A Publisher Mn. FREDERIC WnvrE writes a charming preface to
his life of William Heinemann. Before introducing his hero whom we are to see through the eyes-of a group of friends-- and, we had almost said, enemies—he takes his readers into the publishing world of the 'eighties—the world of the three volume novel and the yellow back. It was .not Until" 1890 that William Heinernann appeared upon the scene to-revb. lutioniz' it' with his high ambitions, his systematic 'methodi of work; his untiring energy, his smartness and shrewdness, his "touch of the gambler;" and his " real enthusiasm- for -
good work." • - -
His 'father, a- Hanoverian Sew, hail settled at Surbiton,- kmg before William was born, but he gave his son' a cosmos politan educatioii and destined him for the musical professiOn: William, however, decided Rif himself that 6 lacked creative power, and took to publishing The intimate aketchei Of his nianyalded personiility, Of'Which the Wok' is' composed; while in a sense cOntradictiiik, leave the reader with' a very, clear outline of an attractive' rather than' an admiiible charie=; He' . . . ter. He put a great deal of imagination into his -Work. It seems to .have been true 'as Miss Tefinkion Jease us thatfor him ." the Area& More' than fhe blisiireSS " on the other hand, as is SO' often the case in his-race, dream and 'business flowed on tOgether: He 16-irecl genitis and who loVed a " -best seller." For the-- sort of self-advertiser Who " would haire made a colossal fortune selling pills " he had unbounded admiiation. These sort of people belieVe- themselves, he said, in a way 'Which really able people edet do. All the same he was prepared to lose by the " really able " man, paying homage to art even before he sought his own interest. Many great writers of to-day owe to him their first chance.
The most vivacious of men—" when he was talking he was so noisy that he seemed to be a crowd "—he yet was not what an Englishman means by " cheery." There was something very overbearing' about him. and he was prone to :quartet yet he kept friends with many writers Who broke. off &inn him so, far Ss. business relations "were concerned, because the friction of these relations became unbearable. Prone .to Win love, he was popular with women, though as we are told in one reminiscent chapter " there was something- comic in his -ardoins, -and one who .knew him well " Said to me she didn't believe that any woman had ever" loVed him" His marriage- was -a tragedy, fOr hill brilliant pretty * _ Itali wife was too much:like him. Metaphorically speaking,- she shouted him down, lacerated his vanity and. made him feel " one of the duller guests in his own hotise." Also she spent his money and drove him Wild:with' jealotisy: So finally he divorced her All the same " Willie moped 'for her to
the end of his life." • - . .
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