The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-10-27

beaten, or that his drains are out Of
der, unless these facts have at leact -,
indirect bearing on his work? He spsn'js n,
most of his time closeted in his stud
and if he goes out he has a Notebook 81
hand to receive his ideas. Ii he roll
at all, he confines himself TO books haar.
ing on the subject that he is treating !,
his great work. He is absent and 6ra-
occupied in the presence of his wife and
he enlivens 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
for 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 CONVERSE
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
ished, tits submitted to the various mem
bers of the family for perusaL Their
verdict must, of course, always be IA
| vorable. How good, How cleyers HQ}E
amusing. It IS easy enough to praise,
and during long life a 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 wires
TO make suggestions. In such cases,
the wife is put into this awkward posi-
ton. that il she makes suggestions she
is pretty certain to be severely snubbed,
while, if she makes none, she viii 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
iflegible scrawls, or thev even go solar
as to sit in arm-chairs smoking cigars
while their wives write at their dctation.
One of the most trying periods 10
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 a polite note describing |
his regret at being unable to undertake |
the publication renders the unhappy I
writer savage in his family for fort /
night. Or perhaps brown paper par |
eel arrives, containing the precious man
uscript safe and sound, and also q slip /
of paper. inscribed with the magic words /
declined with thanks after the re-
ceipt OF which the disappointed aspirant
Will be quite unapprOachable for some
hours and will uncomfortable for many
weeks When the well-traveled manu-
script has been at last accepted, the
writer falls into n state of ecstasy for
time; but he assumes a bumptiousness
that is not altogether agreeable to near
relations. When the proofs arrive, the
horrors seem TO begin all over again.
The husband shuts himself up for hours
at time, as of old. and everything las
to give way to the great undertaking.
The entertainment of the evenings is to
have the book real aloud from ereal
print, this proceeding being rendered
more attractive by the author constant
y stopping the reader by ..Wait a mo-
nent; if you will give me the proof, l
mink Will altar a word there. . Thers
Ire alSo-frsqucnt pattseS TO ask the sJts>sf--<
nee whether there are not '.too many
witches in that sentence or whether
here ought to be "a comma or
semicolon after the word reliable -
nd the reader is often requested TO be-
i'm again from the top of the page.
The apparently interminable interval
'etween the return of the corrected
roofs and the publication of the book
as no tendency TO make the author
ght-hearted. Tie alternately wonders
Then it will appear and whether he was
1ise in writing it at all. He has almost
educed himself to forgetfulness of the
Thole matter when the book actually ap-
ears. His wife's cares and troubles
hen become very similar TO those of
urse who has charge of ian invalid
entleman." He is put into a fever by
ne absence of any reviews of his work
l the first week after publication; and
-hen no criticisms of it appear in the
rincipal journals for n fortnight, or
erhaps month, he becomes infuriated
18th his publisher, who cannot, he saws,
g taking the slightest trouble about his
Ook. He will also be much irritated if |
g does not receive prompt aud very
Ivorable criticisms from the friends to
hom he has presented copies. He will
ot be able to understand why they have
Ot thrown all other engagements and
on one side and spent their
me in greedily reading his book until
was finished. He will be secretly
lgry again if any of his friends who
rofess to have read it with pleasure are
und by no means to know it by heart
hen put through CiDd-Uoce examina- i
On. 1t may be readily imagined that
lder these conditions the author is
arcely the most amiable and light !
,arted of men in his own family circle. ,
Saturday ReUieD.