Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-13


Replying to this long neglected letter,
would say briefly, yet succinctly and even
tersely, that much would depend upon the
size of the book. There is a tremendous call
this season for an eight ounce book, with
small hecks of foam on it.
Can you write such booka Can you
write a book full of implied and expressed
passions Can you charn up the great depths
of human nature and shorten the longing
which one may have for another heart
against which to throbs Can you do this
and still 60 on with your primary studies at
Humboldt Can you prepare such a work
and still get your spelling lessons every daya
| do not know why You should have re-
ferred the matter to me, however | would
rather refrain from giving advice in matters
of literature as general thing, for am not
regular litterateur. l could not write q
book about The Brenett Fiirt, to save nv
life Writing passionate things in red ink.
on both sides, | regard as gift. cannot
do it.
| once published a work in two volumes
which sold well and is still meeting with an
excellent sale both in this country and in
Europe 1t was also well received by the
critics; at least nobody said anything dis
paraging CT it, and it has helped many a one
to pass a pleasant evening, as | know. 1t
consisted of two large volumes Of history.
being history of the war, in two volumes.
Struck with the wonderful paucity of war his
tory, l prepared these two volumes in neat
black and gold muslin and beveled boards.
When closed the work was ornamental. and
when opened it became backgammon beard.
Where others had been in the habit of put
ting word painting, and October haze, and
the odor of crushed watermelon, and the lull
of being miles and miles away from the par
ents of one you deeply love and who is with
! you in the heart of the forest and all that, |
/ did not put anything at all Where a mod
ern author might have written things which
might have caused the rather questionable
career of Don Juan, by contrast, to read like
the loves of a snow man, just left tho reader
/ to insert his own wicked thoughts as he went
along. In this way, and by reinforcing the
+ corners by means of zinc shanks on the in
side, knew that when the critics jumped on
it they would not hurt it.
To this | attribute what little literary sue.
cess l may have attained, and that is the rea.
son | speak of it to you But times arc
changing and you must keep up with tia,
times See, tor instance, how the smut hal
been eradicated from comedy and humor
tanned by romance. Even the bright bu
doubtful jokes of war times, twenty year
ago, could not find place in print or on tn
stage now. and further back than that w
find many, many little bon mots which ooul,
only be found now in a congressional com
mittee room or a late novel
1 congratulate comedy, Jennie, and 1 an
sorry for you literary people, But yol
can do just as YOU think best. If yol
are writing a book for the market, yot
have got a good subject. 1t copveys the ide
of just enough wickedness so that, if properl
handled, the book viii be very much talke.
about and therefore sold in great quantities
sincerely hope that your name will soon b
a household word and that your book vii
not only be a great success here in New York
but that every farmer in Minnesota viii
using it on his potato bugs next summer
Bin Nye III New York World