THE LITERARY SHOP AND OTHER TALES BY JAMES L. FORD AUTHOR of “HYPNOTIC TALES,” “DR. DODD’S SCHOOL,” “THE THIRD ALARM,” ETC. _NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION_ [Illustration] NEW-YORK THE CHELSEA COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1894, By GEO. H. RICHMOND & CO. Copyright, 1899, BY THE CHELSEA COMPANY. PREFACE TO NEW EDITION. _The Literary Shop_ was first printed in book form in the fall of 1894, nearly five years ago. Some of its constituent papers had already appeared in the pages of _Truth_ and _Puck_. To the present edition have been added the sketches that deal with life and letters in the McClure village of Syndicate. This model literary community was established about four years ago, on a convenient and healthful rise of ground overlooking the Hackensack River, which is navigable at that point. It has a population of several hundred poets and prose hands, all of whom are regularly employed on the magazine and the newspaper syndicate controlled by Mr. S. S. McClure. These sketches are reprinted by permission from the _New York Journal_ and the _Criterion_. NEW YORK, March 8, 1899. J. L. F. AUTHOR’S NOTE. Many of these papers are new. Others are reprinted by permission from _Puck_ and _Truth_. CONTENTS. THE LITERARY SHOP. CHAPTER I. PAGE IN AN OLD GARRET 1 CHAPTER II. THE “LEDGER” PERIOD OF LETTERS 11 CHAPTER III. SOMETHING ABOUT “GOOD BAD STUFF” 24 CHAPTER IV. THE EARLY HOLLAND PERIOD 34 CHAPTER V. MENDACITY DURING THE HOLLAND PERIOD OF LETTERS 47 CHAPTER VI. THE DAWN OF THE JOHNSONIAN PERIOD 62 CHAPTER VII. WOMAN’S INFLUENCE IN THE JOHNSONIAN PERIOD 78 CHAPTER VIII. LITERATURE--PAWED AND UNPAWED; AND THE CROWN-PRINCE THEREOF 99 CHAPTER IX. CERTAIN THINGS WHICH A CONSCIENTIOUS LITERARY WORKER MAY FIND IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 118 CHAPTER X. “HE TRUN UP BOTE HANDS!” 139 CHAPTER XI. THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER. 160 AND OTHER TALES. THE POETS’ STRIKE 183 ANCIENT FORMS OF AMUSEMENT 194 THE SOBER, INDUSTRIOUS POET, AND HOW HE FARED AT EASTER-TIME 199 THE TWO BROTHERS; OR, PLUCKED FROM THE BURNING 208 THE STORY OF THE YOUNG MAN OF TALENT 223 THE SOCIETY REPORTER’S CHRISTMAS 231