The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-30
MORE GLORY THAN GOLD.
Imaginative Literature Offers Poor FL
nancial Rewardso It's Dovotees.


NEW YORK, Sept. ct is announced
that j. S. Of Dale has completed another
book, which is in the course of publication.
but the friends whom he made a dozen
years ago with his novel "Geurndale" will
be disappointed if they expect to find any
romance or charming love tale in this latest
work. 1t will have calfskin covers and
will be found in many libraries. Yet 1t ia
safe TO say that no person will ever read it
through from beginning to end. Mr.. Slim
sons latest book is work for lawyers.
upon 1t he has spent more time than he
ever did on any Of his novels, and 1t will
PROBABLY bring him much larger income
than his stories ever did, aud will give him
fame among professional men, who never
heard of him as j. S. of Dale, the novelist.
When Nh. Stimson was graduated from
Harvard those who knew his power as q
Literary man were inclined to think that
he was the coming novelist. He had en-
thusiasm for romantic composition, a
charming style and knew how to tell a
good story, and yet do it in an unconven-
tional way, or at least an original one His
novel "Guerndale" was published when
ne had been but a few years out Of college.
1t caught the favor of the critics, and IL IL
did not make a great hit was one of the
books OF the year which were talked about.
1t seemed to Stimson and his friends as
though he might have a brilliant literary
career ahead.
The young author discovered, however,
what many others have found to be the
truth, that the favor OF the critics and
even some measure of popularity do not
In this country assure to the writer of
fiction sufficient income to justify max
Ing 1t vocation unless the author has
some other means of support. Boyle
O'Reilly was urged often to give himself
up entirely to literature, but he used to
smile when such propositions were made
and say that journalism was kinder and
more prodigal mistress. His income from
his newspaper was equal to that Of some
OF the most influential bank presidents,
but his income from pure literature he be-
lieved could not be the tenth part of what
he gained in his profession.
O'Reilly and Stimson were friends, and
the brilliant poet and journalist did not
hesitate to advise his young friend to place
no reliance upon literary work for a support.
Stimson turned to the law, although his
friends always claimed that he meant to
make Chat his life business, and while the
law is jealous mistress, not permitting
much to be done in the way of literary
work, Mr.. Stimson has found time to in
dulge In legal literature ut least, and while
u
will ever read his book it will probably in
crease his bank account, and that is more
than his novels ever did.
Stimson's experience is not unlike that
OF some others who have ventured when
young into literature. Robert Grant would
pretty nearly starve il he depended upon
his literary work for support William
ID. Howells, who is called our NEST sue
cessful novelist, finds 1t necessary to do
journalistic work in order to gain suf-
hcient income from which he can save
enough to provide for him in his old age.
Mr.. Howe, who wrote "The Story of n
Country Town." one of the literary sue
cesses OF fow years ago, said to n friend
while on visit to New York that while
the sale of the book was large he was sur
prised that the pecuniary results were SO
small. and although he has written sew
eral novels since, yet he depends for his in
como upon the earnings of q newspaper
which he in part owns
John Habberton, whose "Helen's Babies"
has tho largest sale OF any story ever pub
lished in America. excepting "Uncle Toms
Cabin" "Ben-Hur" and ono or two other
novels, remains Il journalist, writing stories
as an avocation rather than q vocation.
Mrs. Stowe, Miss Alcott and Mark Twain
IRE the only authors of recent years who
have made not only handsome income, but
considerable fortune, by the writing of ro-
mances and tales. Washington Irving re-
ceived more for his Life of Washington"
than for any of his imaginative literature.
and Fcnimore Cooper was wealthy man.
not dependent Mt all upon the income from
the sale Of his novels.
The common belief is that Mrs. Burnett
received large sums for her stories, yet
tho truth is that while she was paid we'll
for some of them she owes her prosper
ity entirely to single play dramatized
from her story of Little Lord Fauntle-
roy" When that drama was having its
run in New York city, Mrs. Burnett was
receiving royalties of from 5000 to g, 200 a
week. She said to a friend with whom
she was staying in New York that for the
first time in her life she had experienced
the delicious sensation of finding that her
balance mt the bank was constantly in
creasing, and that she was weekly in re-
ceipt of great deal more money than she
needed to spend. 1t was this experience
which caused her to say that when the
contract she had made TO write two or
three new novels had been fulfilled she
would devote herself entirely to the drama
Mark Twain's fortune was very greatly
increased by dramas which he controlled.
None of his books, excepting ''The limo
cents Abroad" brought him great for
tune, but his play Of Mulberry Sellers"
yielded him in four or five years nearly
$4,000 in royalties, and the prince and
Pauper" has been most profitable
venture
Edward Eggleston. who has been one of
the most fortunate of American noyelists,
does not make over 50, 900 or 81, 900 on any
one of his stories. including payment for
serial publication, and it is said in pub
fishing circles that the largest sums earned
by any writer of fiction are those paid to
person writing under nom de plume
certain detective stories for sensational
weekly Dapers