New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-29
Literary Incomes.

The GraPkie says that the authors Of this
country who have made any money worth
speaking Of, are distinguished by their
paucity. Those who are most eminent.
nnquestionably the best. have earned the
least.
Ralph Waldo Emerson. universally &C.
knowledged to be the most original. it not
the profoundest. thinker in America or on
the globe-one OF the intellectual kings Of
the century-has not made. directly. by his
books land he has been studying and toll.
ing cease,essly for seventy years. at the
most liberal es innate, over $50 900. If he had
worked one fifth as hard and zealOusly at
almost anything else. he would be in far
better circumstances today.
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
Ete: would have come to positive want had
nothing but his peerless books stood be.
tween him and his daily needs. He deemed
himself fortunate when such a creation as
the "HGuse of the Seven Cables or the
"Scarlet Letter. or the marble Faun,"
yielded him $4,000 to $4,000. He gave the
thought. the suffering, the experience, the
culture OF many years to each of his works.
and behold his monetary reward! A single
commercial transaction would have carried
more dollars TO his purse.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is indie.
pendent in circumstances, tor his poems are
extremely popular on both sides OF the
sea. But he owes more to careful manage
ment OF his affairs than to his muse, who
has never brought to his exchequer much
beyond $4,000.
James Russell Lowell, 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
She comfortable income he enjoys. He is
aware literature keeps devotees on crusts,
therefore he has long spaces in his wOOng
and munches pate de toie yras instead.
William Cullen Bryant is often placed at
the head of American bards. but his inspira-
ton costs him unwearied palms. and fortune
has been too kind to demand sacrifice of
time and peace to the tuneful nine. His
wealth comes from a prosaic source, the
Ereniny Post. of which he is one of the
principal owners. There are no hexame-
tiers in the Post, no Homeric smiles, no idyl-
lie pictures; but its dividends are under.
stood to be always regular and eminently
satisfactory.
Oliver Wendell Holmes is clever poet,
a delicate humOrist, charming philoso.
pher; and the poetry and humOr and philos-
Ophy of his literary career lie in the fact
that he need not look for bread in his ink.
stand. Poverty may be the nurse Of genius:
but she is dry nurse at best.
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 "Kathrinas," or Bay Paths"
He first clinked the coin while he was part
owner of the Springfield Massachusetts,
He has large interest in
Scr,bner's Monthly and $4,000 salary as
of public schools. COnse. |
luently his ducats come from business. and !
his deniers from his bucolics.
Thomas Wentworth Higgnson, contem. |
poraneOus classic. is SO tastidious and con-
,cientious that he spends two months on |
article. and seldom earns by |
writing over $500 year.
James Parton. prince Of biographers and |
! capital magazlnist. can not count. from |
III sources. more than $1,000 per annum.
George H. Boxer has a private fortune.
Charles G.. Leland depends on Hans |
3reitman" and other yapidities only tor his |
ager and pretzels.
Bret Harte refers 20 the "Outcasts of |
Poker Flat and the ''Luck of Roaring |
amp" for hie guarantees of the future.
Edmund Clarence Stedman looks to Wall |
treet for the meeting of both ends; Richard |
Henry Sroddard TO the department Of docks;
herman Melville TO the customhouse; Mark
vain TO his reputation as theOlogian.
In truth. all literary men who have bias
q favor Oi living must live by other means
han pure literature. TO earn $4,000 year
J the maximum for the best of US. and this
eouires wear Of nerves and strain of
rain that may not be long endured.