The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-11-16

ihuch trouble, has been lost, perban
never 20 be regained. 1t is needless +,
add that much literary occupation. 20
ileFed by but little fresh air and eynrc;s 20
Is most likely cause of dyspensia Nov
1he combination of an original mind an,
a9yspeptic boly may be highly favor
aole to amusing writing of a pmoent
anu sarcastic nature, but it is far from
pclng equally favorable to domestic han
plness. Another thing that detract,
from the sociabilitv of literary hushanG
IN his habit of relapsing the ideas thai
1eiase 10 be invoked in the study begin
W ilo" In the draWing-room or dining.
ROOM and literary husband when hi,
IDEAS are ION the fiow'' is an object
sacred from disturbance When in that
celestial condition he is doubtless worthy
Vi great reverence, but he can scarcely
De called an amusing member of society
There are many living creatures that
are nuisance in house. A nauobtv
boy Is one, NANCY dog is another. a
third is an early student of the violin
oue' OF all domestic nuisances, a man
VINO IS writing a book is, to our mind,
the worst. Ii he is writing it as a mat
Ter OF business, he is an unmitipated
pore. He thinks of nothing else. What
Is 1t to him that the country is Involved
IN war, that the Ministry have been
beaten, or that his drains are out of or
der, unless these facts have at least an
lhairect bearing on his work? He spends
most OF his time closeted in his study.
and If he goes out he has a notebook at
hand to receive his ideas. 1.-The reads
at all, he confines himself to books bear
| ing on the subject that he is treating in
his great work. He is absent and pre-
occupied in the presence of his wife. and
ne enllyens her nights by talking in his
sleep On the subject of his book. If he
IS writing it for pleasure rather than for
business, he is an even greater nuisance.
Tor then he not only makes it his own
amusement. but expects those about him
to make it theirs also His book, its
present and future contents, must form
the leading topic of conversa-
ton in the family, if he is
to be kept in good humor. As every
half dozen pages of cramped, blotted.
and much-corrected manuscript is fin
lshed, it is submitted to the various mem
bers of the family for perusal. Their
Ferdlct must, OF course, always be fa-
Vorable- How good! How clever! How
amusing. 1t is easy enough to praise,
and during a long life wife may de-
clare that each new specimen of her
husbands scribbling is the best; but
literary husbands have sometimes an
unfortunate habit of asking their wives
to make suggestions. In such cases,
the wife is put into this awkward posi-
ton, that if she makes suggestions she
is pretty certain to be severely snubbed.
while, if she makes none, she will be
accused of taking no interest in the all
important work. Worst of all, some
literary husbands expect their wives to
write out fair copies of their stilted and
llleglble scrawls, or they even 60 so far
as to sit in arm-chairs smoking cigars
while their wives write at their dictation. |
One of the most trying periods to
wives of literary husbands is that during
which the bundles of manuscript are |
travelling about from publisher to pub
Usher. The husband can scarcely sleep |
at night, SO anxious is he about the con-
tents of the mornings post-bag. OF
course many days or even weeks elapse.
before the first publisher gives his YER
dict. AT last q polite note describing
his regret at being unable to undertake
the publication renders the unhappy
writer a savage in his family for fort
night. Or perhaps a brown paper par
eel arrives, containing the precious man
1script safe and sound, and also a slip
'f paper, inscribed with the magiewords
declined with thanks" after the re-
'eipt of which the disappointed aspirant
Will be quite unapproachable fer some
hours. and will be uncomfortable for many
weeks. When the well-traveled manu-
script has been at last accepted, the
writer falls into a state of ecstasy for a
lme; but he assumes a bumptiousness
hat is not altogether agreeable to near
citations. When the proofs arrive, the
lorrors seem to begin all over again.
The husband shuts himself up for hours
It time, as of old, aud everything has
0 give way to the great undertaking. ,
he entertainment of the evenings is to ,,
ave the book read aloud from real
rint, u this proceeding being rendered
nore attractive by the authors constant
7 stopping the reader by "Wait mo-
1ent; if you will give me the proof, I
hink l will altar word there" There {
re also frequent pauses to ask the audi |
nee whether there are not s'too many
in that sentence or whether
1ere ought to be ga comma or I
semicolon after the word .reliable'," L
nd the reader is often requested to be-
in again from the top of the page. 2
The apparently interminable interval
etween the return of the corrected f.
roofs and the publication of the book I
as no tendency to make the author h
lie alternately wonders Y
hen it will appear and whether he was n
ise in writing it at all. He has almost !
,duced himself to forgetfulness of the a
hole matter when the book actually ap- a
ears. His wife's cares and troubles q
zen become very similar to those of a n
lrse who has charge of ''an invalid v
He is put into a fever by 4
le absence of any reviews of his work o
the first week after publication; and r
hen no criticisms of it appear in the a
'incipal journals for fortnight, or h
,rhaps a month, he becomes inflriated