sometimes covered with dozens of thrown-away
lucifers after working hours. When writing, his cigar is as
indispensable to him as his pen. He can do without neither. Formerly he
could work with extraordinary facility, but now, with increasing age, a
few hours' work at times tires him out so much that he must, of
necessity, take a rest. As with many other authors, a sense of duty
often impels him to work; but almost always, after a beginning is made,
he composes with pleasure. The time which he devotes daily to literary
work varies. He never works more than eight hours, but rarely less than
three or four hours a day.

The author of "The Lady or the Tiger" and many other short
stories--Frank R. Stockton--always works in the morning, and not at any
other time. In writing a short story, such as is published in a single
number of a magazine, he usually composes the whole story, description,
incident, and even the dialogue, before writing a word of it. In this
way the story is finished in his mind before it is begun on paper. While
engaged in other writing he has carried in his memory for several months
as many as three stories, each ready to be put upon paper as soon as he
should have an opportunity. When he is writing a longer story, he makes
in his mind a general outline of the plot, etc.; and then he composes
three or four chapters before he begins to write; when these are
finished, he stops writing until some more are thought out: he never
composes at the point of the pen. He does not write any of his
manuscripts himself; they are all written from his dictation. Stockton
is very fond of working in the summer in the open air, and a great many
of his stories have been dictated while lying in a hammock. He usually
works from about ten in the morning until one P. M., but he spends no
time at the writing-desk, except when he writes letters, which he never
does in his working hours. Some years ago he used to work very
differently, being occupied all day with editorial work, and in the
evening with literary work; but his health would not stand this, and he,
therefore, adopted his present methods. He works regularly every day,
whether he feels like it or not; but when he has set his mind on a
subject, it is generally not long before he does feel like it.

Dr. Leopold Chevalier de Sacher-Masoch generally used to work at night
in former years, but now writes by daylight only, preferably in the
morning. He is the author of a great