The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-16
Boston Advertser.)
The Literary Professional Letter
from N. p Willis.

Many years ago young man, barely twenty
one, living in Western State, had sent pc
EN- to Mr.. Willis, then in the height of his
fame. To this day he remembers the thrill
with which he broke the dainty. waxen seal
it was before the days of envelopes-and
rushed into the yard, under the shade of the
great beach tree, to read the letter. 1t was
upon one of the ample sheets of the old times,
and had been written with dashing quill pen
that would have been bettered by sharpening.
But Abou Ben Adhem, when he saw his name
in characters OF gold, could not have felt more
delight.
The letter has more than a personal inter-
est 1t gives view of the labors and hard
ships OF literary men forty years ago which will
be contemplated with something like wonder
by the present generation. But the elders
know the wretched picture is not in the least
exaggerated There was little appreciation of
literature, and no adequate reward for the au-
thor. 1t was the era of milliner's magazines,
and writers got only the "fne words that but
ter no parsnips." 1t was the period when Haw-
thorne could describe himself as ''the obscurest
man of letters in America" The bulk of lite
rary achievement and nearly all literary re.
nown were yet to come. The charm of the let
ter is its genial and hearty sympathy, and its
wise and gracefully turned counsel. Few au-
thors find time to reply, as Willis did, to such
epistles, and few have bad the taste and feel
ing Dotn 10 INSPIRE Sucn one as TINS. LII there
is any satisfaction in the grateful recollection
OF lifetime, Willis might have deeme him
self recompensed for his kind words to an un-
known youth.
WASHINGTON, April 20, 1S46.
MY Dear Sr-Your letter, forwar led to me hero
Il Just received, and hasten to comply with your
request; though young poets ask advice very much
as lovers do after they rrevocably engaged. In
the first place. however, l should always advise
against adopting the literary profession: for at
best, it is like making wagon traces OF your hair,
wholly insufficient for wants which increase as the
power gives way. Your poetry well, matter
about that The poem was judicially condsmned by
the writer thereon many years ago, and duly suf-
fered at an auto ddJe. And as he never gui ty
of any subsequent ndiscretion of that nature it Is
not necessary now to quote (and controv,rt) Mr..
Wlis's fattering prognostications but there are
many men of the same calibre who wouli & on and
starve, up to the empty honor of being remembered
first when dead, were it not that they could turn
their more common powers to account, and live by
meaner industry. Poetry Is an angel in yOur breast.
Of all tcork. As to writing for magazines, that l.
very nearly done with, as matter of profit The
competition of notoriety alone gives the stlitors
more than they can use. You could not sell i iece
OF poetry ow in America The literary avenues
are all oyercrowded nd you canuot live by the pen
except as drudge to newspaper. Notwithstand-
ing all this yeu will probably tfy f.; and all can
say is, you shall have my sympathy and what Ali
can give you. If you should ccme 10 Ne. YORK.
and will call on me. shall be happy to say more
than have time to write.
Yours, very truly,
N. P. WILLIS.