Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-09

To the Editor Of the Spectator: SIR,-I only
venture to intrude upon you because | come, in
some sense, in the interest of public morality,
aud this makes my mission respectable. Mr.
john Camden Hoten, Of London, has, of his
own individual motion, republished several OF
my books in England. | do not protest against
this for there is no law that could give effect to
the protest; and, besides, publishers are not
accountable to the laws OF heaven or earth in
any country, as | understand it. But my little
grievance is this: My books are bad enough
lust as they are written; then what must they
be after Mr.. John Camden Hotten has composed
half dozen chapters and added the same TO
them? | feel that all true hearts will bleed for
an author whose volumes have fallen under
such a dIspensation as this Ii friend OF yours
or if even you yourself, were 10 write a book
and send 1t adnit smoDg the people, with the
gravest apprehensOnS that it was not up to
what it ought 10 be intellectually, how won d
you like to have John Camden Hotten sit
down and stimulate his powers, and drool two
or three original chapters on to the end of that
book? Would not the world seem cold and
hollow to you? Would you not feel
that you wanted TO die and he at rest?
Little the world knows OF true suffer
ing. And'suppose he should entitle these chap
ters HOLIDAY Literature" True Story of Chi
cago," "On Children" Train up Child and
Away he Goes and ''Vengence," and then, on
the strength of having evolved these marVels
from his own consciousness, 20 and Copyright"
the entire book, and put in the title page pic
ture of a man with his hand in another mans
pocket, and the legend "AlI Rights Reserved"
q only suppose the picture still it would be a
rather neat thing.) And, further, suppose that
in the kindness of his heart and the eXuberanCe
Of his untaught fancy, this thoroughly well
meaning innocent should eXpuuga the modest
title which YOU have given your book and re-
place it with SO foul an invention as this
''Screamers and Eye Openers" and went and
rOf hot md bat
on top of all this, he continually and persistent
ly forgot TO offer you single penny, or even
send you copy of your mutiated book to
burn. Let US suppose all this Let him sup
pose it with strength enough, and then he will
know something about woe. Sometimes when
read one Of those additional chapters CON
structed by John Camden Hotten, feel as if
wanted TO take broom straw and 90 and knock
that mans brains out. Not in anger, for feel
none. Oh! not in anger; Dutonly 10 see, that
is all. Mere idle curiosity.
And Mr.. Hotten says that one nom de plume
Of mine is carl Byng." | hold that there is no
affection in this world that makes a man feel so
down-trodden and abused as the giving him
name that docs not belong to him. How would
this sinful aborigine feel ii were to call him
John Camden HOtentot, and come out in the
papers and say he was entitled to it by divine
right? ] do honestly believe it would throw
him into brain fever, if there were not an in
superable obstacle in the way,
Yes-to come back to the original subject,
which is the sorrow that is slowly but surely
undermining my health-Mr Hotten prints I'M
revised, unC0rrected, and in some respects spur
iOus books, with my name to them as author,
and thus embltters his customers against one of
the most innocent Of men Messrs. George
Routedge & Sons are the only English publish
ers who pay me any copyright and therefore, if
my books are to disseminate either suffering or
crime an ong readers Of onr language, would
-, e A.
house, and then | could contemplate the specta-
Gle as the dividends came in. ! am, SIR ETC.,
SAMUEL l.. CLEMENS, C'MARK TwAIN.")
London, September 20, 1872.