The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23
BILL NYE TO QUEEN VIC.
A Cordial Invitation to Come to America
and Give Readings.

Cordial Invitation to Come to America
and Give Readings.
HUDSON, Wis, Aug. 5, 1885.
To Queen Victoria REGINA Del Gracia and Acting
hOther-ln Law, or the side:
Dear Madam Your most gracious Majesty
will, doubt. be surprised to hear from me
after my long silence. The reason that l have
not written for some time is that had hoped to
you ere this, and not because had grown
cold. [ desire to congratulate you at this time
upon your great success as a mOther-ln-law. and
your very exemplary career socially. AS Queen
you have given universal satisfaction, and your
family have married we'll
But desired more especially to write you in
relation to another matter We are struggling
here in America to establish an authors inter
national copyright arrangement. whereby the
authors of all civilized nations may be protected
in their rights to the profits off their literary
labor. 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 prosecu' ng the
work, and would like to know whether we
could not depend upon you to take part in these
readings, rendering selections from your late
work.
| assure your most gracious Majesty that you
would meet some of our best literary people
while here, and no pains would be spared to
make your visit pleasant one, aside from the
reading itself We would advertise your
appearance extensively, and get out first-caSs
audience on the occasion of your debut here.
An effort would be made to provide passes for
yourself, and reduced rates, | think, could ba
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. generally leave
my suite at home myself
You would not need to make any special
change to costume for the occasion. We try to
make it informal so far as possible and though
c..I1
obligatory on those who take part in the exer-
cises 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 have all the royalty you want
aside from what you may receive from the sale
of Your works. but every author feels 4 pardon
able pride IN getting his books into every house
hold.
| would assure your most gracious Majesty
that your reception here as an authOress will in
way suffer because you unnaturalized
foreigner Any alien who feels a fraternal in
terest In the international advancement of
thought, and the universal encouragement of the
good, the beautiful and the true in literature,
will be welcome these shores
This is a bI DAD field, and we aim to be broad
and cosmopolitan people. Literature and Free
willing genius are not hemmed in by State ma
tional lines. They sprout up and blossom under
tropical skies no less than beneath the frigid
aurora boreals of the frozen North. We hail
true merit just as heartily and as uproariously
on a throne as we would anywhere else
In fact. it is more deserving, if posi-
BILE, for one who has never tried it
little knows how difficult it is to sit on
hard throne all day and write we'll. We ale to
recognize struggling genius wherever it may
crop out. 1t is small matter for an almost
unknown monarch to reign all day and then
write article for the press or a chapter for
serial story. only, perhaps, to have it returned
by the publishers. All these things are draw
backs to literary life, which We here in America
know little of.
hope your most gracious Majesty will de-
eide to come, and that you will pardon this long
letter. 1t will do you good to get out this way
for few weeks, and | earnestly hope that you
will decide TO lock up the house and come pre-
pared to make quite visit. We have some real
good authors here now in America, and are
not ashamed to show them to any one. They
are not only smart. but they are welbehaved
and know how to appear in company. We gen
orally read selections from works, and
can have brass band to play between the
selections if thought best For myself. / pre-
+ fer to have full brass band 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 getting in their crops in good
shape, but wheat is still low in price, and cram
berries are souring the vines. All of our
canned red raspberlies worked last week and we
had to can them over again. Mr. Rie who
went into the rebellion business in Canada last
winter will be hanged in September, if it dom
rain 1t will be his first appearance on the
gallows, and quite a number of our leading
American criminals are going over to see him
debut.
Hoping to hear from you by return mail or
prepaid cabegram, beg leave to remain your
most gracious and lndulgent Majesty's humble
and obedent servant