licy of the endowment of
motherhood are indeed strangely unconvincing--inconceivable to common
sense. Here the author's hand has trembled, and his persuasive power
forsaken him. Happily he recaptured it for the final catastrophe, which is
absolutely magnificent, a masterpiece of unforced poignant tragedy and
unsentimental tenderness.

SUCCESS IN JOURNALISM

[_16 Feb. '11_]

It is notorious that in London--happily so different from other
capitals--there is no connexion between the advertisement and the
editorial departments of the daily papers. It is positively known, for
instance, that the exuberant editorial praise poured out upon the new
"Encyclopaedia Britannica" has no connexion whatever with the tremendous
sums paid by the Cambridge University Press for advertising the said work
of reference. The almost simultaneous appearance, of the advertisements
and of the superlative reviews is a pure coincidence. Now, in Paris it
would not be a coincidence, and nobody would have the courage to pretend
that it was. But London is a city apart. In view of this admitted fact I
was intensely startled, not to say outraged, by a conversation at which I
assisted the other day. A young acquaintance, with literary and
journalistic proclivities, and with a touching belief in the high mission
of the London press, desired advice as to the best method of reaching the
top rungs of the ladder of which he had not yet set foot even on the
lowest rung. I therefore invited him to meet a celebrated friend of mine,
an author and a journalist, who has recently quitted an important
editorial chair.

* * * * *

The latter spoke to him as follows: "My dear boy, you had better get a
situation in the advertisement department of a paper--no matter what
paper, provided it has a large advertisement revenue; and no matter what
situation, however modest." Here the youth interrupted with the remark
that his desire was the editorial department. The ex-editor proceeded
calmly: "I have quite grasped that.... Well, you must work yourself up in
the advertisement department! What you chiefly require for success is a
good suit, a good club, an imperturbable manner, and a cultivated taste in
restaurants and bars. In your spare time you must write long dull articles
for the reviews; and you must rediscover London in a series of snappish
sketches for a half-penny daily, and also write a novel that is just true
enough to frig