The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-03

greater than those of an actor that the
equality of payment is more apparent than
real. Here, as elsewhere, the path of litera-
ture has especial convenience for woman;
pens, ink and paper cost her no more than
they would cost man, nor does she require
a very expensive toilet to meet her publisher
or her readers. In the first stages of
journalism her regular pay may be less than
she enters the domain of maya
zines and copyrights there is abso-
lutelv no difference, 1t is hard to say why
the fact of sex constitutes no disadvantage
in this sphere of industry, when it is other
wise in 80 many directions but the fact is
unquestionable. Nobody seems to ask, SO
long as a book is readable or an article
available, whether it is written by man or
a woman. Mrs. Burnett is said to stand at
the head of our authors Just now in her
literary earnings. The London Daily News
says that she has received for her American
rights on the play of Little Lord Fauntle-
roy no less than f17,OOO (S85 1000, and that
it We were to add her similar profits in
England and the proceeds on the "enor-
earned out of the book would be quite
startling Almost as startling are the
successes of women less conspicuous in lit
erature. | know lady who assures me
that her first volume of poems yielded her
500, whereas most poets of the other
their prose. l know another lady
who wrote. at venture, q story of water
ing-place life; it did not seem to me, nor
Il am happy to say to the author, a great
production; but it went through twelve edi-
tions in six months. No doubt some men
have equaled this success The total sales
| OF Mr.. r. +. Ross novels up to this year
amounted, it is said. to 2,027 900 copies
Mr.. j. W. Bue's fourteen books accord
ing to the New York Commercial Adver-
tIser, have sold to a still greater extent, or
2,5Oo.OOO copies. one of them alone reach
| ing more than half million in two years.
During 1888 his copyrights yielded S33, coo,
| and during 1889 $50. 900. Mr.. Albert Ross
tells us that his first three novels sold to the
extent of over 300,0O0 copies in a year and a
half. These successes were attained, it
may be said by men; but their being men
had nothing to do with it: the successes
such as they were, lay in the books, such as
they were; had these been written by wo-
men the result would have been the same.
If the point Is now raised that these sue
cessful hooks are not necessarily of the
highest grade. We must simply answer that
women. like men. must often make their
choice between a cheaper success and one
higher and more permanent. If they love
literary work-and that person is to be
lltled who engages in it while finding it UNI
attractive-theI will perhaps be willing to
have the income little less and the work
little higher. Literature is, no doubt.
something of lottery; but SO are all vo-
cations, LAWYERS generally admit that it is
| not necessarily the p.ofoundest lawyer who
gains the largest income; and physicians are
often heard to belnoan the princeiy fees
| earned by auacks. An old English writer
| says that learning hath commonly made
| the most bythose books on which the pr int
ers have lost" and no doubt the largest in
comes are earned ON the less intellectual oc-
| cupations. Stuart, the painter. used to
maintain that his grocer could at any time
make more out of single cargo of molasses
than he could earn in a year by his art.