The Project Gutenberg EBook of Some Private Views, by James Payn

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Title: Some Private Views

Author: James Payn

Release Date: September 9, 2004 [EBook #13410]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOME PRIVATE VIEWS ***

Produced by Audrey Longhurst and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team.

SOME PRIVATE VIEWS

By

JAMES PAYN

Author of 'High Spirits,' 'A Confidential Agent,' Etc.

_A NEW EDITION_

1881

London
CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY

TO
HORACE N. PYM
THIS
_Book is Dedicated_
BY HIS FRIEND

THE AUTHOR

CONTENTS.

FROM _'THE NINETEENTH CENTURY' REVIEW_.

THE MIDWAY INN 1

THE CRITIC ON THE HEARTH 20

SHAM ADMIRATION IN LITERATURE 37

THE PINCH OF POVERTY 59

THE LITERARY CALLING AND ITS FUTURE 72

STORY-TELLING 96

PENNY FICTION 116

FROM '_THE TIMES_.'

HOTELS 133

MAID-SERVANTS 149

MEN-SERVANTS 163

WHIST-PLAYERS 173

RELATIONS 182

INVALID LITERATURE 192

WET HOLIDAYS 201

TRAVELLING COMPANIONS 211

_THE MIDWAY INN_.

'The hidden but the common thought of all.'

The thoughts I am about to set down are not _my_ thoughts, for, as my
friends say, I have given up the practice of thinking, or it may be,
as my enemies say, I never had it. They are the thoughts of an
acquaintance who thinks for me. I call him an acquaintance, though I
pass as much of my time with him as with my nearest and dearest;
perhaps at the club, perhaps at the office, perhaps in metaphysical
discussion, perhaps at billiards--what does it matter? Thousands of
men in town have such acquaintances, in whose company they spend, by
necessity or custom, half the sum of their lives. It is not rational,
doubtless; but then 'Consider, sir,' said the great talking
philosopher, 'should we become purely rationa