DEARDAD:
　　WehavestartedthebestsortofaclubupherewhichIamanxioustotellyouof。Itconsistsofaspread，netpriceofwhichwillbeabout30centseach，everytwoorthreeweeks。
　　OnlysixfellowsbelongandthosethebestoftheCollege。
　　Purnell，Hainesandmyselffoundedit。IchoseCharley，Purnell，Reeves，HainesandHowe。WewillmeetSaturdaynightsat9soasnottointerferewithourwork，andsing，read，eatandboxuntilmidnight。Itiscalledthe"PipeandBowl，"andismeanttotaketheplacethatTheHastyPudding，HammerandTongsandMermaiddoatothercolleges。Twoofusaretoinvitetwooutsidersinturneachmeeting。WewillhopetohaveDadamember，honorary，ofcourse，whenwecanpersuadehimtogiveusanightoffwithhiscompany。Wewanttocombinealiteraryfeatureandsowillhaveselectedreadingstoprovokediscussionsafterthepipesarelit。ThemenareveryenthusiasticaboutitandwanttoinviteMr。Allenandyouandeveryonethattheycanmakeanhonorarymemberofimmediately。
　　Itwasfirstasanassociateeditorandafterwardaseditor-in-chiefofthecollegepaper，TheLehighBurr，thatRichardfoundhisgreatestpleasureandinterestduringhisthreeyearsatLehigh。Inadditiontohiseditorialdutieshewroteaverygreatpartofeveryissueofthepaper，andhiscontributionsincludedshortstories，reportsofnewsevents，editorials，andnumerouspoems。
　　As，afterhislifeatcollege，Richarddroppedverseasamodeofexpression，Ireprinttwoofthepoemswhichshowhiminthelighterveinofthoseearlydays。
　　ACOMMENCEMENTIDYL
　　"I'maFreshmanwhohasendedhisfirstyear，ButI'mnew；
　　AndIdowhate'ertheJuniors，whomIfear，Bidmedo。
　　UndersuddenshowersIthrive；
　　TobebadandboldIstrive，Buttheyask——`Isitalive？'
　　Sotheydo。
　　I'maSophomorewhohaspassedoffhisexams，Letmeloose!
　　Withamarkashighasanyotherman's，AsobtuseI'mfraternal。IamJolly。
　　IamseldommelancholyAndtoboneIthinkisfolly，What'stheuse？
　　I'maJuniorwhomexams。haveleftforlorn，Flunkedmedead；
　　SoI'llkeepthetownawake'tillearlymorn；
　　Paintitred。
　　Atclass-meetingsI'makicker，Takenowaterwithmyliquor，Andadumb-bell'snotthickerThanmyhead。
　　I'maSeniorwhosediploma'swithinreach，Eighty-four。
　　OnCommencementDayyou'llhearmymaiden-speech；
　　Iwillsoar!
　　Igotthroughwithoutcondition；
　　I'mamassoferudition；
　　Doyouknowofaposition!"
　　OURSTREET
　　"Ourstreetisstillandsilent，Grassgrowsfromcurbtocurb，Nobaker'sbellsWithjanglingknellsOurstudiousmindsdisturb。
　　Noorgangrindersevercall，Nohuckstersmarourpeace；
　　FortrafficshunsourneighborhoodAndleavesustoourease。
　　Butnowitlivesandbrightens，Assumesalivelierhue；
　　Thepavementswide，Oneitherside，Wouldseemtofeelittoo。
　　Youmightnotnotethedifference，Thechangefromgravetogay，ButIcantell，andknowfullwell，Priscillawalksourway。"
　　ShortlyafterhisreturntocollegeRichardcelebratedhisnineteenthbirthday，andreceivedtheselettersfromhisfatherandmother:
　　April17th，1883。
　　MYDEARBOY:
　　WhenIwasthinkingwhatIcouldgivetoyouto-morrow，I
　　rememberedthestoryofHerder，whowhenhewasoldandweakandtheybroughthimfoodandwineaskedfor"agreatthoughttoquickenhim。"
　　SoIhavewrittensomeoldsayingsforyouthathavehelpedme。Maybe，thisyear，orsomeotheryear，whenIamnotwithyou，theymaygiveyou，sometimes，comfortandstrength。
　　Godblessyoumyson——
　　YOUROLDMOTHER
　　wholovesyoudearly——dearly。
　　THEPHILADELPHIAINQUIRER
　　PHILADELPHIA，April17th，1883。
　　MYDEARBOY:
　　YouaretobenineteenyearsoldonWednesday。Aftertwoyearsmoreyouwillbeaman。YouaresomanlyandgoodaboythatIcouldnotwishyoutochangeinanyseriousorgreatthing。Youhavemadeusveryhappythroughbeingwhatyouhavebeen，whatyouare。Youfilluswithhopeofyourfuturevirtueandusefulness。
　　Tobegoodisthebestthingofall；itcountsformorethananythingelseintheworld。Weareverygratefulthatyouhaveeveninyouthbeenwiseenoughtochoosetherightroad。
　　Youwillfinditnoteasytokeepuponitalways，butrememberifyoudogetoffstrugglebacktoit。IdonotknowbutI
　　thinkGodlovestheefforttodoaswellastheactdone。
　　Icongratulateyoumydearson，onyournewbirthday。Iwishyouhealth，happinessandGod'slovingcare。Mayheblessyoumysonforever。Iencloseatrifleforyourpleasure。Mylovetoyoualways，butGodblessyoudearDick。
　　DAD。
　　Inthefallof1885，RicharddecidedtoleaveLehighandgotoJohnHopkinsUniversity，wherehetookaspecialcourseinsuchstudiesaswouldbestbenefithiminthecareerwhichhehadnowcarefullyplanned。DuringthisyearinBaltimoreRichard'slettersshowthathepaidconsiderableattentiontosuchimportantsubjectsaspoliticaleconomyandourownlaborproblems，buttheyalsoshowthathedidnotneglectfootballorthelightersocialdiversions。Inashortspaceoftimehehadmademanyfriends，wasverybusygoingtodinnersanddances，andhadfalleninlovewithanentirelynewsetofmaidsandmatrons。Richardhadalreadybeguntosendcontributionstothemagazines，andanoccasionalacceptancecausedhimthesatisfactioncommontoallbeginners。ItwasinregardtooneoftheseearlycontributionsthatmymotherwroteRichardthefollowingletter:
　　PHILADELPHIA
　　January1887。
　　DEARBOY:
　　WhathasbecomeofTheCurrent？Ithasnotcomeyet。Ifithassuspendedpublicationbesureandgetyourarticleback。
　　Youmustnotdestroyasinglepageyouwrite。Youwillfindeveryideaofusetoyouhereafter。
　　SometimesIamafraidyouthinkIdon'ttakeinterestenoughinyourimmediatesuccessnowwiththearticlesyousend。ButI'vehadthirtyyearsexperienceandIknowhowmuchthatsortofsuccessdependsonthearticlessuitingthepresentneedsofthemagazine，andalsoonthemoodoftheeditorwhenhereadsit。
　　Besides——exceptforyourowndisappointment——Iknowitwouldbebetterifyouwouldnotpublishunderyourownnameforalittlewhile。Dr。Holland——whohadlotsofliteraryshrewdnessbothaswriterandpublisher——usedtosayforayoungmanorwomantorushintoprintwassureruintotheirlastingfame。Theyeithercompromisedtheirreputationsbyinferiorworkortheymadeagreathitandneverplayeduptoit，afterwards，inpublicopinion。
　　Nowmydearoldmanthissoundslikeawfullycoldcomfort。
　　Butitisthewisestideayourmotherhasgot。IconfessIhaveGREATfaithinyou——andItrytojudgeyouasifyouwerenotmyson。IthinkyouaregoingtotakeahighplaceamongAmericanauthors，butIdonotthinkyouaregoingtodoitbyarticleslikethatyousenttoTheCurrent。ThequalitieswhichIthinkwillbringittoyou，youdon'tseemtovalueatall。Theyareyourdramaticeye。
　　Imeanyourquickperceptionofcharacterandofthewaycharactershowsitselfinlooks，tones，dress，etc。，andinyourkeensympathy——withallkindsofpeople——Now，thesearetherequisitesforanovelist。Addedtothatyourhumour。
　　Yououghttomakeanovelistofthefirstclass。Butyoumustnotexpecttodoitthisweekornext。Alasting，realsuccesstakestime，andpatient，steadywork。ReadBoz'sfirstsketchesof"LondonLife"andcomparethemwith"SydneyCarton"or"DavidCopperfield"andyouwillseewhattimeandhardworkwilldotodevelopgenius。
　　IsupposeyouwillwonderwhyIammovedtosayallthis？Itis，Ithink，becauseofyoursaying"thearticlesenttoSt。
　　Nicholaswasthebestyouwouldbeabletodoforyearstocome"andIsawyouweregoingtomakeitacrucialtestofyourability。Thatis，forgiveme，nothingbutnonsense。
　　Whateverthearticlemaybe，youmaywriteoneinfinitelysuperiortoitnextweekormonth。Justinproportionasyoufeelmoredeeply，ornoticemorekeenly，andasyouacquirethefacultyofexpressingyourfeelingsorobservationsmoredelicatelyandpowerfullywhichfacultymustcomeintopractice。Itisnotinspiration——itneverwasthat——withoutpractice，withanywriterfromShakespearedown。
　　me。Idon'tsay，likePapa，stopwriting。Godforbid。Iwouldalmostassoonsaystopbreathing，foritisprettymuchthesamething。Butonlytorememberthatyouhavenotyetconqueredyourart。Youareajourneymannotamasterworkman，soifyoudon'tsucceed，itdoesnotcount。ThefutureiswhatIlookto，foryou。Ihadtostopmyworktosayallthis，sogood-byedearoldchum。
　　Yours，MOTHER。
　　IfanythingworriedRichardatallatthisperiod，Ithinkitwashisdesiretogetdowntosteadynewspaperwork，orindeedanykindofworkthatwouldactasthefirststepofhiscareerandbywhichhecouldpayhisownwayintheworld。Itwaswiththisideauppermostinhismindinthelatespringof1886，andwithoutanyparticularregretfortheendingofhiscollegecareer，thatheleftBaltimoreand，returningtohishomeinPhiladelphia，determinedtoacceptthefirstpositionthatpresenteditself。Butinsteadofgoingtoworkatonce，heoncemorechangedhisplansanddecidedtosailforSantiagodeCubawithhisfriendWilliamW。Thurston，whoaspresidentoftheBethlehemSteelCompany，wasdeeplyinterestedintheironminesofthatregion。HereandthenitwasthatRichardfirstfellinlovewithCuba——alovewhichinlateryearsbecamealmostanobsessionwithhim。Throughouthislifewheneveritwaspossible，andsometimeswhenitseemedpracticallyimpossible，mybrotherwouldlistentothecallofhisbelovedtropicsand，castingasideallresponsibilities，wouldsetsailforSantiago。AfterallitwasquitenaturalthatheshouldfeelashedidaboutthislittleCubancoasttown，forapartfromitslazylife，spicysmells，wavingpalmsandSpanishcooking，itwasherethathefoundthematerialforhisfirstnovelandgreatestmonetarysuccess，"SoldiersofFortune。"ApartfromthemanypurelypleasuretripshemadetoSantiago，twicehereturnedtheretowork——onceasacorrespondentduringtheSpanish-AmericanWar，andagainwhenhewentwithAugustusThomastoassistinthelatter'sfilmversionoftheplaywhichyearsbeforeThomashadmadefromthenovel。
　　CHAPTERIII
　　FIRSTNEWSPAPEREXPERIENCES
　　Inthelatesummerof1886RichardreturnedfromCubaandsettleddowninPhiladelphiatowriteanarticleabouthisexperiencesatSantiagoandtolookforregularnewspaperwork。EarlyinSeptemberhewrotehismother:
　　September，1886。
　　DEARMOTHER:
　　IsawtheRecordpeopleto-day。Theysaidtherewasnotanopeningbutcouldgiveme"chance"work，thatis，Iwastoreporteachdayatoneandgetwhatwasleftover。IsaidI
　　wouldtakeitasIwouldhavemymorningsfreetowritethearticleandwhatafternoonsIdidnothavenewspaperworkbesides。Thisissatisfactory。TheyareeitherdoingalltheycantoobligeDadorelsegivingmeatrialtripbeforemakinganopening。Thearticleisprogressingbutslowly。ToparaphraseTalleyrand，what'sdoneisbutlittleandthatlittleisnotgood。However，sinceyourlastletterfullofsuchexcellent"tips"Ihaverewrittenitandthinkitismuchimproved。IwillwritetoThurstonconcerningtheartistto-morrow。HeisawayfromB。atpresent。Onthewholethearticleisnotbad。
　　Yourboy，DICK。
　　Richard'sstayonTheRecord，however，wasshort-lived。Hisexcuseforthebrevityoftheexperiencewasgiveninaninterviewsomeyearslater。"MyCityEditordidn'tlikemebecauseoncolddaysIworegloves。
　　Buthewasdeterminedtomakemework，andgavemeabouteighteenassignmentsaday，andpaidme$7。aweek。Attheendofthreemonthshedischargedmeasincompetent。"
　　FromTheRecordRichardwenttoThePress，whichwasmuchmoretohisliking，and，indeeditwasherethathedidhisfirstrealworkandshowedhisfirstpromise。Fornearlythreeyearshedidgeneralreportingandduringthistimegainedagreatdealmorepersonalsuccessthancomestomostmembersofthatusuallyanonymousprofession。HisbigchancecamewiththeJohnstownflood，andthenewsstorieshewiredtohispapershowedthefirstglimpseofhisabilityasacorrespondent。Lateron，disguisedasacrook，hejoinedagangofyeggmen，livedwiththemintheworstdivesofthecity，andeventuallygainedtheirgoodopiniontotheextentofbeingallowedtoassistinplanningaburglary。Butbeforetheactualrobberytookplace，Richardhadobtainedenoughevidenceagainsthiscrookcompanionstoturnthemovertothepoliceandeventuallylandtheminprison。Itwasduringthesedaysthathewrotehisfirststoryforamagazine，andthefollowinglettershowsthatitwassomethingofamilestoneinhiscareer。
　　PHILADELPHIA。
　　August，1888。
　　DEARFAMILY:
　　TheSt。Nicholaspeoplesentmeacheckfor$50forthe"pirate"story。ItwouldbeinsupportableaffectationtosaythatIwasnotdelighted。JenningsCruteandIwerewaitingforbreakfastwhenIfoundtheletter。Iopeneditveryslowly，forIfearedtheywouldbluffmewithsomeletteraboutillustrationsorrevision，orofferingmeareducedsubscriptiontothemagazine。Therewasaletterinsideandacheck。IreadtheletterbeforeIlookedatthecheck，whichI
　　supposedwouldbefor$30，astheotherstorywasvaluedat$20。
　　ThenotesaidthataperfectgentlemannamedChichesterwouldbepleasedifIwouldfindenclosedacheckfor$50。IlookedatJennyhelplessly，andsaid，"It'sforfifty，Jenny。"Crutehadaninsanelookinhiseyesashemurmured"halfahundreddollars，andonyourdayoff，too。"ThenIsatdownsuddenlyandwonderedwhatIwouldbuyfirst，andCrutesatinadazedcondition，andabstractedlytookahandfulofsegarsoutoftheboxdearoldDadgaveme。AsIdidn'tsayanything，hetookanotherhandful，andthensatdownandgazedatthecheckforfiveminutesinawe。AfterbreakfastIcalculatedhowmuchIwouldhaveafterIpaidmydebts。Istillowesay$23，andIhavesomeshoestopayforandmyhairtocut。IhadawildideaofgoingovertoNewYorkandbuyingsomestocks，butIguessI'llgotoBond'sandBaker'sinstead。
　　I'mgoingdownstreetnowtoseeifDrexelwantstoborrowanyreadymoney-onthewaydownIwillmakepurchasesandpaybillssothatmymarchwillbeatriumphalprocession。
　　IgotastoryonthefrontpagethismorningaboutanexplosionatColumbiaAvenueStation——Iwentoutonitwithanothermanmyseniorinyearsandexperience，whomWatrousexpectedtowritethestorywhileIhustledforfacts。WhenwegotbackIhadallthefacts，andwhatlittlehehadwasincorrect——soIsaidIwoulddispensewithhisservicesandwritethestorymyself。Ididitverypolitely，butitqueeredthemanbeforethemen，andWatrousgrewverysarcasticathisexpense。NexttimeAndywillknowbetterandletmegetmyownstoriesalone。
　　YourMillionaireSon，DICK。
　　I'mstillthe"sameoldDick"；notproudabit。
　　Thiswasmymother'sreply:
　　Thursday。
　　August1888。
　　DEARDICK:
　　Yourletterhasjustcomeandwearealldelighted。WelldoneforoldSt。Nicholas!Ithoughttheymeanttowaittillthestorywaspublished。IttookmebacktothedaywhenIgot$50。for"LifeintheIronMills。"Icarriedtheletterhalfadaybeforeopeningit，beingsosurethatitwasarefusal。
　　IhadagreatmindtoreadthelettertoDavisandCecilewhowereontheporchbutwasafraidyouwouldnotlikeit。
　　IdidreadthemanextremelyimpertinentenclosurewhichwassoliketheletterIsentyesterday。ThatIthinkyougotitbeforewritingthis……WellIamgladaboutthatcheque!HaveyoudoneanythingonGallagher？Thatisbyfarthebestworkyou'vedone——oh，byfar——SendthattoGilder。InoldtimesTheCenturywouldnotprinttheword"brandy。"Butthosedaysareover。
　　Twomoredays——dearboy——
　　MOTHER。
　　InadditiontohisworkonThePress，Richardalsofoundtimetoassisthisfriend，MortonMcMichael，3d，intheeditingofaweeklypublicationcalledTheStage。Infactwiththeexceptionoftheservicesofanofficeboy，McMichaelandRichardwereTheStage。Betweenthemtheywrotetheeditorials，criticisms，theLondonandParisspecialcorrespondence，solicitedtheadvertisements，andfrequentlyassistedinthewrappingandmailingofthecopiessenttotheirextremelylimitedlistofsubscribers。
　　Duringthistime，however，RichardwasestablishinghimselfasastarreporteronThePress，andwasalreadyknownasaclevernews-gathererandinterviewer。ItwasinreplytoaletterthatRichardwrotetoRobertLouisStevensonenclosinganinterviewhehadhadwithWaltWhitman，thatStevensonwrotethefollowingletter——whichmybrotheralwaysregardedasoneofhisgreatesttreasures:
　　Why，thankyousomuchforyourfrank，agreeableandnaturalletter。Itiscertainlyverypleasantthatallyouyoungfellowsshouldenjoymyworkandgetsomegoodoutofitanditwasverykindinyoutowriteandtellmeso。Thetaleofthesuicideisexcellentlydroll，andyourletter，youmaybesure，willbepreserved。Ifyouaretoescapeunhurtoutofyourpresentbusinessyoumustbeverycareful，andyoumustfindinyourheartmuchconstancy。Theswiftlydoneworkofthejournalistandthecheapfinishandreadymademethodstowhichitleads，youmusttrytocounteractinprivatebywritingwiththemostconsiderateslownessandonthemostambitiousmodels。AndwhenIsay"writing"——O，believeme，itisrewritingthatIhavechieflyinmind。IfyouwilldothisIhopetohearofyousomeday。
　　PleaseexcusethissermonfromYourobligedROBERTLOUISSTEVENSON。
　　Inthespringof1889RichardasthecorrespondentofthePhiladelphiaTelegraph，accompaniedateamofPhiladelphiacricketersonatourofIrelandandEngland，butasitwasnecessaryforhimtospendmostofhistimereportingthematchesplayedinsmalluniversitytowns，hesawonlyenoughofLondontogivehimagreatlongingtoreturnassoonasthechanceoffered。LatethatsummerheresumedhisworkonThePress，butRichardwasnotatallsatisfiedwithhisjournalisticprogress，andforlonghiseyeshadbeenturnedtowardNewYork。Thereheknewthattherewasnotonlyabroaderfieldforsuchtalentashemightpossess，butthatthechanceforadventurewasmuchgreater，anditwasthishopeandloveofadventurethatkeptRichardmovingonallofhislife。
　　OnamorninglateinSeptember，1889，hestartedforNewYorktolookforapositionasreporterononeofthemetropolitannewspapers。Idonotknowwhetherhecarriedwithhimanylettersorthathehadanyacquaintancesinthejournalisticworldonwhoseinfluencehecounted，but，inanycase，hevisitedanumberofofficeswithoutanysuccesswhatever。
　　Indeed，hehadgivenupthedayaswasted，andwasonhiswaytotakethetrainbacktoPhiladelphia。Tiredanddiscouraged，hesatdownonabenchinCityHallPark，andmentallyshookhisfistatthenewspaperofficesonParkRowthathadgivenhimsocoldareception。Atthisall-importantmomentalongcameArthurBrisbane，whomRichardhadmetinLondonwhentheformerwastheEnglishcorrespondentofTheSun。BrisbanehadrecentlybeenappointededitorofTheEveningSun，andhadalreadymetwitharatherspectacularsuccess。OnhearingtheobjectofRichard'svisittoNewYork，hepromptlyofferedhimapositiononhisstaffandRichardaspromptlyaccepted。Irememberthatthejoyoustelegramhesenttomymother，tellingofhissuccess，anddemandingthatthefattedcalfbekilledfordinnerthatnightwasnotreceivedwithunalloyedhappiness。Tomymotherandfatheritmeantthattheirfirst-bornwasleavinghometoseekhisfortune，andthatwithoutRichard'sloveandsympathythehomecouldneverbequitethesame。Butthefattedcalfwaskilled，everyonepretendedtobejustaselatedasRichardwasoverhisgoodfortune，andintwodaysheleftusforhisfirstadventure。
　　ThefollowingnotetohismotherRichardscribbledoffinpencilattherailway-stationonhiswaytoNewYork:
　　IamnotsurprisedthatyouweresadifyouthoughtIwasgoingawayforgood。Icouldnotthinkofitmyself。Iamonlygoingtomakealittlereputationandtolearnenoughofthebusinesstoenablemetoliveathomeinthecentreoftheuniversewithyou。Thatistruth。Godblessyou。
　　DICK。
　　CHAPTERIV
　　NEWYORK
　　OfthemanycompletelyhappyperiodsofRichard'slifetherewerefewmorejoyousthanthefirstyearshespentasareporterinNewYork。Forthefirsttimehewascompletelyhisownmasterandpayinghisownway——aconditionwhichaffordedhiminfinitesatisfaction。HewasgreatlyattachedtoBrisbaneandasdevotedtotheinterestsofTheEveningSunasifhehadbeentheeditorandpublisher。InreturnBrisbanegavehimafreereinandallowedhimtowriteverymuchwhatandashechose。Thetwomenwereconstantlytogether，inandoutofofficehours，andplannedmanyoftheleadingfeaturesofthepaperwhichonaccountofthebrilliancyofitsnewsstoriesandspecialarticleswasatthattimeattractinganextraordinaryamountofattention。
　　Richarddividedhisworkinghoursbetweenreportingimportantnewsevents，writingspecialsprincipallyabouttheatricalpeople，andtheVanBibberstories，nearlyallofwhichwerepublishedforthefirsttimeinTheEveningSun。TheseshorttalesofNewYorklifesoonmadeadistincthit，and，whiletheyappearedanonymously，itwasgenerallyknownthatRichardwastheirauthor。Inadditiontohisnewspaperworkmybrotherwasalsoworkingonshortstoriesforthemagazines，andin1890scoredhisfirstrealsuccessinthisfield，with"Gallegher，"whichappearedinScribner's。Thiswasshortlyfollowedby"TheOtherWoman，""MissCatherwaite'sUnderstudy，""AWalkuptheAvenue，""MyDisreputableFriend，Mr。Raegen，""AnUnfinishedStory，"andotherstoriesthatsoongavehimanestablishedreputationasawriteroffiction。ButwhileRichard'ssuccesswasattainedinaremarkablyshortspaceoftimeandatanextremelyearlyage，itwasnotaccomplishedwithoutanenormousamountofhardworkandconsiderableprivation。WhenhefirstwenttoNewYorkhissalarywasbutthirtydollarsaweek，andwhileheremainedonTheEveningSunneveroverfiftydollars，andthepriceshereceivedforhisfirstshortstorieswereextremelymeagre。DuringtheearlydaysonTheEveningSunhehadaroominalittlehouseat108WaverlyPlace，andtookhismealsintheneighborhoodwherehehappenedtofindhimselfandwheretheywerecheapest。Heusuallyspenthisweek-endsinPhiladelphia，buthisgreatestpleasurewaswhenhecouldinducesomememberofhisfamilytovisithiminNewYork。IfearIwastheonewhomostoftenacceptedhishospitality，andwonderfulvisitstheywere，certainlytome，andIthinktoRichardaswell。ThegreateventwasourSaturday-nightdinner，whenwealwayswenttoalittlerestaurantonSixthAvenue。Idonotimaginethefifty-centtabled'hotevincompristhegenialMr。Jaussserveduswasanybetterthanmostfifty-centtable-d'hotedinners，buttheplacewasquaintandredolentofstrangesmellsofcookingaswellasofatruebohemianatmosphere。ThosewerethedayswhentheBroadwayTheatrewasgivenovertothecomicoperasinwhichFrancisWilsonandDeWolfeHopperwerethestars，andasbothofthecomedianswerefirmfriendsofRichard，weinvariablyendedoureveningattheBroadway。Sometimesweoccupiedaboxastheguestsofthemanagement，andatothertimeswewentbehindthescenesandsatinthestar'sdressing-room。IthinkIlikeditbestwhenHopperwasplaying，becauseduringWilson'sregimethebigdressing-roomwasarathersolemnsortofplace，butwhenHopperruled，theroomwasfilledwithprettygirlsandhetreatedustofinecigarsandchampagne。
　　Halcyonnightsthose，andthenonSundaymorningwealwaysbreakfastedatoldMartin'sonUniversityPlaceeggsalaMartinandthatwonderfulcoffeeandpaindemenage。AndwhatawrenchitwaswhenItoremyselfawayfromthedelightsofthegreatcityandscurriedbacktomydeskinsleepyPhiladelphia。HadIbeenaprinceroyalRichardcouldnothaveplannedmorecarefullythanhedidforthesevisits，andtomeettheexpensewasnoeasymatterforhim。Indeed，I
　　knowthattopayforallourgayetiesheusuallyhadtocarryhisguitartoaneighboringpawn-brokerwheretheinstrumentwasalwaysgoodforaneight-dollarloan。ButfromthetimeRichardfirstbegantomakehisownlivingoneofthegreatpleasuresofhislifewastocelebrate，orashecalledit，to"haveaparty。"Wheneverhehadfinishedashortstoryhehadaparty，andwhenthestoryhadbeenacceptedtherewasanotherparty，and，ofcourse，therealpartywaswhenhereceivedthecheck。Andsoitwasthroughouthislife，givingapartytosomeonewhomapartywouldhelp，buyingapictureforwhichhehadnousetohelpastrugglingartist，sendingafewtonsofcoaltoanoldladywhowasnotquitewarmenough，alwayswritingaletteroracheckforsomeoneofhisowncraftwhohadbeenlessfortunatethanhe——givingtoeverybeggarthathemet，fearingthatamongallthethousandfakershemightrefuseoneworthycase。IthinkthishabitofgivingRichardmusthaveinheritedfromhisfather，whogaveoutofallproportiontohismeans，andwithnevertoocloseascrutinytotheworthinessofthecause。Bothmenweretoointenselyhumantodothat，butifthisgreatdesireonthepartofmyfatherandbrothertohelpothersgavetherecipientspleasureI'msurethatitcausedintheheartsofthegiversanevengreaterhappiness。ThefollowingletterswerechosenfromagreatnumberwhichRichardwrotetohisfamily，tellingofhisfirstdaysonTheEveningSun，andofhislifeinNewYork。
　　YORKEveningSun——1890
　　DEARMOTHER:
　　Todayisaslovelyandfreshasthemorning，arealspringday，andIfeelgoodinconsequence。Ihavejustcomefromacoupleofraids，wherewehadaverylivelytime，andsomeofthemhadtopulltheirguns。Ifounditnecessarytopunchafewsportsmyself。TheoldsergeantfromheadquarterstreatsmelikeasonandtakesthegreatestprideinwhateverIdoorwrite。Heregularlyassignsmenowtocertaindoors，andI
　　alwaysobeyorderslikethelittlegentlemanthatIam。
　　Insteadofmakingmeunpopular，Ifindithelpsmewiththesports，thoughithurtsmychancesprofessionally，assomanyofthemknowmenowthatIamnouseinsomedistricts。Forinstance，inMottandPellstreets，orintheBowery，Iamassafeasanyprecinctdetective。Itellyouthistokeepyoufromworrying。Theywon'ttouchamanwhomtheythinkisanagentoranofficer。Onlyitspoilsmychancesofdoingreportorial-detectivework。Forinstance，thecaptainoftheBowerydistrictrefusedmeadetectivetheothermorningtotaketheShippensaroundtheChineseandthetougherquartersbecausehesaidtheywereassafewithmeaswithanyoftheothermenwhosefacesareaswellknown。To-nightIamgoingtotakeapartytotheheadquartersofthefiredepartment，whereI
　　haveacinchonthecaptain，averynicefellow，whoisunusuallygratefulforsomethingIwroteabouthimandhismen。TheyaregoingtodotheStillAlarmactforme。
　　Theseclippingsallcameoutinto-day'spaper。TheladiesintheTombsweretheShippens，ofcourse；andMamieBlakeisarealgirl，andthestoryistruefromstarttofinish。I
　　thinkitisapatheticlittlehistory。
　　Givemylovetoall。IwillbringonthestoryIhavefinishedandgetyoutomakesomesuggestions。Itisquiteshort。SinceScribner'shavebeensocivil，IthinkIwillgivethemachanceatthegreatprize。IamwritingacomicguidebookandahistoryoftheHaymarketforthepaper；botharerichinopportunities。Thisweathermakesmefeellikeanotherperson。Iwillbesogladtogethome。WithlotsofloveandkissesforyouandNora。
　　DICK-O。
　　NEWYORK——1890。
　　DEARCHAS:
　　BrisbanehassuggestedtomethattheBradleystorywouldleadanyonetosupposethatmyeveningswerespentintheboudoirsofthehorizontalesof34thStreetandhasscaredmesomewhatinconsequence。IfitstrikesyouandDadthesamewaydon'tshowittoMother。DadmadeonemistakebythinkingIwroteagamblingstorywhichhasmademenervous。Itishardlythefairthingtosupposethatamanmusthaveanintimateacquaintancewithwhateverhewritesofintimately。Alotofhuntingpeople，forinstance，wouldnotbelievethatIhadwrittenthe"Traver'sOnlyRide"storybecausetheyknewIdidnothunt。Don'teitheryouorDadmakeanymistakeaboutthis。
　　DICK。
　　Asamatteroffacttheywouldnotletmeintheroom，andI
　　don'tknowwhetheritaboundedinsignedetchingsorBougereau'snymphs。
　　NEWYORK——1890。
　　DEARFAMILY:
　　Todayhasbeenmoreorlessfeverish。Inthemorning'smailI
　　receivedaletterfromBerlinaskingpermissiontotranslate"Gallegher"intoGerman，andaproofofaparagraphfromTheCriticonmyburlesqueofRudyardKipling，whichwasmeanttopleasebutwhichboredme。Thenthe"Raegen"storycamein，makingninepagesoftheScribner's，whichattendollarsapageoughttobe$90。Prettygoodpayforthreeweeks'work，anditisagoodstory。Thenattwelveayoungmancamebustlingintotheoffice，stuckhiscarddownonthedeskandsaid，"IamS。S。McClure。IhavesentmyLondonrepresentativetoBerlinandmyNewYorkmantoLondon。WillyoutakechargeofmyNewYorkend？"
　　Ifhethoughttorattlemehewasverymuchoutofit，forI
　　saidinhissametoneandmanner，"BringyourNewYorkrepresentativebackandsendmetoLondon，andI'llconsiderit。AslongasIaminNewYorkIwillnotleaveTheEveningSun。"
　　"EdmundGosseismyLondonrepresentative，"hesaid；"youcanhavethesameworkhere。Comeoutandtakelunch。"
　　Isaid，"Thankyou，Ican't；I'llseeyouonTuesday。"
　　"Allright，"hesaid。"I'llcomeforyou。ThinkofwhatI
　　say。I'llmakeyourfortune。BradfordMerrilltoldmetogetyou。Youwon'thaveanythingtodobutaskpeopletowritenovelsandeditthem。I'llsendyouabroadlaterifyoudon'tlikeNewYork。Canyouwriteanychildren'sstoriesforme？"
　　"No，"Isaid，"seeyouTuesday。"
　　Thisisaverbalreportofallandeverythingthatwassaid。
　　Iconsideritacuriousinterview。ItwillraisemysalaryhereorIgo。WhatdoYOUthink？
　　DICK。
　　NEWYORK——1890。
　　DEARFAMILY:
　　ThemoreIthoughtoftheMcClureofferthelessIthoughtofit。SoItoldhimlastnightIwassatisfiedwhereIwas，andthatthe$75heofferedmewasnoinducement。BrisbanesaysI
　　willget$50aboutthefirstofOctober，whichisplentyandenoughforayoungmanwhointendstobegoodtohisfolks。I
　　cannotdobetterthanstaywhereIam，foritisunderstoodbetweenBrisbaneandLaffanthatintheeventoftheformer'sgoingintopoliticsIshalltakehisplace，whichwillsuitverywelluntilsomethingbetterturnsup。ThenthereisthechanceofWhite'scomingbackandmygoingtoLunnon，whichwouldpleasemenowmoreforwhatIthinkIcouldmakeofitthanwhatIthinkothershavemadeofit。IfIhadgonetoMcClureIwouldhavebeenshelvedandside-tracked，andIamstillintherunning，andlearningeveryday。
　　BrisbaneandIhavehadourfirstseriousdifficultyoverMrs。R——，whoisstayingwithMrs。"Bill。"Thereisatpresentthemostdesperaterivalry，andwediscusseachother'schanceswithgreatanger。Hecountsonhistranscontinentalknowledge，butmyshortstorieshitveryhard，andheisnotinitwhenIsing"ThyFaceWillLeadMeOn"and"WhenKerriganStruckHighC。"ShehasafatalfondnessforSullivan，whichismostunfortunate，asBrisbanecananddoestellherabouthimbythehalfhour。Yesterdaywebothtriedtoimpressherbyridingdowninfrontoftheporchandshowingoffthehorsesandourselves。Brisbanecameoffbest，thoughIcameoffquickest，formyhorseputhisfootinaholeandwentdownonhisknees，whileIwentoverhisheadliketheWhiteKnightin"Alice。"Iwouldthinknothingofslidingoffaroofnow。ButImadeupforthismishapbycomingbackinmygreysuitandhavingitcomparedwiththepictureinTheCentury。Itisaveryclosefight，and，whileBrisbaneischasingovertownforphotographsofSullivan，Iambuyingbooksofversesofwhichsheseemstobefond。Assoonasshegetsherdivorceoneofusisgoingtomarryher。Wedon'tknowwhich。SheisaboutasbeautifulawomanasIeversaw，andverywittyandwell-informed，butitwouldcostagooddealtokeepherindiamonds。ShewearssometheQueengaveher，butshewantsmore。
　　DICK。
　　NEWYORK——1890。
　　DEARMOTHERLATEMA:
　　Iamwellandwithlotstodo。IwentuptoseeHoppertheothernight，whichwasthefirsttimeinthreemonthsthatI
　　havebeenbackofatheater，anditwaslikegoinghome。
　　ThereisasmellaboutthepaintyandgassyanddustyplacethatIloveasmuchasfreshearthandnewlycuthay，andthegirlslooksoprettyandboldlyingaroundonthesets，andthemensooutoffocusandwithsuchstartlingcheeksandlips。Theywereverygladtoseemeandmadeagreatfuss。ThenI'vebeentoseeCarmencitadance，whichIenjoyedremarkably，andIhavebeenreadingRudyardKipling'sshortstories，andIthinkitisdisgustingthataboylikethatshouldwritesuchstories。Hehasn'tlefthimselfanythingtodowhenhegetsold。HeremindsmeofBretHarteandnotabitofStevenson，towhomsomeofthemcomparehim。
　　Iamverygladyoulikedtheladyinmid-airstorysomuch，butitwasn'tabitnecessarytoaddtheMORALfromaMOTHER。IsawitcomingupbeforeIhadreadtwolines；andaverygoodmoralitis，too，withwhichIagreeheartily。
　　But，ofcourse，youknowitisnotanewideatome。Anythingasgoodandtrueasthatmoralcannotbenewatthislatedate。IwenttotheBrooklynHandicapraceyesterday。Itisoneofthethreebiggestracesoftheyear，andamanstoodinfrontofmeinthepaddockinawhitehat。Anothermanaskedhimwhathewas"playing。"
　　"Well，"hesaid，"IfancyFidesmyself。"
　　"Fides!"saidhisfriend，"why，sheain'tinit。Shewon'tseehome。Raceland'sthehorseforyourmoney；she'sfavorite，andthereisn'tanysecondchoice。ButFides!Why，she'ssimplyimpossible。RacelandbeatHERlastSuburban。"
　　"Yes，Iremember，"saidthemaninthewhitehat，"butIfancyFides。"
　　Thenanotherchapsaidtohim，"Fidesisallgoodenoughonadusttrackonasunny，pleasantday，butshecan'traninthemud。Shehasn'tgotthestayingpowers。She'saprettyonetolookat，butshe'sjusta`grandstand'ladies'choice。Sheain'tinitwithRacelandorErica。ThehorseYOUwantisnotapretty，daintyflyer，butastayer，thatissureandthatbringsingoodmoney，notbigodds，butgoodmoney。Why，Icannameyouadozenbetter'nFides。"
　　"Still，somehow，IlikeFidesbest，"saidtheobstinatemaninthewhitehat。
　　"ButFideswilltakethebitinhermouthandrunaway，orthrowthejockorbreakintothefence。Sheisn'tsteady。
　　She'sallrighttohavealittlebeton，justenoughforaflyer，butshe'snotthehorsetoplungeon。Ifyou'reamillionairewithmoneytothrowaway，why，youmightputsomeofituponher，but，asitis，youwanttoputyourmoneywhereitwillbesureofa`place，'anyway。Now，letmemarkyourcardforyou？"
　　"No，"saidtheman，"whatyouallsayisreasonable，Iseethat；but，somehow，IratherfancyFidesbest。"
　　I'veforgottennowwhetherFideswonornot，andwhethershelandedthemanwhojustfanciedherwithoutknowingwhyawinnerorsenthimhomebroke。But，inanyevent，thatisquiteimmaterial，thestorysimplyshowshowobstinatesomemenareasregardshorsesand——otheruncertaincritters。I
　　havenodoubtbutthattheMethodistminister'sdaughterwouldhavemadeHiramhappyifhehadlovedher，buthedidn't。NodoubtAnne——，Nan——，Katy——andMaude——wouldhavemademehappyiftheywouldhaveconsentedtohavemeandI
　　hadhappenedtolovethem，butIfanciedFides。
　　ButnowsinceIhavescaredyousufficiently，letmeaddforyourpeaceofmindthatI'venotenoughmoneytobackanyhorsesjustatpresent，andbeforeIputanymoneyuponanyoneofthemfortheMatrimonialstakes，Iwillaskyoufirsttolookoverthecardandgivemeafewpointers。Imayn'tfollowthem，youknow，butI'llgiveyouafairwarning，atanyrate。
　　"You'remysweetheart，I'myourbeau。"
　　DICK。
　　NEWYORK，May29，1890。
　　ThisisjustalittlegoodnightnotetosayhowIwishIwaswithyoudownatthatdearoldplaceandhowmuchIloveyouandNorawhoisgettinglovelierandsweeterandprettiereverydayandIknowaprettygirlwhenIsee'em，Fides，forinstance。ButIwon'tteaseyouaboutthatanymore。
　　IfinishedashortsillystorytonightwhichIamindoubtwhethertosendoffornot。IthinkIwillkeepituntilI
　　readittoyouandlearnwhatyouthink。
　　Mr。GilderhasaskedmetostaywiththematMarion，andtogotoCambridgewithMrs。GilderanddearMrs。ClevelandandGroverCleveland，whenhereadsthepoembeforeD。K。E。
　　Ihaveboughtabookondecorations，colored，andIamchoosingwhatIwant，likeaboywithanewpairofboots。
　　Good-night，mydearestMama。
　　DICK。
　　InadditiontohisregularworkonTheEveningSun，mybrother，asIhavealreadysaid，wasdevotingagreatpart，ofhisleisuremomentstothewritingofshortstories，andhadmadeatentativeagreementwithawell-knownmagazinetodoaseriesofshortsketchesofNewYorktypes。EvidentlyfearfulthatRichardwaswritingtoomuchandwithaviewtopecuniarygain，mymotherwrotethefollowingnoteofwarning:
　　PHILADELPHIA，1890。
　　DEARDICK:
　　Iwouldn'tundertakethe"types。"Foronething，youwillloseprestigewritingfor——'spaper。Foranother，Idreadbeyondeverythingyourbeginningtodohackworkformoney。
　　Itisthebeginningofdecadencebothinworkandreputationforyou。Iknowbymyownandathousandotherpeople。Begintowritebecauseit"isalotofmoney"andyoustopdoingyourbestwork。Youmakeyourworkcommonandyourpriceswillsoongodown。GeorgeLewesmanagedGeorgeEliotwisely。
　　Hestoppedherhackwork。Keptheratwritingnovelsandsoononeeachyearbroughther$40，000。Iamtakingapurelymercenaryviewofthething。ThereisanotherwhichyouunderstandbetterthanI——MindyourMother'sadvicetoyou——nowandallthetimeis"doonlyyourbestwork——evenifyoustarvedoingit。"Butyouwon'tstarve。You'llgetyourdinneratMartin'sinsteadofDelmonico's，whichwon'thurtyouinthelongrun。Anyhow，$1000。for12，500wordsisnotagreatprice。
　　Thatwasafineteayougave。Ishouldliketohaveheardthegoodtalk。Itwasliketheregimentofbrigadiergeneralswithnoprivates。