The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-06
HIS LITERARY HABITS
lBm Nye, in Boston Globe.l .

The editor of an eastern health maga- zine, having asked for information rcla. tive to the habits, hours of work and style and frequency of feed adopted by litera y men, and several parties having responded who were no more essentially saturated with literature than am, now take my pen in hand to reveal the true inwsrdness of my literary life, so that boys who may yearn to follow in my foot. steps and wear a laurel wreath the year round in place of hat. may know wha, the personal habits of literary party are rise from bed the 6rst thing in the morning, leaving my couch not because am dissatisfied with 1t, but because l cannot carry it with me during the day
 l then seat myself on the edge of the bed and devote few moments to thought Literary men who have never set aside a few moments on rising on thought will do well to try it.
 then insert myself into pair of mid dle-aged pantaloons. It Is needless to say that girls Who may have a literary tendency will ind little to interest them here.
 Other clothing is added to the above from time to time. then bathe myself Still this is not absolutely essential to a literary life Others who do no, do so have been equally successful.
 Some literary people bathe before dress ing.
 then go down stairs and ou, to the barn, where l feed the horse. Some ht- erafy men feel above taking care at a horse, because there is really nothing in common between the care of horse and literature, but simplicity Is my watch word. T. Jefferson would have to rise early in the day to eclipse me in simplic. ity. l wish had as many dollars as l have got simplicity.
 then go into breakfast. This meal consists almost wholly of food. am passionateiv fond of food, and may truly say, with my hand on my heart, that owe much of my great success in lie to this inward craving, tkis constant yearning for something better. During this meal frequently converse with my family. do not feel above my family, at least if do, l strive to conceal 1t as much as possible. Buckweat pan. cakes in heated state, with maple syrup on the upper side, are extremely condu. NtNS w uhSsntoIC. ANOAut0k ICTkb kuC mental faculties around with greater ra- pidity than buckwheat pancakes. Alter breakfast, the time is put in to gosd advantage looking forward to the time when dinner will be ready From eight to ten a. m., however, | frequent, retire to my private literary hot bed n the hay mow. and write 200 words in my forthcoming book, the prce of which will be g. 50 in cloth and S4 with Russia back Itncn play Copenhagen with some lit. tic girls twenty-one years Of age, who live ,near by, and of whom am passion ately fond.
 Alter that 1 dig some worms, with a view to angling then angle. Alter this return home, waiting until dusk. however, as do not like to attract at. tention. Nothing is more distasiefui to truly good man of wonderful literary requirements, and yet with singular modesty, than the coarse and rude scrs- tiny of the vulgar herd.
 In winter oo not angle. read" The Pirate Prince" or The Misxourian's $ Mash" or some other work, not SO much for the plot as the style, that l may ge, my mind into correct ch anneis of thouR Rht. ] then play old sledge" in a rambling sort of manner. l sometimes spend an evening at home, in order to excite re- mark and draw attention to my wonder ful eccentricity.
 do not use alcohol in any form, if know it, though sometimes am basely deceived by those who know of my pccu- liar prejudice, and who do ii, too, because they enjoy watching my odd and amus- ing antics at the time.
 Alcohol should be avoided entirely by literary workers, especially young women There can be no more pi,iful sight to the tender hearted than a young woman of marked ability writing an obituary poem while under the influence of liquor.
 ] knew a young man wbo was a good writer. His penmanship was very good indeed. He once wrote an article for the press while under the influence of liquor. He sent il to the editor, who returned II at once with a cold and cruel letter, every line of which was a stab. The letter came at time when he was full of re- morse
 He tossed up a cent to sec whether he should blow out his brains or go into the Teady-made clothing business. The coin decided that he should die by his own hand, but his head ached 90 tn at he didn't feel like shooting into it So he wen, into the ready-made clothing business, and now he pays tsxrs on S7s coo SO he is probably worth Si5o GOO. This of course saives over his sounded heart, but he often says to me that he might have been in the literary business to-day if he l. u-A