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Show IN THE WORLD OF LETTERS. " Same Writers Who 1 1 live Not Made Literature Liter-ature Their Life Work. Special Correspondence. Hrw Yoiik. Some ten or twelve years mu i novel was published which, obtained immediate popularity and ! caused much inquiry for the author, us the book wad published anonymously. It was called "Guerndale," and the author's per-gonality per-gonality was hidden under the rather curi- ous iioiii de plume "J. S. of Dale." The book was fresh in its theme, of excellent literary quality, and the story was interesting inter-esting and well told. After a year or two it W-ramu known -that the author was young Harvard Kraduate who had written, the book during the leisure momenta that he got while studying law, and his name was J. S. Stimsou. Many of the critics looked upon him as the cotniUK novelist, and after a while another story writteu by him appeared which did not sustain the reputation he gained for the tlrst wolk. Now and then Ixiok readers are heard inquiring in-quiring about Mr. Stimson and asklntf whether he is living or dead, and if alive whether he expects ever to write another atory. Mr. Siiinson found, as so many ethers have found, that the writing of notion, no-tion, while it is a most exhilarating pleasure, pleas-ure, and while the honors which come from n success hi tho venture are most keenly enjoyed, yet it furnishes a most prir carious support, lie also found, as the KiiL'lish novelist James l'uyu has recent- ly declared to be true, that he who is an exclusive writer of llctiou is a nolsidy ia the affairs of life. Even Dickens and Thackeray, with all their fame, were un-iurecssful un-iurecssful when they stepiwd out of the tield on which they won their honor, and Thackeray was congratulated by his best friends because he was defeated when h ran for parliament.. Mr. Siiinson therefore decided ttiat while the law was a less fascinating fas-cinating pursuit it was a far more promising promis-ing one, aud he therefore put hi literal temptations liehind him. That, is the reason why no more stories eomu from "J. S. of Dale;" and while he does not see his name so often in print, yet he possesses a sense of content which honor does not bring, and that is the comfort com-fort which arises irom swing a swelling bank account. It is possible to recall on the moment many cases of authors whose names have been familiar who have done exactly what Mr. Stimsou did, and have had no reason to reuret it. During tho war Mr. James 11. tiilmore, under the com de plume of '"Edmund Kirke,"nained a splendid reputation as a novelist with a book called "Among the 1'iues," aud if it Is true that literary fame is also money Mr. (jilmore should hnve lieen able to gain a competency. Hut he was wary, and he entered business life where, for a time, he had much success. Misfortune came upon him later through no fault of his. Mr. W. S. Andrews thirty years ago was not only regarded as a most promising writer of short stories, but he had suHl-cieut suHl-cieut ability as an actor to be cast with Edwin Ed-win Month in that splendid seriesof Shake-upearian Shake-upearian plays which Hooth produced in New York at his own theater. Mr. Andrews, An-drews, however, abandoned the pen and the stage and took up Illackstouo aud pol itics instead. Forty years ago George William Curtis delighted New York with a novel and with his "l'otlphar Papers," and he wan regarded, regard-ed, with Donald (i. Mitchell, as the coming literary light. Hut Mr. Curtis saw t hat he needed something more substantial than royalties on novels to support his family. He therefore gave up pure literature to lio-come lio-come a journalist and the editor of the Harpers' publications. For many years Mr. Frank II. Stockton, who was favorably known as a writer of short stories, Jcpendi'd in t he main for his upport not upon his weird creations, but ;:pon the drudgery af a reader for one or rr-o publishing houses; and Koliert Grant, jvlio was esteemed one of tho most witty mil brilliant of the younger novelists of Huston, 1ms practically abandoned liter-try liter-try work liecan.su his law clients are so Eiueh more profitable. An excpiisite writer of short stories, who would be better known if he wrote more of '.hem, is Henry A. Ileers; but the writing f fiction is a momentary diversion with :!m, lor his chief business in life is that of .strtittor of English literature to the Y'ale r.niejje students. Allot her college profwior who has won some fame as a writer of stories, but who is not tempted away from his life business by this fame, is Professor Ilitnlv nf Dartmouth college. Mr. John Hiibherton, who with "Helen's Babies" achieved one of the uhennincnal successes as surprising to him as it was enormous did not permit, himself to bu misguided, but stuck steadily to his desk, which wit. that of editorial writer of The Herald, aud has remained there ever since. He occasionally occa-sionally writes a story now, but fiction is a mere incident of his career. Mr. Henry H. Klliott, whose novel "The Russet t Claim'' won very great approval, is the editor of one of the most technical of trade journals iu New York. A most singular case was that of tha ynuntf authoress of a little book which appeared ap-peared some ten years a,!?o, called "An Karnest Triller." The Ixiok made a genuine genu-ine sensation, and received especial praise from Mr. llowells and Mr. James, but the authoress could nev?r bo induced to write another, aud she will lie known in literature ns that, man wan in oratory who was called ".Single Speech Hamilton." The list could be greatly extended, but these examples-are suflicient to show that those who have won fame as writers of fiction are nevertheless busy in other vocations voca-tions than that of story wrilinn. |