Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-02-07
Rn,tnnG hbe.

Inc 6QlLOE OF al cooeokA
zlne, having asked for information relative
to the habits, hours of work and style L
frequency of feed adopted by literary men,
and several parties having responded who
were no more essentially saturated with lit
erature than / am, l now take my pen In
hand to reveal the true inwardness OF my
literary life, so that boys who yearn to fol
log in nv footsteps and wear q laurel
wreath the year round in place of a hat
may know what the personal habits OF q
literary party are.
rise from bed the first thing in the
morning, leaving my couch not because l
am dissatisfied with it, but because l can
not carry it with me during the day.
Itheu seat myself on the edge OF the
bed and devote q few moments to thought
Literary men who have never set aside q
few moments on thought will do well to
try it.
then insert myself into a pair of mid
dle-sged p~antaloons. 1t ia needless to say
that girls who may have q literary tenden.
CIV will find little 10 interest them here.
Other clothing is added to the above
from time to time. | then bathe myself.
Still this is not absolutely essential TO q
literary life. Others who do not do 80 have
been equally successful.
Some literary people battle before dress
ing.
barn, where / feed the horses. Some lit
erary men feel above taking care Of a
horse and literature, but
SIMPLICITY IS NY wATCHwORD.
T. Jefferson would have to rise early in
the day to match me in simplicity. l wish
| had as many dollars as | have got sim
plicitY.
l then 90 in to breakfast. This meal
consists almost wholly Of food. l am
passiouately fond of food, and | may truly
say, with my hand on my heart, that owe
much of my great success in life to this
inward craving, this constant yesrning tor
something better.
During this meal | frequently converse
With my family. | ds not feel above my
family, at least if l do, I strive to conceal
it as much as possible. Buckwheat pan
cakes in a heated state, with maple syrup
on the upper side, are extremely conducive
to literature. Nothing jerks the mental
faculties around with greater rapidity than
buckwhest pancakes.
After breakfast, the time ID put in to
good advantage locking forward to the
time when dinner will be ready. From s
TO 10 q. m, however, | frequently retire to
nv private literary hot.bedin the hay NOW,
and write 1900 words in my forthcoming
book, the price of which will be $3.50 IN
cloth and 81 with Russia back.
then play Copenhagen with some little
girls Il years Of age, who live near by,
aud of whom l am ~passionately fond.
After that l dig some worms, With view
to angling. l then angle. After this /
return home, waiting until dusk, however,
as | do not like to attract attention. Moth
ing is more distasteful to q truly good man
of wonderful literary requirements, and
vet with singular modesty, than the coarse
and rude scrutiny of the vulgar herd.
IN WINTER DO NOT
| read The Pirate Prince or The Mis-
sourisn's Mash" or some other work not
so much for the plot as the style, that
may get my mind into correct channels OF
thought. / then play "old sledge' in q
rambling sort Of manner. | sometimes
spend an evening at home, in order to ex-
cite remark and draw attention to my won.
derful eccentricity. ..-I
do not use alcohol IN any form, If |
know it, though sometimes | am basely
deceived by those who know OF my pecu-
lier prejudice, and who do it, too, because
then enjoy watching my odd and amusing
antics at the time.
Alcohol should be avoided entirely by
literary workers, especially young women
There a be no more pitful sight to the
tsnder hearted than a young woman o.
marked ability writing an obituary poem
while under the influence of liquor.
| knew q young man who was o good
writer. His p~enmsnsbip was very good In
deed. He once wrote an article for the
press while under the influence of liquor.
He sent it to the editor, who returned it at
once with a cold and cruel letter, every
line of which was a stab. The letter came
II a time when he was full Of remorse.
He tossed up a cent to see whether be
should blow out his brains or 60 into the
readymsde clothing business. The coin
decided that be should die BY his own
hand, but his head sched so that he didn't
feel Ike shooting into it. So he went into
the ~ready-made clothing business, and now
he pays taxes on $4,000, 50 he is proba-
bly worth $4,000 This of course sslVes
over his wounded heart, but he often says
to me that hs might have been in the lit
erary business if he had let liquor alone.
BILL NYE.