The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-03
NO.23
Bill Nye to Queen Victoria.
HUDSON. Wis, Aug. 5, 1888

! HUDSON. WIS.,, Aug. B, 1885.
To Queen. VictorIa, Regina Del Garcia and
acting mother-G1-ldao on the side:
DEAR MADAM.-Your most gracin
majesty will no doubt be surprised to hear
from me after my long silence. One rea-
son that / have not written for some time
is that had hoped to see you ere this, and
not BECAUSE had grown cold. desire to
congratulate you at this time upon your
great success as mother-in-law and your
very exemplary career socially. AS a queen
you have given universal satisfaction, and
your family have married well.
But l desired more especially to write
you in relation to another matter. We
are struggling here in America to establish
an authors international copyright ar
rangement, whereby the authors of all CIV
ilized nations may be protected in their
rights to the profits of their literary labor.
I and the movement so far has met with
| generous encouragement. AS an author
we desire your aid and endorsement.
Could you assist us?
We are giving this season series of
authors readings in New York to aid in
prosecuting the work, and we would like
to know whether we could not depend upon
you to take part in these readings, render
ing selections from your late work.
l assure your most gracious majesty
that you would meet with some of our
best literary people while here, and no
pains would be spared to make your visit
a pleasant one, aside from the reading it.
self. We would advertise your appear
ance extensively, and get out first-class
audience on the occasion of your debut.
An effort would be made to provide
passes for yourself, and reduced rates, [
think, could be secured for yourself and
suite at the hotels. Of course you could
do as you thought best about bringing
suite, however. Some of US travel with
our suites and some do not. I generally
leave my suite at home myself.
You would not need to make any special
change as to costume for the OCCASION
We try to make it as informal as possible,
and though some of us wear full dress we
do not make that obligatory on those who
take part in the exercises. If you decide
to wear your everyday reignIng clothes it
will not excite comment on the part
of our literati. We do not Judge an
author or authoress by his or her clothes.
You will readily see that this will afford
you an opportunity to appear before some
of the best people of New York, and at
the same time you will aid in deserving
enterprise.
1t will also promote the sale of your
book.
Perhaps you will have all the royalty you
want taside from what you may receive
from the sale ofyour works, but every au-
thor feels pardonable pride in getting his
books into every household.
would assure your most gracious
majesty that your reception here as an au-
thoress will in no way suffer because you
are an unnaturalized foreigner, any alien
who feels fraternal interest in the inter-
national advancement Of thought and the
universal encouragement Of the good, the
true and the beautiful ip literature, will
be welcome on these shores.
This is broad land, and we aim to be
broad and cosmopolitan people. Litera-
ture and free, willing genius are not
hemmed in by State or national lines
They sprout up and blossom under tropi-
cal skies no less than beneath the frigid
aurora borealis of the frozen north. We
hail true merit just as heartily and up
roarOusly on throne as we would any
where else. In fact, it is more deserving,
if possible, for one who has never tried it
little knows how difficult it is to sit on a
hard throne all day and well. We are to
recognize struggling genius wherever it
may crop out. 1t is no small m after for
al almost unknown monarch to reign all
day and then write an article for the press
or a chapter for serial story, only, per-
haps, to have it returned by the publishers.
All these things are drawbacks to a liter
airy life, which we here in America know
little.
l hope your most gracious majesty will
decide to come, and that you will pardon
get out this way few weeks, and 1 earn
estly hope that you will decide to lock up
the house and come prepared to make
quite visit. We have some real good au-
thors here now in America, and we are not
ashamed to show them to any one. They
are not only smart, but they are well-be-
haved and know how to appear in company.
We generally read selections from our
own works, and can have brass band to
play between the selections if thought
best. For myself, prefer to have a full
brass band to accompany me while read.
The audience also approves of this plan.
We have been having some very hot
weather here for the past week. but it is
now cooler. Farmers are getting their
crops in good shape, but wheat in still low
in price, and cranberries are souring on
the vines. All our canned red raspberries
worked last week, and we had to can them
over again. Mr.. Riel, who went into the
rebellion business in Canada last winter,
will be hanged in September if it don't
rain. 1t will be his first appearance on the
gallows, and quite a number of our lead
ing American criminals ARE going over to
see him debut.
Hoping to hear from you by return mail
or cablegram, 1 beg leave to remain your
most gracious and indulgent majesty's
humble and obedient servant.
BILL NYE.
Horsford's Bread Preparation.
Miss Parloa.