The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-08-18

which General Bryce was sure to feel the
benefit of, whatever his own qualifications
While in congress he wrote a clever sketch
full of humorous episodes and sparkling
dialogue, and it was said of him that he and
Senator Ingalls, were the only members of
that body who had found relaxation from
sterner political duties by taking up the
pen of the romancer.
Ingalls, novel was never published. It
was destroyed by fire, together with the
senator's valuable library.
After General Bryce retired from congress
his friends reported it to be his intention to
devote his life to literary work, especially
the writing Of fiction, and there was SO
much of promise in his first story and SO
much Of realization in the second, which
soon followed, that it was believed he might
win great name for himself as story
teller.
But one of those curious chances which
determine a mans career sometimes SO
changed General Bryces purpose that it
was believed that he had of necessity laid
aside the pen Of the romancer forever. Per
haps his most intimate friend in New York
was Allan Thorndike Rice who in few
years made literary sensation, not by his
own writings, but by his capacity to com
mand the most brilliant pens of the world
for the almost mpribund magazine North
American, which Mr.. Rice bought for a
song.
His purchase Of that magazine seemed to
change or at least to develop Rice's nature
He had been esteemed a mere pleasure low
er, dilettante, a languid social swell He
became on the instant almost man Of
force and authority. He set the political
world in quiver of excitement by procur-
ing series of brilliant but audacious and
almost cruel articles, in which some of the
popular idols were attacked. Although
the authorship of these articles was never
acknowledged, yet their literary style was
so splendid and individual that the critics
were unable to discover the writer of them
Gail Hamilton was one, Judge Tourgee
another. Then Mr. Rice set the religious
and agnostic world aiire by publishing an
article in defense of the Christian religion
from the late jeremiah S. Black and re-
ply to it from Colonel Ingersoll, and in 9TH
er ways attracted great attention to the
magazine.
Rice also plunged into political life, was
a candidate for congress for a New York
district and spent money with lavish
hand, but was defeated He was, however,
nominated by President Harrison as min
lSltI W lAuHolti3 anu Nullt dllllOSJ Ol HIS
way to the steamship to take passage was
stricken with a malignant disease and died
When Mr.. Rice's will was opened, it was
found that hshad left his magazine to his
friend General Bryce, and almost within a
day General Bryce found that his career
had been determined for him without any
effort upon his part. The youngest of the
magazine editors OF New York who are also
proprietors, General Bryce maintained the
magazine upon the lines laid down by
Thorndyke Rice, and it was supposed that
the labor entailed thereby would be 80
great that General Bryce would find il i'm
possible to do any further literary work
himself His novel came as a surprise. He
wrote it as Hopkinson Smith writes his
stories and paints his pictures-in odd mo
ments while waiting for dinner or in the
half hour preceding bedtime-and found
that by eeouomizing the minutes he was
able in the course Of a month to write a
good many pages of manuscript, The pub
lication Of the story, however, whatever its
effect, will not distract General Bryce from
his life work, which is the editorship Of
The North American. E. j. EDWARDS.
=