Queerangle Building, Nov. ’59.

Dr. SR,—­

Will you contract to do us a tale or a novel, at the rate of say 10 pp. per month, with some popular subject, such as philanthropy, or the Broad Church movement, or fashionable weddings, or the John Brown invasion, brought in so as to make a taking thing of it?  When finished, to come to a 12mo of 350 pp. more or less.  A good article of novel is always salable about Christmas time, and we can do it up by Dec. 1, 1860.  Our Mr. Goader has been round among the hands that do the light jobbing,—­finds several ready to undertake the contract, at say 75c. @ 3.00 per page;—­but want the job done in first-rate style, and think you could furnish us a good article.  Our firm has great facilities for working a novel, tale, or any kind of fancy stuff.  What w’d be y’r terms in cash payment, 1st of every month?

P.S.  Would any additional compensation induce you to allow each number to be illustrated by a colored engraving?

Yr obt serv’ts.

THE AUTHOR TO THE PUBLISHERS.

GENTLEMEN,—­

In reply to your polite request, I have to say, that under no circumstances can I entertain your proposition to write a fictitious narrative.  I could, however, relate some very interesting events which have come to my knowledge, and which, if told in a connected form, might undoubtedly be taken by the public for a work of fiction.  I think my narrative, with some collateral matter I should introduce, would take up a reasonable space in about a dozen numbers of the Oceanic Miscellany.  I cannot listen to your proposal about the engraving.  If you accept my offer to write out, in the form of a story, the incidents of real life to which I have referred, we will arrange the terms at a private interview.  I consider the first day of a month as unobjectionable as any other in the same month, as a time for receiving payment of any sum that may be due me under the proposed contract.

Yours truly.

CONFIDENTIAL EDITOR OF THE OCEANIC MISCELLANY TO THE AUTHOR.

MY DEAR PROF.,—­

We have had lots of bob-tail stories,—­docked short in from one to three months.  Can’t you give us a switch-tail one, that will hang on so as to touch next December?  Something imaginary, based on your recollections,—­the incidents of the War of 1812, for instance;—­but, at any rate, a regular “to be continued” “piece de resistance”

Yours ever.

THE AUTHOR TO THE CONFIDENTIAL EDITOR.

MY DEAR ED.,—­

I really wouldn’t undertake to tell an “imaginary” story, or to write a romance, or anything of the kind.  I might be willing to relate some curious matters that have come to my knowledge, arranging them in a collective form, so that they would probably pass with most readers for fictitious, and perhaps excite very much the same kind of interest they would if genuine fictions.  I don’t remember much about the “last war”; but I suppose both of us may recollect the illumination when peace was declared in 1815.