The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-17

If Daniel Macmillan, the founder, and as
long as he lived. the head of the well-known
firm OF publishers, had been merely success
full business man. it is not likely that THOMAS
HUGHES would have written the memoir now
given to the world tMacmians According to
the bioGrapher. there was something in the
mans personal qualities and character. apart
from his business ability. which took him out
of the ordinary category. No man. we are told.
who ever sold books for u livelihood was more
CONSCIOUS Of vocation more impressed with
the dignity OF his craft and with its value to hui
mainly: and his ideal did not abide in talk bu.
he strove faithfully TO cmbody il in act amid
difficulties which would have dauntcd any but
brave nan. The chief of these difficulties
was lifelong illness Of the most trying kind for
the disease II which he died nj the age of Al
had stricken him before he was 30. and lie was
never n really sound man from that day. Yet
70 tho last h" was as full of interest in the
books he was publishing a5 the authors and
buyers themselves and retained u joyousncss
and playfulnuss in his Intercourse with his
family and friends which made it almost I'm
possible to remember upon how frail a thread
his life hung.
Daniel Macmillan was born in the island of
Arran in the year 1873 His ia her. Duncan
Macmillan was tacksmnn or tenant OF n small
farm. and as ne had IL large family to provide
for, ii was hard to find margin for anything
beyond nocnsSarics out of his earnings. The
surroundings II Daniels eurly yea . were ac-
"pr!ingly OF tn" humb"st. ana il would seem
from passages in his journals and letters that
at times oven food was scarcely abundant
enough in the household. 1t follows that
though n boy Of great ability. and u voracous
reader from his childhood, Daniel had TO con
| tent himself with such learning ~ no could
pick no before tho arc of IL in n common
school Of u small provincial town-even the
little money which seems to be- sufficient to
maintain n Scotch lad at n Scotch University
not being forthcoming in his case. In 1924 he
WAS bound apprentice for seven years to one
Maxwell Dick alb BOOKSELLER in the town Of Irvine
in Argyllshirc. Ho was thus launched in the
career In which he WAS destined to attain such
honorable cminenco
In 1881. when his apprenticeship was cnGed
Daniel Mcmillan obtlin,d situation in Glas-
gov rs clerk to n Mr.. Atkinson. whose book
shop was tho centre Of tho literary society Of
tho place. Here. however. ho contracted the
disease Of tho Lungs which was his lifelong
companion. ani. a.tor Il temporary recovery
he decided 10 leays Glasgow and go up to Lon
don taking with him letters OF Introduction to
the Messrs. Lon.man and other firms in the
book trade. He searched in vain for ON loyment
among the mngnates Of the Row but he at last
obtained an offer Of salary of sixty pounds
a yoar from M,ssrs. Simpkin Il Marshall; "a
tho duties OF the place, however, entailcd n
great doal OF night work. which he was not
strong enough to ,lo. he WAS forced, to his great
sorrow TO abandon the plan OF making his way
In London, AMI fell back upon tho offer Of u
place at Clmhrilgn where. for much lighter
work, he would have thirty pounds u ycar
| and his board. Az Cambridge he applied HIM
self ID his employment with u WILL and al
though tho stock WAS large and mostly ella. -
hod-a Kind Of BOOKS to which he had lot
been usal-ho hal no doubt Of mastering it,
and by Tho end OF his frat year the boy of
twenty one was abln 10 write that no knew
about every book in the shop and was master
Of his trade. In the interval he jonod the
BAPTIST community. Of which his employer was
member. not however. without sidelong
glAncos ut tho splendid ohlpo.s' OF tho col
leScs In which no OCCASIONALLY attends the
most imposing worship you can conceive. 4"
He rom .lnod ut Cambridge three years al
| though tho salary mo rcceivod gave him no
margin for savings, because tho comparative
leisure which his work thoro allowed gave him
opportunities which no could scarcely have got
| elsewhere. His journal and note books ut this
limo wArN filled with thoughts. and rulos on
study ana roaiin.. on meditation and reilec-
ton, fixing tho attention. enlarging the capa-
| city OF tho mind improving the memory ana
80 forth. Interspersod with tbeae arc extracts
from authors ho Is reasling-from Milton,
Andrew Marvel. VolLarr, Gibbon. Boiloau,
rasso. Virgil. and Lander. He made many
friends among the reading mon who froqucnted
tho Cambridge shop. and there arc some indi-
cations Of jealousy on tho part of his employer
on this account. Tho rising man in the uni
versity often passed Mr.. Johnston's dosk to
consult tho Scotch shopman as to their
purchases on to talk over books with him.
Ohe of these tho Dean Of Chester. says:
used constantly to 10 after Hall to talk to
young Macmillan about books. and what | owe
to him in this way il associated with very
definite impression of his kindliness ability.
and knowledge. Whenever l wont to Cam
bridge altorward was always glad Of the OPP
portunity of keeping up tho friendship"
The subject of this biography left Cambridge
ut tho beginning OF 1887. and spent the next six
years in the service Of Messrs. Secey Of Fleet
street at n salary rising from ego to Gl30. Twice
during these years he was obliged to give up all