Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-02-14

is ariting il for pleasure rather than for
business, he is an even greater nuisance.
for then he not only mlkeS il his own
amusement, but expects those about him
TO make it theirs also. His book, its
present and future cOntC ats, must form
the leading topic OF CONVERSE
ton in the family, if he is
to be kept in good hu'nor. AS every
half-dozen pages of crampei, blotted,
and much-corrected manuscript is lin
ished, il is submitted to the various mem
bers of the family for perusal. Their
verdict must, of course, always be ia
vorable. How good How clsyer! How
amusing! 1t is easy enough 10 praise,
and during 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 stitcd and
illegible scrawls, or they even go 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 IA polite note describing
his regret at being unable to undertake
the publication renders the unhappy
writer savage in his family for fort
night. Or perhaps Il brown-p 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 be uncomfortable for many
weeks. When the well-traveled manu-
script has been at last accepted, the
~
time; but he assumes 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 a time, as of old, and everythi ~ has
to give way to the great undertaking.
The entertainment of the evenings is to
have the book read aloud from "real
print" this proceeding being rendered
more attractive by the author constant
ly stopping the reader by "Vait mo-
ment; if you will give me the proof,
think will altar word there" There
are also frequent pauSes to ask the audi
ence whether there are not "too many
Witches in that sentence" or whether
there ought to be 81 comma or
u semicolon after the word reliable ;"
and the reader is often requested to be-
gin again from the top of the page.
The apparently interminable interval
between the return OF the corrected
proofs and the publication Of the book
has no tendency TO make the author
lie alternately wonders
when it will appear and whether he was
wise in writing it at all. He has almost
reduced himself 10 forgetfuness of the
whole matter when the book actually APP
pears. His wfe's cares and troubles
then become very similar TO those of Il
nurse who has charge Of 'an invalid
gentleman" He is put into II fever by
the absence of any reviews of his work
in the first week after publication, aud
when no criticisms of it appear in the
principal journals for a fortnight, or
perhaps a month, he becomes infatuated
with his publisher, who cannot, he says,
be taking the slightest trouble about his
book. He will also be much irritated il
he does not receive prompt and very
favorable criticisms from the friends to
whom he has presented copies. He will
not be able to understand why they have
not thrown all other engagements and
occupations on one side ami spent their
time in greedily reading his book until
il was finished He will be secretly
angry again if any of his friends who
profess to have read it with pleasure are
found by no means to know it by heart
when put through CiDt-c)cc eXamina-
ton. IL may be readily imagined that
under these conditions the author is
scarcely the most amiable and light
hearted of men in his own family circle.
ReUieU