Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-21
LTTBRafRr INCOMES.

The authors Of this country who have
made any money worth speaking of, are
distinguished by their paucity. Those who
are most eminent, unquestionably the best,
have earned the least.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, universally ac-
knowledged to be the most original, ii not
the profoundest thinker in America or on
the globe-one of the intellectual kings of
the country-has not made, directly, by his
books (and be has been studying and toll
ing ceaselessly for several years. at the
most liberal estimate, over 100000. If he
had worked one-filth as hard and jealous
ly at almost anything else, he would be in
far better circumstances to-day.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the finest
artists and rarest geniuses of his time, ad-
mired and loved wherever our language is
read and where is it not ? was poor all his
life; would have come TO positive want,
had nothing save his peerless books stood
| between him and his daily needs. He
| deemed himself fortunate when such a Gre
alton as the "Honse of Seven Cables" or
the "Scarlet Letter." or Il "Marble Faun,"
yielded him $1,000 or $1,000. He gave the
tn ought, the suffering, the experience, the
culture of many years to each of his works,
and behold the monetary reward! A sin
gle commercial transaction would have
carried more money TO his purse.
Henry Wadsworth Longfelow is inde-
pendent in circumstances, for his poems
are extremely popular on both sides of the
| sea. But he owes more TO careful manage
ment of his affairs than his muse, who has
never brought TO his exchequer much be-
| yond $4,000.
James Russell Lowell, a master of the
English tongue, a strong and lofty singer,
! second TO none as a brilliant essayist is in
debted TO other sources than his genius for.
the comfortable income he enjoys. He is
aware literature keeps devotees on crusts,
therefore be has long spaces in his wooing
and munches ''pate de foie gras" instead.
William Cullen Bryant is placed at the
head of American bards, but his inspiration
costs him unwearied pain and fortune has
been 10 kind too demand sacrifices of time
and peace to the tuneful Nine. His wealth
comes from prosaic scource, the Evening
Post of which he is one of the principal
|
| Post no Homcric smiles, no idyllic pic
lures but its dividends are understood to
be always regular and eminently satislac-
tory.
Oliver Wendell Holmes is clever poet,
delicate humorist, 4 charming philoso.
phcr; and the poetry and philosophy of
his literary career lie in the fact that he
need not look for bread in his inkstand.
Poverty may be the nurse of genius but
she is dry nurse at best.
Bayard Taylor has been !uckier than
most authors but, after travelling all over
the world, and speaking score of tongues,
be has found his best investment at the
corner of Nassau and Spruce streets, New
York, and the plain English OF the Tri-
bune dividends the most forcible and agree
able of oflanguages.
DR.. Holland, neither above nor below the
average appreciation, and therefore popu-
lar, is very comfortable in worldly goods.
But he has not filled his Golfers by "Bitter
Sweets" or "Eathrnas," or "Bay Paths"
He first cinked his coin while he was part
owner of the Springfield Republican he
has a large interest in Scribner's Monthly,
and $4,000 salary as superintendent OF
public schools Consequently, his ducats
come from business, and his deniers from
his bucolics.
Thomas Wentworth Higglpson, con.
temporaneous classic, is so fastidious and
conscientious that he spends two months
on magazine article, and seldom earns by
writing over $4,000 year.
James Parton, prince of biographers and
a capital magazinist cannot count from all
scources, more than s. 900 per annum.