The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-06
A MODEST WRITER.
The Estimate Placed Upon Himself by the
Author of the Life of Jesus.

Remains RecOllections.
have never imagined that the product OF
my thought could have any market value.
had always had an idea of writing, but it had
never occurred to me that it would bring me
in any money. l was greatly astonlshed,
therefore, when man of pleasant and intel
hgent appearance called upon me in my gar
ret one day. and after complimenting me
upon several articles which l had written,
offered to publish them in a collected form.
A stamped agreement which he had with
him specified terms which seemed to me so
wonderfully liberal that when he asked me if
all my future writings should be included in
the agreement l gave my assent. L was
tempted to make one or two observations.
but the sight of the stamp stopped me, and
| was unwilling that so fine piece of paper
should be wasted. l did well to forego them,
for NJ Michel Levy must have been created
by special decree of Providence to be my
editor. A man of letters who has any self
respect should write ia only one journal
and in one review, and should have only one
publisher. NJ. Michel Levy and myself
always got on very well together. At a
subsequent date he pointed out to me that
the agreement which he had prepared was
not sufficiently remuneratlve for me, and he
substituted for it one much more to my adj
vantage. | am told that he has not made a
bad speculation out of me. ! am delighted
to hear it, In any event. l may safely say
that if possessed fund of literary wealth
it was only fair that Ne should
but for him 1 should never
have suspected its existence. 1
have never counted upon my supposed talent
for livelihood, and have not in any way
tried to turn it to account The late NJ
Beule, who looked upon me with a kind of
good-natured curiosity mingled with aston
ishment, could not understand why l made
little of it | have hppn at all a
literary man. In the most decisive moments
of my life had not the least idea that my
prose would secure any success.
have never done anything to foster my
success, which, if [ may be permitted to say
so, might have been much greater if l had
SO willed. | have in no wise followed up my
good fortune; upon the contrary l have
rather tried to check it. The public
likes a writer who sticks closely
to his line, and who has his
own specially, placing but little conf
dence in those who try to shine in contra
dictory subjects. l could have secured an
immense amount of popularity if | had
gone in for a crescendo of anti-clericalsm
after the Vic de Jesus. The general reader
likes strong style. l could easily have left
in the hourishes and Jinsel phrases which
excite the enthusiasm of those whose taste
is not of a very elevated kind, that is to say
of the majority. | spent a year in toning
down the style of the Vie de Jesus, as
thought that such subject could not be
treated too soberly or too simply And we
know how fond the masses are of declama-
ton. have never accumulated my opin-
ions in order to gain the ear of my readers.
1t is no fault of mine. if, owing to the bad
taste of the day, slender voice has made
itself heard athwart the darkness in which
we dwell, as ii reverberated by thousand
echoes.