, 1872-11-25
The Trade Of IElliin>g 1t E';:n;l' and
iixoal-...So Purely Literary Hen
in tho Metropolis.
Bret Harte as a Keeper Of Engagements
---Co1d-Blooded Murder Rem
dered Safe.
Romeo as an Iceberg---Ju1iet as a
Pretty Woman.
An Original Publication.


It wonld hardly be thought that, even IN the
great city Of this Continent, there are no men
who follow literature strictly IS profession. 1t
is not that they object to them, practically.
They cannot depend on it. It may be luxury;
It cannot be a necessity. 10 ire, unless they
have acquired Independence otherwise, they
must have recourse to some regular business
something more directly meeting public wants
or reaectin5 public interests, more closely lden-
tilted with the events Of the day and the hour.
AUTHORSHIP ELSEWHERE.
In and about Boston, few authors seem to
live By their pen; but this is rather in seeming
than in fact. Longfellow has long been in com
Portable circumstances apart from his 1aborH !;
Lowell is almost wealthy By Inheritance; Whittier
has little farm, and subsists in Spartan simple
ity; Emerson lives plainly and frugaly; Holmes
has private means; Whipple is the literary re-
viewer OF newspaper; and 80 with the rest.
In London, many persons of both sexes de-
pend On literature. though not few have Govern
ment positions, or hold the editorial chairs Of
magazines
In Paris, where the newspaper, in any true
sense, does not exist nearly all the literary
men are connected with the press as story
writer's. reviewers. or critics. They are not
Journalists, they are simply literary men en-
ployed On newspapers which have no news.
In Vienna, Berlin, and other leading capitals,
literature has followers, but few davotees, for
the reason that she starves her deyotees, and
would her followers II they came too near. Ihe
German authors usually have places in Unlver~
sities, professions in law, medicine, Or some
specially, to aid them IN keeping the Vol from
tie door. In fact, all the world over, the au-
Thor, unsustained BY other agencies than au-
thorship, ia financially poor devil and ls
forced to help himself, il not to bread, at least
to cake. through other sources.
AUTHORSHIP here.
IN NsH York ia not materially different from
pther cities in this regard; and yet it ls 8
singular fact that literature is not sustain
ing in city where are 80 many rewards and SO
many opportunities tor eyerJ sort o. ae5sasy s,
William Cullen Bryant writes poems and trans
lates "niads" because, having been for nearly
two generations the principal owner Of the
Euening Post, he acquired the means to insure II
dependence also By his interest in the Post
The competency gained by Bayard Taylor comes
largely from his stockholdership in the Tribune
Dr.. J. G. Holland, now editor and part owner 81
interest IN the Springfield (h1Ass.) Republican.
Hardly any kuthor ever accu1nulates any
money and who earns livelihood must look
for it to journalism or something else. William
other poems, is lawyer; SO is Richard B. Kim
ba1l author Of "st. Leger." Richard Grant
White, Herman Melville, and Louis Gaylord
Clark are occupants Of desks in the Custom
ahin in the Department Of Public Docks. Ed
mund Clarence Stedman ia 3 etock~broker; +:
g. Squier, the archmologist, is the editor OF
Frank Leszie's Illustrated -Necs; George Viii
Weeklv. the ssEasy Chair" Of the Monthly, and
the sold Bachelor" Of the Bdzdr. So might
continue to show that every man OF literary rep
ntation in the city owes his subsistence neither
to bis reputation nor his writing talent
TIE WOES OF LECTURERS.
You have observed that James Redpath, OF the
Boston Lyceum Bureau, recently vented his IN
.6ignation against Bret Harte, because the &C.
centric author had failed to lecture in that
been bee advertised to do. Mr. Redpath seems to
be Of the opinion that lecturers, and even men
claiming to be rare geniuses are bound to Keep
their appointments forgetting that Punctual-
ity is vulgar virtue, Which the eommones1 "en
Whist is the use Of thinking oneself genius
If one be held accountable to ordinary rules and
regulations 7
The trouble between Mr. Harte and Mr. Red
path is, as understand it, that the latter made
: number Of engagements for the lecturer at
prices below the figure agreed upon between
them. The engnge1nents under the rate we're
TOR small d+a towns lying tba directly msnass9 on
OF the Bureau thought the !" Heathen Chinee ~
would be glad to accept, and which it 1s common
for Bureaux to make. Alr. Harte TOOK e1cep-
tion to this arrangement, considering that his
services were underEalued thereby, and, IN con-
sequence ordered all his engagements made
With and by A1r. Redpath to be cancelled. This
order, coming too late, in the Judgment of the
Bureau, the lecturer was held to the original
contract. and the contract duly broken
Mr.. Redpath ia very angry with Mr. Harte,
and MIR. Harte equally irate With Mr. Redpath-
They speak Of one another in terms by no
means complimentary, and legal measures are
talked Of as result Of the quarrel Ihey may,
ere long, have recourse- to that desperate
remedy,-card-Hriting
BRET HARTE,
from all I hear is determined to prove that he
has tile eccentricities OF genius at least. Lie 1s
engagements, whether social or Literary, and to
be absolutely incapable Of doing anything at the
time promised. There are those who say that
be has not yet written line OF the lecture he
-1es which were to be published last month are
still in his brain; and that the Play
he was to hare completed ere this
time, for the Fifth Avenue Theatre, remains
but a shadowy outline. II this be true, it is ex-
tremely fortunate for Mr.. Harte that he is a
man Of large wealth, and therefore abundanty
Abie, so far as money goes, to despise publishers,
aud laugh at the absurdity ct Keeping an
engagement. If he should have happened to be
poor and in debt he would be one Of the un-
Wisest OF mortals to take the course which is as
xerted to be his; but, with riches and genius,
NTH fame and undistnrbed self-cousciousness,
--Thy shouldn't 9 fellow obey his own whims,
reckless of justice and the feelings Of others z
We have been having, as you are aware,
ANOTHER DELIBERATE MURDER,
committed by brutal husband in the name Of
sounded honor. The whole secret OF the kill
ing Of Anthony O'Neill BY James c. King seems
to be, that the former had been witness Of the
:lstters cruelty to bis wife, and was willing to
Testify to the feet in Court. King had learned
by numerous -precedeuts that it is entirely safe
,foc' any husband to murder any man, If he pre-
,kend to believe that the selected victim has in
,terfered with his domesticity. Consequently,
he declared O'Nien to have been his wife's
lover, and when he had good opportunity,
stepped behind the poor fellow, and in the most
.eoEardly and cold-blooded manner, shot him
.deEd. =.
: Israt it almost time that some method should
;be devised to stop these infamous assassina-
: :tions2 As the law stands nov, the Life OF any
gentleman is in the hands Of any villain and
;polt1oon who feels an inclination to charge the
81 r-ffrn$