Mr. James Payn was for many years a busy and successful literary man. He conducted the _Cornhill Magazine_, having previously edited for many years _Chambers's Journal_. It was in the latter periodical that his first story, "A Family Scapegrace," appeared. A few years later it was followed by "Lost Sir Massingberd," which raised the circulation of the serial by nearly 20,000 copies. Mr. Payn related some time since to Mr. Joseph Hatton, the journalist, an outline of his daily life which is as follows: "I rise at eight," said Mr. Payn, "breakfast, read the papers, get to the office at ten, work at my own work until one--subject to any special call on Smith and Elder's business--lunch at the Reform Club at one--generally with Robinson, of the _Daily News_, and occasionally with William Black--return to the office at two; from two until four I read manuscripts and edit _Cornhill_; from 4.0 to 6.30 I play whist at the Reform Club--it is a great rest, whist--home to dinner by seven--I rarely dine out now, and never go to what are called dinner parties--to bed at ten." It remains for us to add that his writing is very difficult to decipher, indeed he is sometimes puzzled to read it himself; fortunately for the printers, his daughter makes a copy of his productions by the type-writer. In answer to a correspondent, Mr. Philip G. Hamerton detailed particulars of his method of work. Said Mr. Hamerton in his interesting letter, "I think that there are two main qualities to be kept in view in literary composition--freshness and finish. The best way, in my opinion, of attaining both is to aim at freshness in the rough draft, with little regard to perfection of expression; the finish can be given by copious subsequent correction, even to the extent of writing all over again when there is time. Whenever possible, I would assimilate literary to pictorial execution by treating the rough draft as a rapid and vigorous sketch, without any regard to delicacy of workmanship; then I would write from this a second work, retaining as much as possible the freshness of the first, but correcting those oversights and errors which are due to rapidity." One of his books, he says, was penned as a private diary, then he made a rough and rapid manuscript with a lead pencil, and subsequently rewrote it for the printer, especially with a view to concentration. Mr. Hamerton states that he used shorthand for one volume, which enabled him to write it quickly, but he found much trouble in reading it, and he does not recommend it for literary purposes.