The Indianapolis journal., 1899-07-23
The Other side.


Mail and Express.
Mr.. Fuller makes the mistake that in
variably lies at the root of all arguments
OF this kind-that is TO say, he assumes.
without just ground. that people who fan
in literature would have succeeded in law.
medicine or commerce. The probabilities
are, of course. exactly the other way. for
in the choice of a profession men usually
follow along the line of least resistance. AM
select that one for which they have the
greatest inclination. and In which, conse-
Quently. they have the best chance of sue
cess, since We most readily succeed in that
which interests US. and which we love. The
chances are that the unsuccessful author
would have been an equally unsuccessful
lawyer or physician, and that In commerce
he would have passed his life in some mod
estly-paid clerical capacity.
Ii is utterly illogical TO compare the fall
ures in one line of activity with the sue
cesses in others. The just measure OF COM
parison is best struck by averages. We
know that the average income of New
York lawyers and physicians is but little
over Sl.Oo0 per year. Whether the aver
age income of literary workers has ever
result, We venture to affirm. would easily
equal that very modest figure. BY liter
ary workers" be IL understood. We do not
mean the young men and women who con-
fine themselves 10 the writing OF novels. or
short stories, or poems, but well-trained
craftsmen who can turn their hand 10 all
the work that their trade embraces-edit-
Ing, reviewing. manuscript reading and edit
ing. translating. compiling. indexsng (good
index makers are very scarce), etc.-in
short, the competent hacks" As a rule
these people Of the pen manage to keep
busy the year around and to be well paid.
adding 10 their income with original works
such as an occasional novel, short stories.
special articles" or even poems. They
never climb the heights of fame, perhaps.
although the prince OF their brotherhood,
Mr.. Andrew Lang. who Is not ashamed
TO call himself hack" Is a parsonage
OF great Importance. but they manage TO
earn a comfortable living in a most con-
genial and ever-varying profession.
But MI Fuller may haughtily reply that
he Is writing Of authorship The answer
to this is that the great authors are ''spe-
as the specialists In medicine or law And.
| just like the latter. they rise from the ranks
| by virtue OF their talent. or their knack OF
| understanding the popular taste and cater
Literature. like all other professions. and
| like business. pays well those who are wor-
| thy Of their hire its prizes are few. as
| they are elsewhere in these days of over
| crowding, but the average Of its remunera-
| ton Is at least equal TO that afforded by
| the professions In which. Mr.. Fuller seems
| TO think, literary failures could succeed
without difficulty.
Mr. Fuller makes the mistake that so
many inexperienced writers-and even ex-
perienced ones-make on this subject. They
believe that everything that is printed is
| literature. There are many tastes TO be
| catered 10 In this country OF omniverous
| readers. Therefore, Mr.. Fuller, before he
| sallies forth again TO do battle In the field.
will do well TO study carefully the differ
ence between reading matter" and litera-
| ture.