The Portland daily press., 1880-09-15
Mr.. Payn at Home.

Literature and tea have this bond OF affinity,
that both before purchase must be submitted
to ''taster." The casters" name is kept as
secret as possible: but it oozes out sometimes.
Mr.. James Payn is "taster" to firm of some
renown, and his custom during the afternoon
is to "taste" the various works submitted to
the house with a view to publication. Hence
his friends have compared him with the dead
ly upas or literary .elder tree, which blights
hope. health and genius with the odious 'Not
suitable or do not see our way" which all
but the small percentage of very successful
authors have encountered during their career.
1t is position of power, but all but the most
patient or good-humored of men would break
down under the long agony of reading eternal
manuscript to which the "taster'' is doomed
In addition to the writing of three-volume
novels, which he turns out at the rate of one
and half per annum. and the Tasting" of
others productions Mr.. Payn gets through an
infnity of literary work of various kinds. He
frequently writes articles in the Nineteenth
Century and turns out a humorous story near
ly every month for Belgravia; he is said to
write many of the light articles in the Times
in the season of vacation, and is special corre-
SpOnuSnt IOf newspapers III mclDOurut, IurlS
and New York. 1t is difficult to believe that
all this work is got through by the apparently
easy-going gentleman who appears always to
be telling stories and making jokes at the Re-
form Club; but the fact undoubtedly remains
that it is done.
1t is done on the system, the fashion
which was set in this country by Dickens and
followed by Mr.. Anthony Trollope. of work
ing for so many hours, or doing certain mini
mum quantity of work every day. 1t was tried
long ago in France by Heine and afterward by
Alexandra. Dumas. Everybody recollects
poor Heine's complaint that nothing filled his
mind with such pr ofound melancholy as the
sight of number of sheets OF fair white paper.
| The elder Dumas had plan of counting the
number OF slips he ought to fill and sticking to
his work till it was done; Dickens had fixed
time to sit at his desk WI, ther he produced
much or little "copy'; and Mr.. Anthony Troll
iope has minimum OF quantity Mr.. Payn,
following the system of these great masters, de-
votes the three hours between ten and one ev-
ery day to the composition OF original imagi-
native matter, as distinguished from tasting"
compilation, and such contemplating and
reading as journalists are compelled to under
go.
His day is curiously mapped out. Believing
in much sleep as an absolute necessity for per-
sons employed in brain work. he sleeps, as
many would think, an extravagant time. Of
thoroughly domestic habits, he eschews even
ings from home, loving to eat his dinner with
| his wife aud the seven daughters who, with his
young son, compose his family. Shortly after
the evening post comes in the last pipe is
lighted, and at 10 o'clock the whole household
is wrapped in slumber. The industrious nov-
elist does not appear till O'Clock the next
morning. and by 10 he has read his newspapers,
breakfasted, and is seated in his tasting" Of
| tice with the design, however, of giving the
| first three hours 10 original composition, mann
| ly at stories, short long. 1t is curious ex-
| emplifcation of the "serial" system so much
| in vogue among US, that he has never pub
lished but one novel except in serial. But
this industrious and prudent writer does not
| permit himself, as some OF the greater writers
of serials nave formerly done, to be run race
| by the printer. All his novels are finished be-
| fore IL line OF them is printed; so that he is
| never hurried nor anxious concerning them;
| the dread of illness or ot ''breabing dowD new
| or presses upon him. There is another adv.in-
| tage in this habit OF having all written before
it is delivered to the printer it gives AN excep-
| tional opportunity for making arrangements
| for advance sheets with distant colonies and
| such remote spots as Japan.-London World.