The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-11-21
FouNe RECREATION IN WRITING.
Professional Men Who Have Made HltS
in Literature.
special Correspondence.

Especial Correspondence.J
I NEW YORK, Nov. at is a strange fact
that when professional men do venture
into the fields of literature they are usual
ly numbered among the busiest and most
| successful members of their profession.
When Oakley Hall was practicing lawyer
of New York city he wrote a play, and
even appeared in it as an actor, yet he was
| at that time regarded one of the brilliant
members of the New York bar. Judge
Barrett, one of the hardest working mem
bers of the supreme court bench of New
York. also wrote a play. and where he
could find the time for this diversion from
his judicial duties was q mystery to his
friends.
William Allen Butler, who ranks among
the first half dozen at the New York bar,
was able to write poem which gave him
far wider public repute than his eminence
as lawyer has done, and recently Mr.. T.
Hopkinson Smith, who is one of the most
tireless workers in business pursuits in
New York city, has written story which
gained him wide reputation and led many
to suppose that literature was his vocation.
Perhaps the most remarkable example
of this sort of literary diversion was fur
nished by Mr.. William A. Hammond. He
had won great fame specialist, some
of his cures were pronounced wonderful,
and his fees have been great enough to en-
able him to retire from active practice.
Yet, when Dr. Hammond was one of the
busiest physicians in New York city, and
his Office WAS thronged with patients, he
wrote and published two novels, both Of
which were of such merit as to receive IA
vorable comment from the critics and TO
attain a very wide sale. II puzzled those
who knew how busy Dr. Hammond was TO
understand how he was ever able to write
these two stories.
For long time he kept his friends in a
state of mystery about his methods of
work, but he at last confessed what his
habit was He said that in his study Of
mental and nervous diseases he had
reached the conclusion that rest for the
brain did not mean stagnation, at least
healthy rest did not. 4 change in mental
occupation, the doing of that which, while
it was work, was also recreation, was fire.
q1ently of the greatest benefit TO q brain
which had been absorbed in professional
work. Dr. Hammond discovered that the
mental processes employed in creative
work Of fiction were a singular recreation
and rest for him, and after a day Of ex-
haustive thought in the treatment Of diff
cult cases OF disease. II he turned his mind
to the composition Of a story for an hour
or two he was able 70 get his brain in a
condition where sleep came naturally
when be sought his bed Therefore, for
two or three hours before midnight, he
was accustomed 10 take up his pen, and in
this yay his stories were written He
found the same recreation 10 this habit
that other busy workers do IN playing
chess or whist or billiards, or in an even
ing az the theater.
Perhaps the most striking example, az
least IN its literary quality, Of this habit Of
turning 70 litersture as diversion from
professional work, il furnished by Dr.. 5.
Weir Mitchell. q philadelphia, and his
.apacity as q literary artist Is suggested
Just at this time by the fact that he has
completed the manuscript Of another novel.
which viii be published very soon as a So
rial IN one Of the leading magazines Dr.
Mitchell IS one Of the most eminent physi-
clans OF America. and his professional work
has been the subject Of discussion 10 the
highest medical schools of Egrope. dis
fame rests principally upon some very re-
m2rkahse cures which be effected IN peeuI-
lar cases Of hysteria and acute attacks Of
those forms Of nervous diseases which hign
pressure life il the great cities induces
Yet ucrFst hsta nding TIE very g-sz-
mentssi labor sEd exhaustive study which
have bsea -eQuirrSa 20 EalE such pro6es-
sionai snetess.s< siSr. MIscheu Is known 70
80 majority o. Esz rather a. an satAar