The sun., 1885-02-22
An Unremunerated Ph,lo,ophcr.

An Unremunerated Philosopher.
This Is an old, old question, but perhaps It
Is worth while to answer 1t again; aud. be-
sides. our correspondent Introduces it In q
very civil and ingenious way:
II have been reader Of rnx srS for several years
and consider 1t paper which contains more worth
reading both OF news and other instructive and inter
estinR matter written In tersc and pointed style than
any other paper published The contrast between Tun
srs with its sojhsi wit and wisdom. aud some of the
mammoth. heavily padded and frothy sheets is such
to make think that the latter have yet to learn
OF the Hrst lessons of s.ful journalism do not
say this for hs,ery, but simply as my sincere convic
ton and what have long felt like saying.
II am young man with literary ambition Being Of
an oyersensfve inn agination and dreamy temp,ra.
ment, when very young took to writing short stories
and sketches for the newspapers which were generally
printed. but have been writing of aud for
over ten years and as yet have received cent
as remuneration for my labor, and at times very
much discouraged at the prospect Being also OF hu
morous turn OF mind have for some years past been
writing aphs aud brief humorous sketches which
have also been generally printed but still offer OF
compensation. though ha,ter myself that Of my
work will compare favoraby with that OF Of
soc called funny men.
enclose two or three specimens Of my shorter pro-
duction, ana would be grateful for your candid
opinion Of them. and also whether would alvise
to Keep on writing or give II up al bad job Perhaps
you could advise as to the beat way Of trying
footho!d claim originality in everything I write.
Sincerely yours, "JoHS W FISK
"P. s-I a distant relative Of the late Axes sk
Jr. Of your city"
We are glad that Mr. FISK likes THE SUN,
but his letter-barring tho sensible and dis
eliminating NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that he has
failed to profit by its teachings, and that he
is not In harmony with its spirit. He ought
to have learned long ago that we have no
sympathy and no encouragement to offer to
young men who boast OF morbid tempera-
lnent. and even in their work cannot forget
themselves and their vanities.
The distant relative OF our young friend.
the well-reinembered JAMES FISK, Jr., had
great failings and conspicuous vices, but he
was not milksop. There was something
virie about the fellow. n dash ana an audac-
ity which won for him much popular admra-
tion OF certain sort-the kind Of admiration
which boys give to the pirates, brigands,
and freebooters of romance. He was too
active too full of energy. to spend his time
In analyzing his emotions and in dreaming
instead OF working.
What would have come OF him. whittier he
would have tended IL STOKES had not put an
end to his career with n bullet. very many
people have vainly asked themselves. Prob
ably a violent death was the only logical con-
ciusion OF such a life; but II he was alive now.
what would be his condition and what his re-
lations to his old partner. Mr.. JAY GOULD?
or course, we do not advise our young
friend to initiate mis- distant relative. Very
likely II he tried to do so, he might soon find
himself In the jail Of his county. and it
would be the proper place for him. Yet he
may learn even from the career OF that man
that to accomplish anything he must give
up cod1ling himself, and set to work so ear
nestly that he will forget to think about what
sort OF temperament he has II he Is over
sensitive, that will be q great bar to his sue
cess. for he cannot expect that he will have
soft usage through life when he throws him
self into the contest for its prizes. Besides,
oversensitiveness is a disease which is cura-
BILE. and the sufferer ought to lose no time in
subduing it, instead OF nursing the weakness
as an indication Of possible genius
Dreamy! What does our correspondent
mean? That he goes about incoming, and
cultivates the habit of indulging in idle fan
cies ? II he does that. he ls weakening his
mind to no purpose, for the propensity is
morbid and vicious and tends to sap the in.
Icihrcluul SlItuSti II lie Wallis 10 make n
mark in the world, he must stop dreaming
and go to work.
Probably the best thing for him to do is to
give his imagination a rest. for he seems to
have been overworking it. and has got no
substantial return for the waste OF tissue.
man who can get no pay for
his stories, even after moro than ten
years experience In writing them, Is
sensible IL he turns his energies to some other
industry than tho production Of novels. If
his work had been remarkable. it's merits
would have been discovered before now, and
he would have no difficulty in selling his sto-
ries at good price. The fair inference.
therefore, is that he has to give them away
because they are not worth paving for Nor
need no be mortified because that is the case
Only here and there Is man to be found
who has n gift OF story telling OF which he
has any reason to be proud.
Besides, the market is overflooded with fic-
tion OF one sort or another, and just now
especially the business OF the average Ameri-
can novelist Is far from profitable. So poor
Is the sale OF miscellaneous books that pub
fishers dare not accept manuscripts which
they know to be good; and even in the best
times publisher Of books, OF n magazine. or
a newspaper gets ten, nay, twenty times US
many stories as he can print.
As to the specimens OF writing submitted
by our correspondent, they do not justify US
in urging him to go ahead with literary
work. At any rate. we advise him to stop, to
giveit up as "A bad job. unless he can get pay
for his fun aud his fiction.
A Young Mems Debating Society.
This is a letter to which we gladly give the
prOmDt attention H. renuiras.