bee).
 
“Ah,” he said, “you shall have a go at the beehives, then, right away?”
 
We assured him that we were willing to postpone6 a go at the beehives till later.
 
“Come along, then, to the styes,” said the Great Novelist, and he added, “Perhaps you’re not much of a breeder.”
 
We blushed. We thought of the five little faces around the table for which we provide food by writing our interviews.
 
“No,” we said, “we were not much of a breeder.”
 
“Now then,” said the Great Novelist as we reached our goal, “how do you like this stye?”
 
“Very much indeed,” we said.
 
“I’ve put in a new tile draining—my own plan. You notice how sweet it keeps the stye.”
 
We had not noticed this.
 
“I am afraid,” said the Novelist, “that the pigs are all asleep inside.”
 
We begged him on no account to waken them. He offered to open the little door at the side and let us crawl in. We insisted that we could not think of intruding7.
 
“What we would like,” we said, “is to hear something of your methods of work in novel writing.” We said this with very peculiar8 conviction. Quite apart from the immediate9 purposes of our interview, we have always been most anxious to know by what process novels are written. If we could get to know this, we would write one ourselves.
 
“Come and see my bulls first,” said the Novelist. “I’ve got a couple of young bulls here in the paddock that will interest you.”
 
We felt sure that they would.
 
He led us to a little green fence. Inside it were two ferocious10 looking animals, eating grain. They rolled their eyes upwards11 at us as they ate.
 
“How do those strike you?” he asked.
 
We assured him that they struck us as our beau ideal of bulls.
 
“Like to walk in beside them?” said the Novelist, opening a little gate.
 
We drew back. Was it fair to disturb these bulls?
 
The Great Novelist noticed our hesitation12.
 
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “They’re not likely to harm you. I send my hired man right in beside them every morning, without the slightest hesitation.”
 
We looked at the Eminent Novelist with admiration13. We realized that like so many of our writers, actors, and even our thinkers, of to-day, he was an open-air man in every sense of the word.
 
But we shook our heads.
 
Bulls, we explained, were not a department of research for which we were equipped. What we wanted, we said, was to learn something of his methods of work.
 
“My methods of work?” he answered, as we turned up the path again. “Well, really, I hardly know that I have any.”
 
“What is your plan or method,” we asked, getting out our notebook and pencil, “of laying the beginning of a new novel?”
 
“My usual plan,” said the Novelist, “is to come out here and sit in the stye till I get my characters.”
 
“Does it take long?” we questioned.
 
“Not very. I generally find that a quiet half-hour spent among the hogs14 will give me at least my leading character.”
 
“And what do you do next?”
 
“Oh, after that I generally light a pipe and go and sit among the beehives looking for an incident.”
 
“Do you get it?” we asked.
 
“Invariably. After that I make a few notes, then go off for a ten mile tramp with my esquimaux dogs, and get back in time to have a go through the cattle sheds and take a romp15 with the young bulls.”
 
We sighed. We couldn’t help it. Novel writing seemed further away than ever.
 
“Have you also a goat on the premises16?” we asked.
 
“Oh, certainly. A ripping old fellow—come along and see him.”
 
We shook our heads. No doubt our disappointment showed in our face. It often does. We felt that it was altogether right and wholesome17 that our great novels of to-day should be written in this fashion with the help of goats, dogs, hogs and young bulls. But we felt, too, that it was not for us.
 
We permitted ourselves one further question.
 
“At what time,” we said, “do you rise in the morning?”
 
“Oh anywhere between four and five,” said the Novelist.
 
“Ah, and do you generally take a cold dip as soon as you are up—even in winter?”
 
“I do.”
 
“You prefer, no doubt,” we said, with a dejection that we could not conceal18, “to have water with a good coat of ice over it?”
 
“Oh, certainly!”
 
We said no more. We have long understood the reasons for our own failure in life, but it was painful to receive a renewed corroboration19 of it. This ice question has stood in our way for forty-seven years.
 
The Great Novelist seemed to note our dejection.
 
“Come to the house,” he said, “my wife will give you a cup of tea.”
 
In a few moments we had forgotten all our troubles in the presence of one of the most charming chatelaines it has been our lot to meet.
 
We sat on a low stool immediately beside Ethelinda Afterthought, who presided in her own gracious fashion over the tea-urn.
 
“So you want to know something of my methods of work?” she said, as she poured hot tea over our leg.
 
“We do,” we answered, taking out our little book and recovering something of our enthusiasm. We do not mind hot tea being poured over us if people treat us as a human being.
 
“Can you indicate,” we continued, “what method you follow in beginning one of your novels?”
 
“I always begin,” said Ethelinda Afterthought, “with a study.”
 
“A study?” we queried20.
 
“Yes. I mean a study of actual facts. Take, for example, my Leaves from the Life of a Steam Laundrywoman—more tea?”
 
“No, no,” we said.
 
“Well, to make that book I first worked two years in a laundry.”
 
“Two years!” we exclaimed. “And why?”
 
“To get the atmosphere.”
 
“The steam?” we questioned.
 
“Oh, no,” said Mrs. Afterthought, “I did that separately. I took a course in steam at a technical school.”
 
“Is it possible?” we said, our heart beginning to sing again. “Was all that necessary?”
 
“I don’t see how one could do it otherwise. The story opens, as no doubt you remember—tea?—in the boiler21 room of the laundry.”
 
“Yes,” we said, moving our leg—“no, thank you.”
 
“So you see the only possible point d’appui was to begin with a description of the inside of the boiler.”
 
We nodded.
 
“A masterly thing,” we said.
 
“My wife,” interrupted the Great Novelist, who was sitting with the head of a huge Danish hound in his lap, sharing his buttered toast with the dog while he adjusted a set of trout22 flies, “is a great worker.”
 
“Do you always work on that method?” we asked.
 
“Always,” she answered. “For Frederica of the Factory I spent six months in a knitting mill. For Marguerite of the Mud Flats I made special studies for months and months.”
 
“Of what sort?” we asked.
 
“In mud. Learning to model it. You see for a story of that sort the first thing needed is a thorough knowledge of mud—all kinds of it.”
 
“And what are you doing next?” we inquired.
 
“My next book,” said the Lady Novelist, “is to be a study—tea?—of the pickle23 industry—perfectly new ground.”
 
“A fascinating field,” we murmured.
 
“And quite new. Several of our writers have done the slaughter-house, and in England a good deal has been done in jam. But so far no one has done pickles24. I should like, if I could,” added Ethelinda Afterthought, with the graceful25 modesty26 that is characteristic of her, “to make it the first of a series of pickle novels, showing, don’t you know, the whole pickle district, and perhaps following a family of pickle workers for four or five generations.”
 
“Four or five!” we said enthusiastically. “Make it ten! And have you any plan for work beyond that?”
 
“Oh, yes indeed,” laughed the Lady Novelist. “I am always planning ahead. What I want to do after that is a study of the inside of a penitentiary27.”
 
“Of the inside?” we said, with a shudder28.
 
“Yes. To do it, of course, I shall go to jail for two or three years!”
 
“But how can you get in?” we asked, thrilled at the quiet determination of the frail29 woman before us.
 
“I shall demand it as a right,” she answered quietly. “I shall go to the authorities, at the head of a band of enthusiastic women, and demand that I shall be sent to jail. Surely after the work I have done, that much is coming to me.”
 
“It certainly is,” we said warmly.
 
We rose to go.
 
Both the novelists shook hands with us with great cordiality. Mr. Afterthought walked as far as the front door with us and showed us a short cut past the beehives that could take us directly through the bull pasture to the main road.
 
We walked away in the gathering30 darkness of evening very quietly. We made up our mind as we went that novel writing is not for us. We must reach the penitentiary in some other way.
 
But we thought it well to set down our interview as a guide to others.

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1 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
参考例句:
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
2 chauffeur HrGzL     
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机;v.为…开车
参考例句:
  • The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
  • She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。
3 mansion 8BYxn     
n.大厦,大楼;宅第
参考例句:
  • The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
  • The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。
4 eminent dpRxn     
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的
参考例句:
  • We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
  • He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
5 aesthetic px8zm     
adj.美学的,审美的,有美感
参考例句:
  • My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
  • The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。
6 postpone rP0xq     
v.延期,推迟
参考例句:
  • I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
  • She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。
7 intruding b3cc8c3083aff94e34af3912721bddd7     
v.侵入,侵扰,打扰( intrude的现在分词);把…强加于
参考例句:
  • Does he find his new celebrity intruding on his private life? 他是否感觉到他最近的成名侵扰了他的私生活?
  • After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗,我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 peculiar cinyo     
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
参考例句:
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
9 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
10 ferocious ZkNxc     
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的
参考例句:
  • The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
  • The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
11 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
12 hesitation tdsz5     
n.犹豫,踌躇
参考例句:
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
13 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
14 hogs 8a3a45e519faa1400d338afba4494209     
n.(尤指喂肥供食用的)猪( hog的名词复数 );(供食用的)阉公猪;彻底地做某事;自私的或贪婪的人
参考例句:
  • 'sounds like -- like hogs grunting. “像——像是猪发出的声音。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
  • I hate the way he hogs down his food. 我讨厌他那副狼吞虎咽的吃相。 来自辞典例句
15 romp ZCPzo     
n.欢闹;v.嬉闹玩笑
参考例句:
  • The child went for a romp in the forest.那个孩子去森林快活一把。
  • Dogs and little children romped happily in the garden.狗和小孩子们在花园里嬉戏。
16 premises 6l1zWN     
n.建筑物,房屋
参考例句:
  • According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定,场内不准饮酒。
  • All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行,不用送到外面去做。
17 wholesome Uowyz     
adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的
参考例句:
  • In actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.实际上我喜欢做的事大都是有助于增进身体健康的。
  • It is not wholesome to eat without washing your hands.不洗手吃饭是不卫生的。
18 conceal DpYzt     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽
参考例句:
  • He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
  • He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
19 corroboration vzoxo     
n.进一步的证实,进一步的证据
参考例句:
  • Without corroboration from forensic tests,it will be difficult to prove that the suspect is guilty. 没有法医化验的确证就很难证明嫌疑犯有罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Definitely more independent corroboration is necessary. 有必要更明确地进一步证实。 来自辞典例句
20 queried 5c2c5662d89da782d75e74125d6f6932     
v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 );询问
参考例句:
  • She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事?”琴向觉民问道,她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
21 boiler OtNzI     
n.锅炉;煮器(壶,锅等)
参考例句:
  • That boiler will not hold up under pressure.那种锅炉受不住压力。
  • This new boiler generates more heat than the old one.这个新锅炉产生的热量比旧锅炉多。
22 trout PKDzs     
n.鳟鱼;鲑鱼(属)
参考例句:
  • Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
  • We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼,早饭时吃了。
23 pickle mSszf     
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡
参考例句:
  • Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
  • Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。
24 pickles fd03204cfdc557b0f0d134773ae6fff5     
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 );处于困境;遇到麻烦;菜酱
参考例句:
  • Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
25 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
26 modesty REmxo     
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素
参考例句:
  • Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
  • As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后,谦虚使人进步。
27 penitentiary buQyt     
n.感化院;监狱
参考例句:
  • He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。
  • While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候,她的父亲死了,家庭就拆散了。
28 shudder JEqy8     
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
参考例句:
  • The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材,他浑身一阵战栗。
  • We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。
29 frail yz3yD     
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的
参考例句:
  • Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了,身体虚弱,不便独居。
  • She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上,看上去特别虚弱。
30 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。


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