The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-02

is sillier than the notion that literature
ought to work for nothing and find
itself. The most prosperous writer in
our country probably gets no more
for his work than tens OF thousands Of
lawyers aud doctors each receive; but
IN civilization where every office rem
dered TO the commonwealth is paid for.
where every conceivable service from
nan TO man has It's wage, II is felt that
the author If paid az all ought 70 be
undergrad; that he is the only laborer
unworthy Of his hire. We will allow
that II you take the word of literary
men about one another they are
mostly unworthy Of their hire; in
their jealousies aud enyies they have
themselves much TO blame for the COM
mon feeling concerning them. But,
after all how many authors among Us
keep their carriages, or have three kinds
of wine at table. out Of their disgrace
ful gains. Mr.. Phelps says that book
making has become a trade, and that
profit Is its chief end. For the present
we will not deny this. but We warn those
intending TO 90 into the business with
"a view to profit the chief end
that there is Lot much money
for as the amount OF work ia
It, In spite cf Mr. Phelps confidence,
however, there is probably no man or
woman IN the country intending to 90
INTO IL with that view. These who love
literature have at least Wit enough 20
know that they will never b-cOme
rich by d.; and that probably they
viii always remain poor. They know
that If by some rare for u man
writes a book OF permau Mt pecuniary
value, bis grateful count y will, after
fOTty-twO years. anticipate MS wish 10
become a public benefactor, and Will
cOniiscate his property in il. throwing
It open TO any OF his fell0w-citizens
who may like to steal il. Neverthe-
less, literary men do hope TO 1--we by
literature. because they pursue IL
as their happiness. and because il is
oten irnpracticahle to borrow and al
ways disagreeable to staive; but they
know they have not the right TO tx
pect much more; and they are willing.
as such men and women in all times
have been willing. to lead those "studi-
Gus and self-deuyiug live" which Mr.
Phelps says are now almost things
Of the past; though he would not
have said 50. We think. if he bad
looked about him in university town
like New Haven. where there is proba-
bly, az much devotion 90 the bumanities
regardless of gain as ever there was
among the same number Of scholars
anyw here in the world. IL he cannot
find such lives al Yale. we assure hun
he can find them &C Harvard, az Johns
Hopkins. at Cornell, at Ann Arbor. a.
Dartmouth. Or, If the humauitles muit
be subdiyided. we believe that he will
lind very much the same devotion TO
their art in the people who write our
magazine poetry and fiction and
criticism and among those who
write the newspaper articles aud
even among those who write the
interviews and the police reports. In
90 other industry could the same talent
be SO poorly paid, and we may safely
say that from this point of view they
are all regardless Of gain" high aud
low. great and small. No author be-
lieves that any reputation he achieves
will depend on good management
much u.1re than on merit He under
slandsfhat without a good deal of some
kind of merit. be can achieve no repu-
tatiOn. and that what seems mere trash
is somehow much more than trash If it
wins even passing popularity for its
author. lie may envy IFS aus!.9r, but
be will be slow to declare 1t absolutely
wanting in the right TO Oe.-Wlllam
Dean Howell.