Show HIS FIRST VOLUME boft a yelus poet made his flatt ailt arary capital mr james tells a story which he thinks ii new of the manner in which i poet roade money out of hi rat volume of the anecdote t must be said is much like one that told of the late james eussey lowell but here it is in mr kayns payns version the youthful adventurer had his loarts whether the book would pay for twit and when g natured friends whose good nature we may be sure topped on the wrong side of buying aid be half ruined he was abber inclined to atee with thiem at last in fear and trembling he wrote to the publisher to know the worst which he himself had calculated at about eighty pounds let me know how many have cone off he wrote in all modesty moa esty and what is the balance I 1 owe you the publisher wrote back DEAB SIR your whole edition has gone off leaving a balance of twenty pounds in your favor check the poet was in the seventh heaven and yet not satisfied he rushed to the publishers to inquire who had bought the book friends enemies mudie or who my dear sir said the publisher 1 I think you had better not ask not ask why not you wrote to say that the edition was all sold it must have been sold to somebody pardon me I 1 wrote that it had gone off so it had the whole of it there was a fire in the warehouse and the contents were insured |