Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-15
EARNINGS OF AUTHORS.
Julian Hawthorne Talks About the
Small Return or Literary Labor.
From ne PAjladelDhta Times.

From ne PHILADELPHIA Times.
New YORK, Jan. Slow much Julian
Hawthorne looks like his father"
said a friend last night, in speaking Of the
son Of the author Of "The Scarlet Let
ter" and hundred other beautiful ro-
names. HE has his fathers head and
face and something Of the imaginative
power Of the famous, melancholy man.
Many people think he Is the best OF the
many story-writers Of the present day"
was interested in my friends talk
about young Hawthorne, because ! had
Just spent an hou- with him and bis
br0ther-in-law, George Parsons Lathrop.
These two men, am told, write good
deal together and have sort OF comnun-
ion of interest. LathFOp is goOd-na-
tured-lOOking man, hardly medium size
and AZ round as an apple. He looks as
though he enjoyed life, its pleasures and
much OF its repose. Hawthorne 10 the
exact opposite OF mis- brother writer lie
is a tall. hne-lOOkng man, with rataer an
athletic appearance and face and head
which looks wonderfully like the pictures
of Hawthorne / have seen. He has an
easy, subdued way of talking that is sug-
gestiYe Of a good command OF himself
But while he seems really we'll
equipped man be impreses one as II In
heriting at least in a degree, that solemn,
even mournful view Of life for which mis-
father was 80 noted.
HAwTHoRNE'S NEW PLAY.
He has lust finished play, which is
being considered by Mr.. Palmer, Of the
Madison square Theatre. 1t is a modern
society drama, called cart and Passion"
in which the author has striven to pro-
duce play somethng Ike "Ihe Bankers
Daughter" What lis future Is TO be no
one can tell. 1t Is singular what pom
chant almost every writer hasfor fame as
q dramatist. Almost every one / ever
knew either had one or more plays fin
ished or was writing one. I suppose
this is because one successful play
makes a man famous and
gives him money, While ordinary
literature and newspaper work Yields on
" a living to the most fortunate. how
clearly THE fact IL demonstrated in the
case Of the elder Hawthorne, LOnQfellOw,
Whittier Emerson, Walt Whitman, and
score Of other great writer's, whose beau
tiful fancies have delighted the world and
made people better and wiser. Julian
Hawthorne tells me that his father re-
ceived only a few thousand dollars for all
his literary productions during his hte-
time. James r. Field grew rich upon
the product OF this one mans genius and
then lectured about his victim after his
death.
asked Mr.. Hawthorne how many cop
les of the Scarlet Letter had been is
sued. About 100, GOO, should say" was
his reply. ut was the most successful
Of any of my fathers books. The House
Of the Seven Cables did not reach more
than bali that number, but all of them
were successful as compared with any
books that are written at the present
day"
SMALL PROFITS OF LITERARY GENIUS.
From Hawth0rne's works, most Of which
have run through many editions, the
Hawthorne family receive to-day only
very small royalty and the children the
great writer left have been obliged 20
make their own place in life, while the
man who published the books is supposed
TO nave died worth millions. What a
really sad commentary the history Ofthese
great writer's furnishes. IL is no wonder
that men who can put beautiful thoughts
upon paper now are casting about 10
write "a successful play or do something
that will give them money. Whittier once
told me that il he had been forced to rely
altogether upon the productions OF his
pen he would have many times gone hum
CRY. LOngfelloW furnished me with like
Testimony. Hawth0rne's experience is
well known. and poor Walt Whitman
needs the aid of kind friends to make the
last part OF his pathway in life even reas-
Onably comfortable.