“Affectionately yours,
“E. Lynn Linton.”
I had sat between her and Beerbohm Tree at the first performance in England of “Hedda Gabler,” which I had seen Ibsen rehearse in Christiania shortly before in his slow pompous manner.
To understand humanity is a work of intelligence, and Mrs. Lynn Linton had that gift in a marked degree. She was a woman of strong individuality.
CHAPTER VIII
JOURNALISM
FROM other people’s work I must return to my own. As is Fleet Street compared with Hyde Park, so is journalism with the authorship of more lasting literature.
To would-be scribblers I would say journalism is a bagatelle in comparison with the production of a book. The main axiom for a book is Write what you know about. If you live with dukes, don’t write about the slums. If you live in the slums, don’t write of dukes.
Don’t write unless you have something to say. For the papers, matter is more important than style. Aim at telling something interesting in an interesting way. Keep it short and crisp and to the point. Never mind rejection. Introductions to editors are of no avail. They generally retard. Work of merit always finds its niche, so peg away till you get the right thing and fit it into the right corner.