Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-02-25
LITERARY. HABITS.

| ~ LITERARY HABITS.
Daily Gyratfons of Mr.. william Nye-Hfs
Great Yearning for Better Things to
Eat. <E A8
The editor of an Eastern health mag.
| azine, having asked for information
| relative to the habits, hours of work and
style and frequency of feed adopted by
literary men, and several parties having
responded who were no more essentially
La saturated with literature than am, ]
now take my pen in hand to reveal the
true inwardness of my literary life, SO
that boys who may yearn to follow in
my footsteps and wear laurel wreath
the year round in place of hat, may
know what the personal habits of lit
erary party are.
| I rise from bed the first thing in the
morning, leaving my couch not because
I am dissatisfied with it, but because
can not carry it with me during the
day.
I then seat myself on the edge of the
bed and devote a few moments to
thought. Literary men who have never
set aside few moments on rising on
thought will do well to try it.
then insert myself into pair of mid
dle-aged pantaloons. Other clothing is
added to the above from time to time.
I then battle myself. Still this is not
absolutely essential to a literary life.
Others who do not do so have been
equally successful. Some literary peo-
Pile battle before dressing.
then go down stairs and out to the
barn, where feed the horse. Some lit
erary men feel above taking care of a
horse, because there is really nothing in
common between the care of the horse
and literature, but simplicity is my
watchword. I wish I had as many dol
lars as have got simplicity.
consists almost wholly of food. I am
passionately fond of food, and may
truly say, with my hand on my heart,
that I owe much of my great success in
vearning for something better.
During this meal Frequently converse
with my family. I do not feel above
my family, at least if I do, I strive to
conceal it as much as possible. Buck
maple strip on the upper side, are ex-
ing jerks the mental faculties around
with greater rapidity than buckwheat
pancakes.
After breakfast, the time is put in to
good advantage looking forward to the
time when dinner will be ready From
eight to ten a. NJ, however, / frequently
retire to my private literary hot-bed in
the hay-mow, and write twelve hundred
dc in, forth ho0 fbo
of which will be two dollars and half
in cloth and four dollars with Russia
back. ...
I then play Copenhagen with some
little girls twenty-one years of age, who
live near by. and of whom 1 am pas
sionately fond.
view to angling. [ then angle. After
this return home, waiting until dusk.
however, as do not like to attract at
tention. Nothing is more distasteful to
a truly good man of wonderful literary
requirements, and yet with singular
modesty, than the coarse and rude
scrutiny of the vulgar herd.
In winter do not angle. I read
1.-THE Pirate Prince" or 1.-The Mis-
sourian's NASH" or some other work.
not so much for the plot as the style,
that 1 may get my mind into correct
channels of thought. then play "old
sledge' in rambling sort of manner.
I sometimes spend an evening at home,
in order to excite remark and draw at
tention to my wonderful eccentricity.
do not use alcohol in any form, if 1
know it, though sometimes am basely
deceived by those who know of my pc
culiar prejudice, and who do it, too, be-
cause they enjoy watching my odd and
amusing antics at the time.
Alcohol should be avoided entirely by
literary workers, especially young wenl-
en-. There can be no more pitiful sight
to the tender-hearted than a young
woman of marked ability writing an
obituary poem while under the influence
of liquor. trs.-- a5-s5
l knew a young man who was good
writer. His penmanship was very good
indeed. 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 cool and
cruel letter, every line of which was
stab. The letter came at time when
he was full of remorse
: He tossed up cent to see whether he
should blow out his brains or go into
the ready-made clothing business. The
coin decided that he should die by
his own hand, but his head ached so
that he didn't feel like shooting into
it. So he went into the ready-made
clothing business, and now he pays
taxes on seventy-fve thousand dol
lars. SO he is probably worth one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
This of course salves over his wounded
heart, but he often says to ne that
he might have been in the literary bust
ness to-day if he had let liquor alone.
Bill Nye, in Boston Globe.