The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-22
ANECDOTES OF AUTHORS
(Coliec,ed by Literary Life.l
A SHY SCHOLAR.

SHY SCHOLAR.
 It is hard 10 understand how N athaniel Hawthorne succeeded in performing his duties at the custom house in Salem and in the consulship at Liverpool, for he was so shy and timid that he rarely went into society, except on compulsion. Mir. A. Bronson Alcoti gives an amusing account of his social habits at Concord. When he removed to Concord, Mir. Alcott ex- pected great personal enjoyment from his society.
 He was an immediate neighbor for several yearsy but during this period Hawthorne was only enticed into Mir. AL cott's house on two occasions In both cases he remained only few minutes, and then excused himself Once he alleged that his nerves were disturbed by the loud ticking of clock and the second time the heat of stove gave him a headache. Mir. Alcou tried in many ways to overcome this shyness, but Haw- thorne was incorrigible, and could not be drawn from his retiring ways.
 DOM PEDRO AND VICTOR HUGO
 A French paper tells this new anecdote of the emperor of Brazil, which sets forth the amiable character of Dom Pedro:
 He recently paid visit to Victor Hugo After long interview, in which the two celebrities conversed upon divers topics, the emperor asked permission of the poet to repeat his visit, requesting him to fix day. receive my friends every day. said Hugo, politely, and we have dinner at eight o'clock"
 After the lapse of some days, one even- ing, at about half past seven o'clock, the doorbell of the poets house was rung. and gentleman in dress-coat and white cravat presented himself
 "Whom shall l announce P said the servant
 "Dom Pedro de Bragnaza," replied the visitor.
 As yet there was nobody in the parlor The host was informed Of the arrival.
 have come to diae ~.ih you," said the emperor. in democratic style.
 Soon the guests sat down to table The repast was charming. Dom Pedro gave some very curious travelling impres- sions. Victor Hugo, for his part, spoke withl that simplicity SO full of warmth of which those who have not the honor of being intimate with him have no idea.
 When the emperor took leave of his host-it was rather late-,he latter said to him, smiling with his fine and arch smile:
 "Sire, could not possibly tell you how happy am that we have no sovereigns like you in Europe"
 And whyT said Dom Pedro.
 Because" replied Victor Hugo. both myself and my friends would be very much puzzled to find anything bad to say of them"
 Dom Pedro burst into laughing, and took leave of his friend like a good natured and sensible man.
 GENEROUS PUBLISHER.
 NJ. Edmond About and NJ. Taine, two Of the most popular authors in France were warm friends in boy hood, and com menced their literary labors together in Paris. Their slow success compelled them to live on the seantiest fare. At length Taine found publisher, and be- gan 10 earn substantial living. But About's health failed and his physician ordered him 10 Spain to recruit. He smiled at the order, for. without money or friends, he might as well think of go- ing to the moon.
 But Taine's wit helped his friend in the emergency. He told his publisher that About had rare genius, and was cer- tain to make great name in literature and it was for the interest of any pub- fisher to secure his services. The pub- fisher bit at the bait. Calling on About, he said he had long wished for a book on Spain, and would send him on tour into that country to prepare it. He gave the invalid a check for six thousand francs, as a kind of retainer. The pub fisher had no reason to repent Of the venture, for it was the opening of bnl- liant literary career to About in whose pecuniary profits the publisher had lib- eTal share.
 / LAMoTTE's JOKE ON voLTAIRE / AmAn of special and astonishing ability is sometime a very provoking compan- ion. There is no knowing what he may do with you and one does not like to be made to feel his own weakness in that way, in company, at least. Sometimes, however, the formidable genius is polite enough to offset the annoyance of his power, as in the following case:
 Lamotte, . young Frenchman, who had been invited to hear Voltaire read one of his new plays, observed, when asked what he thought of it, that it was a pity the whole was not original. voltaire, chagrined and angry, asked him what part was borrowed La- motte named the second scene of the fourth act, and recited the whole of it. Voltaire sat like one aston ished, at this remarkable feat, and had only to say, at last, that he had written that scene as well as the rest of the drama. At last Lamotte relieved him by saying, "When you read the manuscript that scene pleased me % much that resolved to retain it in my memory, and have done SO, as you may perceive.s
 or course Voltaire was pleased with the compliment thus strangely paid. La- motte was one who had cultivated the faculty of memory.
 DR HOLMES AND THE USHER.
 When Oliver Wendell Holmes visited the centennial he incidentally called nf