第22部分(第5/7 頁)

　No　garretteers；　these　novelists　and　journalists　awaiting　their　promotion。　They　eat……and　entertain　their　critics……at　fashionable　restaurants；　they　are　seen　in　expensive　seats　at　the　theatre；　they　inhabit　handsome　flats……photographed　for　an　illustrated　paper　on　the　first　excuse。　At　the　worst；　they　belong　to　a　reputable　club；　and　have　garments　which　permit　them　to　attend　a　garden　party　or　an　evening　〃at　home〃　without　attracting　unpleasant　notice。　Many　biographical　sketches　have　I　read；　during　the　last　decade；　making　personal　introduction　of　young　Mr。　This　or　young　Miss　That；　whose　book　was……as　the　sweet　language　of　the　day　will　have　it…　…〃booming〃；　but　never　one　in　which　there　was　a　hint　of　stern　struggle；　of　the　pinched　stomach　and　frozen　fingers。　I　surmise　that　the　path　of　〃literature〃　is　being　made　too　easy。　Doubtless　it　is　a　rare　thing　nowadays　for　a　lad　whose　education　ranks　him　with　the　upper　middle　class　to　find　himself　utterly　without　resources；　should　he　wish　to　devote　himself　to　the　profession　of　letters。　And　there　is　the　root　of　the　matter；　writing　has　e　to　be　recognized　as　a　profession；　almost　as　cut…and…dried　as　church　or　law；　a　lad　may　go　into　it　with　full　parental　approval；　with　ready　avuncular　support。　I　heard　not　long　ago　of　an　eminent　lawyer；　who　had　paid　a　couple　of　hundred　per　annum　for　his　son's　instruction　in　the　art　of　fiction……　yea；　the　art　of　fiction……by　a　not　very　brilliant　professor　of　that　art。　Really；　when　one　es　to　think　of　it；　an　astonishing　fact；　a　fact　vastly　significant。　Starvation；　it　is　true；　does　not　necessarily　produce　fine　literature；　but　one　feels　uneasy　about　these　carpet…authors。　To　the　two　or　three　who　have　a　measure　of　conscience　and　vision；　I　could　wish；　as　the　best　thing；　some　calamity　which　would　leave　them　friendless　in　the