The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-09
Income of the - - ~
y y - Literary Hack.


The surprisingly small amount Of the estate left BY the
late Sir Walter Besant $4,000 has given impetus in
England at least to the discussion OF the pecunay rewards
OF authorship Matthew Arnods estate OF $1,000 Il re-
mebered and Dickens $Lsoooco recalled the exception
that proves the rule
Now to Sir Walter Besant The Of his estate
proves nothing regarding the rewards Of authorship without
consideration OF the amounts he in living from
to year lie might have left much more by saving he
might have left much less by living larger scale.
His exceptional in many ways, the pop
uar novelist whether he lives like prince In Italy. pur
ehases city home with the proceeds Of single book
retires to vast domain in the south the earnings Of
lies work. certainly needs consolation his misfortune.
But the average literary worker the hack" make.
out far better than the average lawyer or physician pro-
vded OF course, that he be we'll equipped for his ifes
work that is he be able his hand to anything
within the domain OF his trade from he editing Of weekly
OF monthly periodical in emergency the writing of
sreditabe novel or pot boiler of almost any kind.
The eroakcrs however. mostly specialists in pre-
teson where versatility is imperativcy needed Some Of
hem stand on their dignity novests others poets
which wei enough il they have the talent support
their precautions But if they be merely intended for
loy depised hack work and learn that humber
trade which can be made so profitable they inclined
when failure and poverty overtske them to blame the pro-
iession instead of their MISLEADING of their
talents.
New York city .isoco,ooo per anuiirn 10 il.
lawyers OF whom there nearly average
each its physicians much better off per capita
The literary hack who has taken the trouble learn all
the inns and outs Of his trade and loves it, do
better than that He can readily carnearu mind YOU no,
year snd $4,000 easily within his grasp
lie has no office rent TO he need not live in the city,
IN good nerhhorhood lawyers and physicisua He
can share his aborous life to suit himself pleasant
SURROUNDINGS he can cultivate eonentmen and these by
rewards that to be taken consideration casting
IN OF his account with his earthly existence
II the sme way with the minor novelist may Zee
from the and stress of the city can afford 70
work in the morning and loaf and invite his soul in the
afternoon and who has before him the possibility Of
hitting the mark day, with vista o. best selling
editions and royalties dramatzaons beyond the dream,
os humble avace possibility far nearer and better than
any within the OF possibilities of tho average lawyer
| physician
The hack who s fully equipped for his task-Audrew
Lang the prince of hacks and gores in his tes far
better equipped for the struggle life than the LAWYER and
chs physician and his reward earlier before mddla
age has oveftakcn hn lie Is probably reader pub
fishing house he IS reviewer for literary pa
pes he writes for periodicals edits MSS and when time ia
left invariably has in hand original work which what
ever it's value the product of genius talent has AZ
least the advantage of being saabe on account of the sound
of It's technique He works hardso do 90 per cent Of
the IN this eounbut he has the advantage OF loving
ms work and # be be wise, eonenmen Of mind He huds
bis pleasure IN his trade,
The alaey in the reasoning failures in literature
lies IN the fact that they compare the OF other
There is earthly that littcratcr who
has failed would have made brilliant Of the law or
mcdvnei yet this is constantly done IT will at
compare the ewadB OF finance with those
or the professions great actor great painter great
singer prominent lawyer physician may earn
does far than great author; but when we
compare the earnings of the and
IN these professions with those OF the average tery feler
shall hud that the advantage lies with latter provided
! he knows his trade
Competition is less severe once ne has reached certain
point than IN any other proiessoT and the authoreveu
the minor auhorhas monopoly OF his own kind Of work
Bat the hack must cheeruly realize that his is trade to be
learned that he must learn do well what he
he waits for the things that he do he will be idle al
| his days.--AaH and ErfrcSt