New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-17
though it were not true. Independence of circum-
stances makes the man.
H4ETHORNE, FIELDS And WHIPPLE.
T. J.. UIiDuIc IN The dU,,nf;c

r..
I'm his dealings with writer's, Fields was always
genial and full 81 hope for the success of their books
when they themselves might be dependent. At
through the press was permitted to read the proof
sheets The circumstances under which the work
lie had been dismissed as Democrat from his
position in the Salem Custom House after the cleo
ton of General Taylor to the, Presidency. To
prominent Wing politician FIELDS addressed earn
est responsiveness against the cruelty of the act,
why. the fact is, Mr. Fields" was the answer,
your literary man, that you make such noise
about, is understand one of these ere visionists"
fIclds quoted the remark to me, and then laugh
iingy proposed that We should run down to Salem
70 vSt the ylsionlst" 1t was characteristic of
was sceptlcai as to its success. He had failed so
fiten IN obtaining any large popular recognit on, of
letter" would share the fate of the "Twicc-'rold
I9ies' 1t was therefore we'll that two young men,
whose minds were specially stirred by ITS latest OK
preston should break in upon his solitude that
ency Mrs; Uawtiorne. the very impersonation of
hone and cheer,-tbc Phoebe, as always Thought, of
- The, House of the Seven Cables" Joined us
heartily in the attempt to make the great romanccr
ierl that he had produced work which would not
only , make deep and Immediate impression on the
pubc mind, but live as long ~ American literature
existed. His grand face and brow gradually
lshtca up as he ranght little of the contagon of
our enthusiasm and we left him somewha, chccrcd
as to the prospects of his book. OF literary vanity
he was entirely destitute. Indeed, he liked Anthony
Irollope novels better than his own 1t has been
Scarlet Letter." published 1t first an edition of only
5000 copies This statement overlooks the fact
that an edition of 5000 copies was ut that period
equivalent to ten fifteen thousand copies now. An
s,ni'on of a thousand copies of the Twicc-rold
Tales, printed some years before, still suficed
meet the public demand for tho book.
one thing always puzzled me i'll reference to
Fields. aud that how he cOntrved to get time
to attend to his own affairs. His place of business
always seemed throng2d with visitors. Some
dropped Ill to have chat with him. and they
dropped III every day; others had letters of intro
dnction, and were to be received with particular
tested his patience and good-nature. On some fore
Moons he coal hardly have had half an hour to
himself Then he was continually doing kindly
acts which required the expenditure of a good deal
singuiarly orderly and mcthodicai business man.
lie made up for The hours he lost, was robbed Of
by accustOming himself to think swiftly and dccitc
quickly on business matters. AT any rate, there
leisure enough for ilttle fun. Thus, | remember
that a common acquaintance of ours calling upon
hun one day AZ his Office, immediately accostod
with the remark 49," That was rather hard
"hlpolc, wasn't itf WhatY' "Oh thought
YOU must have heard of it, He was invited to Well
fleet TO lccturc,-doWn on Cape Cod. You know. He
went IN tshing Suao X. tossed about in the bay
four days in SNOW storm. horribly sca-Sick all the
voyage, hut arrived in time 10 lecture. Wellect
ordinarily pays its lecturers $40: he was paid five
in n counterfeit BILL
In ms journeys abroad Fields made the acuuaint-
ance oi most of the English writers of the time,
and his correspondence and conversation regarding
them showed "A keen perception of theI individual
italy and in one of his letters he quoted "A saving
of landors in which the barbaric element IN his
large nature burst forth in ITS hluntrSt EXPRESSION
The conversation TUNED on "A London lady to whom
agcly exclaimed. "Whv, she's the worst woman
ever kncw-cNccpt my WIFE"