New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-06
THE EARTH BUBBLE.

Owen Capelle was literary man VINO Mioi1 &c
for n living The expression is not redundant, -
is merely accurate. DO all litcIaIS mn mn Thor
for a living? Happily not Ana OH I.r o' he
hon6 Who would be So rash as TO venture wv
assertion that all who write for hVlh5 "i' "''
ers OF literature? o ,, o+ once an
art and business. II was an art 9ecauTFT q
worked at il reverently, consclcnlousSi1 ,'ot in
considerable degree Of talent ana assiS' nirotion
frequently by something very Ike III tbpt nv il
H. was again, business for the reason 'I' ,,r;lv
he earned the support Of himself VIE ana I'in'S
barterinp his manuscripts ana olHcr i"t t'no,rd
literary labor with a moderate amount oil SiIcNu-
ness and after much the same method ~ t"', l VS
which the farmer sells garden-trucK or ''' ""-
a batch of douglnutS. 81, oodor IN
II may not be unintercsting 10 the Ieauel 10
learn and it is certainly necessary TO tllS mr',
tive 10 explain Just what owen @l"l% ro,,oLt
and how much OF an income his @nET pI""hlr
Several novels OF his fabrication hal ucen S.Nen
IN the hubble by that wcll-knOwn puDIlshllE hVuSI1
of Veiium a Marble, and from tht>e y. y, n 1,H
altogether an annual royalty OF auoTr o. o. tbn
M short stories lie wrote ten or tWeINe III wv
course Of year, which brought returns o
to their quality and len9th ana aITrHer"
SlGO apiece He asO turned OUT il''i@I| III
rics for a daily journal. and he received Slnali
salary for assisting in The editorial WORK ol
cbiIdyen's magazine Industrious by nature, anu
sfter mis- marriage goadcd on 10y necessity ne
,yorxed hard nine hours a day, with Jew ii"!iIiNS
and L;~ income was nearly as large as the saihS
OF a professional baseball PLAYER
II ,nust not he supposed. however, that owen
Cane . WAS famous. He was moderately Wei
known 10 limited cnec Of readers. IN ms sarI$
wears le!ore writing had become WIN mn III d
Commonplace of daily labor he had e>pleu f'me
s,rnllng in the path a little way ahead OF MN
II would be easy enough. lie thoHGhl, u W.
take her whenever be- had earned some ol MS
owp fine 10 devote Ia the effort. ne years MI
nassinG now rather rapidly, for he was "i Inc
middle period Of life yet he was no nearer 10 ncI'
ard had almost ceased to lift his eyes III her ulieo
ton. ,oi ,b,+ q
conversation took place between Mr. Marble, oil
lie Publishing firm and certain urcat Autl.99I,
Of which Mr. Capec and his affairs formed lie
sub;crt The Great Author. who knew Capelie
infinitely spoke with no little lecllhg Oh iI!s
laboriots ili-Iewarded career. lie declared MS
10 Of That the Story writer would nav" maze
sple I'D name for himself hnt for tnr operation u,
ito law Of supply and demand The pupiiShel
was surpr sed He had been accustomed 10 lI ,Io
mn. mile as exceptionally prosperous. lie
was however. enc OF those men Wh" MAKE a
r~jrc'nr Of maintaining q certain degree OF schti-
men, in tloic s0uls-S0methlng Ike l"nsi''eu-
OF pc: relation, who, at rare lh'TT Us ni"H
c,nt in :,r something handsome ne slI'iti,-
way resolved - make " example Of Mr.. C"?eie
We lave been publishing Capelles stories
fer several years said he, and he added
frankly q" don't hesitate 70 say We are making
a good enough thing ont of them. ! expect we
ought to DO something for him. What ".u"
- The les; thing in this world, said the Great
Author, e is cash
Would he t6Tse a lift do YOU think?'
70" might try him.
II corM prt il on the ground that we had more
than orr share ont of his books. suspect we
I'D" ~Itndonbi~div.~ said the Great Author: you
make MS fellows who know how To- write books
pav for your experiments with those VINO don I.
The publisher, ignoring this remark continued
"Suppose | gave aim a certain sum ana stipulated
that he was to use il TO pay expenses wn I ne ne
alstained from work and enjoyed vacation Of
a month or two. How is that
lie might take his wife and children TO the
sea-shorc. for example
Yes or, for 4 letter example. he might send
his wife and children there. and stay at home
and enjoy life for brief span
lis home then isn't-cr-
The Great Author wagged his head SLOWLY
from side to side Whenever ] feel the need
of renewing my vows to bachelorhOod," said he.
II 20 10 visit poor Capelle AZ bis house that |
may regard him while in the bosom Of his family.
The sight is ? perfect antidOte ~ motrimony;
Perhaps he is happy though, suggested Mr..
Marble.
Il respect him too much to believe it," an
swepd the Great Author
4 few days later the plan for q vacation was
submitted 10 Owen Capclc. He was very much
astonished. At first be was inclined 10 refuse
tie gift lie knew very we'll that any respectable
character in one of his stories would, after a
conflict of diversified emotions, have declined. on
the ground that il remotely rcSembcd charity.
Bnt for himself he was compelled to think Of Mrs.
Capee and the little Capelles. He was accus-
TONED TO tell her evcNthlng-fOr she had DIS
agreeable way of finding IL ont just the same, II
he did not What would she say 10 his declining
this Oifer-ycs, and bow long would she keep on
Saying il? The thought Of the tall, square per-
son, whom he loved as man loves woman that
is only his wife, threw him into something very
like funk
And he accepted.
The sum of money which Owen Capcllc received
was not enormous, but it was amply sufficient 10
carry ont the plan. Mrs. Capclle and the children
were to 90 70 the sea shore, and the s'crv-wrltcr
was 20 remain in the city, or travel ahout-as he
ehOse-wth months good salary, paid in adj
vance, in his pocket
let MS consider that We are making you q
present OF some time" Mr.. Marble had SAID
As he rode back from the depot. after putting
Mis-. Capclle and liberal consignment Of small
Capelles on board the train, the story-wrier said
TO himself:
VIVA, shall do with it?"
His wife had warned him TO keep away from
his study, that he might not be tempted to ITO
any writing Instructive steps, however, lea nm
into the workshop. To methodlcally indus'nogs
man it was a little confusing 10 be thus suddenly
beset by leisure.
Stretched out in easy-chair, his large pipe
Filed with fragrant tobacco, he reconnoitrcd the
situation, discussing with himself, one after an
ether the various to which the vacation might
be put
he should enjoy doing. and yet which should not
be work an easy enough matter for most mortals
Owen Capelle.
II he had put his thoughts into words and
thing after this fashion
1t will not do for me TO take n run out into
the country, for ! shall find myself insilnctivcly
picking up material wherever | 90 II would he
work in disguise. might spend the time in some
particular line of study. That is vcrt much like
work, however. or | might do some scientific
reading-I am getting sadly behind ON these later
discoveries, and some Of them would come handy
o. elements In plots-bah there is work again"
"Or suppose, hc continued, in vain endeavoI
TO huff 10 a different tack, " | make usr of this
blessed gift of days TO read, solely with view
TO my own pleasure and amusement. Books are
brother? Or have |. by long study OF this public
OF it's tastes and interests, at last fairly myself
cut of il, so that ! may not share its pleasures
Alas, when / read, just as when i write, this
spectre Of many heads looks over my shoulder
onering its comment, deliberate and without APP
pea, the style Of each sentence, on the though,
o. every page, and on the moral Of the whole work
inus reading often becomes source Of distress
- writing is often one Of absolute torture Bgt
y might read for myself alone, forgetting thi'
uifeful pubc-or if / might write for myself