Thestreamscanbecrosseddry-shod，keltsareplunginginthepools，butevenkeltswillnotlookatafly。Now，bywayofapleasantchange，anicynorthwindisblowing，withgustsofsnow，notsnowenoughtoswellthelochthatfeedstheriver，butjustenoughsnowasthetouristsaidofthewaterintheRiverStyx
\"toswearby，\"orat!TheFieldannouncesthataduke，whorentsthreerodsonaneighbouringriver，hasnotyetcaughtonesalmon。
Theacrimoniouslydemocraticmindmaytakecomfortinthatintelligence，but，iftheweatherwillnotimproveforaduke，itisnotlikelytochangeforamerepersonofletters。ThusthedevoteeoftheMusesisdrivenback，bystressofclimate，uponliterature，andasthereisnothinginthelodgetoreadheiscompelledtowrite。
Nowcertainlyonewouldnotlackmaterial，ifonlyonewerecapableoftheartoffiction。Thegenesisofnovelsandstoriesisatopiclittlestudied，butIaminclinedtobelievethat，likethepearlsinthemusselsoftheriver，fictionisabeautifuldiseaseofthebrain。Something，anincidentoranexperience，orareflection，getsimbedded，incrusted，intheproperlyconstitutedmind，andbecomesthenucleusofapearlofromance。Mr。MarionCrawford，inarecentwork，describeshishero，whoisanovelist，atwork。Thisyounggentleman，byaseriesoffaultsormisfortunes，hashimselfbecomeacentreofharrowingemotion。Twoyoungladies，toeachofwhomhehasbeenbetrothed，areweepingouttheireyesforhim，orarekneelingtoheavenwithdespairingcries，orarehardeningtheirheartstomarrymenforwhomthey\"donotcareabawbee。\"Thehero\'saunthascommittedacrime；
everybody，infact，isindespair，whenanideaoccurstothehero。