New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-05
JULIAN HAWTHORNES NOVEL.
FINAL UTTERASCE As TO FORTUNES FOOL
FROM THE AUTHIR.

FINAL UTTERASCE As TO FORTUNES FOOL
FROM THE AUTH n.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: The allusion to my affairs in last Sundays
cable letter from your London correspondent re-
minds me OF your kind suggestion to inc the other
day, and. with some reluctance avail myself OF It,
cannot indeed, but feel 1attered that question
concerning novel OF my own writing should attain
suoh international importance as to demand re-
peated discussion by submarine telegraph; Dut
feel, mt the same time that almost enough Das Deeh
said, aud that ought in fairness to allow oppor-
tunity for the transmission of other news OF gen.
eral Qf inferior) interest. The gst OF the charge
against me seems to be breach OF contract on INV
part with the English publishers OF nv novel,
Fortunes Fool" After having received payment
in full for what engaged to write | neglected. 10
complete the work. turned q deaf ear to all rcinoh
sfrances. and, abandoning my publishers to tho IN
dgnatiOn OF their readers. caously applied myself
to other matters. This is tine accusation.
Now. my written agreement with my Englisn
publishers sets forth that am TO furnish them win
serial story OF certain length for their magazine;
that they are to pay me for it 600 in oil. aud mat
this sayment is to be maze in sums corresponding
70 the length of the various instdments that
from time to time send in to them. Subsequently
Grafton of further payment Of f10O | was TO
make over to the publishers all my English rights
in the book after 1t should appear In book-form;
but that on tho other hand, $50 should be de-
Quoted from this grand total of 5000, in consdera-
ton of the fact that tho various instruments were
wrttcn in advanc, Of the time that 1t was possible
TO publish them IN the magazine.
liz accordance with this agreement l wrote
" Fortunes Foo" in abou' five months, receiving
fI5O Tor the serial and subsequently GlOO Tor the
entire English copyright The English publishers
were also DESTROYS TO purchase the American copy
right but this proposition declined to entertain.
After the last payment had been made. deter
termned to modify the conclusion OF the novel ana,
the English publishers consentng. withdrew the
last two monthly instruments for tine purpose OF re-
writing them. mad at that time nearly or quiie
year IN which TO make the alterations. for the pub
LEGATION of the serial had scarcely been begun III the
magazine. On my return to this country year ago
last winter brought the debatabo chapters with
me. aud during the ensuing spring rewroie them.
with the exception OF a f. y cpncluiIng pages ms
manuscript, with bundle Of printed proof which
kept for reference, was lost soon afterward in the
process of moving from Boston b. New Bedford and
thence TO Ncw-York, and my best Efforts to fnd IT
were unsucccssinl. IL therefore became necessary
80 write tho final instamenta third time. An enter
prise like this Is fraught with peculiar difficulties
which. perhaps, only novelist can app eciatc.
The subject. however enhraling to the reader, has
become dismay stale to the writer, AMI he IS under
constant apprehension lcst what he writes should
uppcar insIpid and pcrlunctory. After several at
tcmpts found hat my only chance Of success was
10 DISMISS The Whole subject from my thoughts until
such time as could return to II with certain feel
ing of freshness and novelty Bat circumstances,
unnecessary TO partcularlzo here, occurred during
the summer which ncapacltlted me tempo
rariy for imaginative work. Meanwhile. IN
Juno or thereabouts. | received letter
from my English publishers (the only one have
seen from them though 1 understand that others
have been written. calling my attention to the fact
that the conclusion of tho work was not IN their
hands Finally. last winter | took up the work
once more and rcwrotc for tho second time the first
OF the two final instaments On March last, |
sent this instalmcnt TO tn, English publishers, with
a lettcr in which incidentally recapitulatcd tho
various statements contained in the present com
munication On March II appeared the paragraph
in your cable letter asserting that | bad never
handed in the conclusion OF /" Fortunes Fool" On
March 20 I received lettcr (inclosedl from tho
English publishers dated March 30. acknowledging
the receipt al the Mss. aud tacllly accepting my
statement Gcnicd IN The cablegram) that tho con-
ciuslon Of the novel had been IN their hands
Finally. on April !, appeared the second TELEGRAM
from your correspondent rcaihrnlng tho original
charge.
Now. this charge turns upon "A technical point, I'M
important 10 the real question. What the publish
assert ~. no. that the conclusion was never writ
ten but that they never saw or received 1t. All j
have 10 oner III reDuttal Is, tuat received payment
for 10 under the agreemrnt Eitbc. they mus have
received A. therefore, or what amounts 10 tine same
thing thcy must have had satisfactory evidence
that it was written. For nv part. | am perfectly
willing 20 give thom W hatcvor benefit Is TO DO DC
rived from The alternative. | wall only add that
my personal relations with them have always been
pleasant aud cordial, aud That cherish hope that
he 81 bmarne cable will hot Irreparaby antagOnlZe
us. A. ali events. this ~ my frat ana final utter
ancc the subject am, sir. yonrs sincerely,
JULIAN HAWTHORNE