still, Glengarry, bonnetless as he was, was compelled to continue his bending position over the side of the vessel, and to utter the sounds peculiar to one in his situation, until the Fame actually landed,—which she did in the presence of a vast concourse of spectators. Whether the sounds referred to were English or Gaelic, is a point which none of those on the pier or in the vessel were able to decide; nor are we ourselves ashamed to confess, that it is also too knotty for us to settle.

CHAPTER VI.

Our hero returns to town-Becomes an extensive magazine contributor-Remarks on magazine writing.

JOSEPH, after a month's sojourn in Ramsgate, returned to town, much refreshed by the invigorating sea breezes which he inhaled at that favourite watering-place.

Having by this time obtained access to the pages of several of the periodicals which pay for accepted contributions, he was, after his month's residence at the sea-side, seized with a fit of literary industry; and "worked off that fit," as he himself expressed it, by " getting up" articles for the various magazines referred to.

To write attractive magazine articles, is much more difficult than is generally supposed. And

it is a curious fact, that many of the most distinguished authors of the day, have completely failed in their efforts to write a popular paper for any of our periodicals. Just let any one glance his eye over our current magazine literature, and then let him say whether, but for the circumstance of their names being attached to their contributions, he could have believed it possible that authors whose fame fills the civilized world, could ever have suffered the miserable stuff which is there the acknowledged produce of their pens, to have had a moment's habitation in their minds. Yet so it is. To account for the fact, is another matter. My own opinion is, that the difficulty may be partly accounted for, from the circumstance of an author of established and extensive reputation, being accustomed to occupy whatever space he may require. Consequently, he finds it impossible sufficiently to concentrate his ideas and contract his incidents, without impairing their effect, so as to bring the article within the

limited compass usually allowed to an individual contribution. In magazine writing, there is no room for introductory flourishes, none for digressions, none for the clap-trap accessions of high-flown descriptions, which occupy so much space in the pages of our three-volume works of fiction. The magazine contributor must plunge into his subject at once. The first sentence must tell; and every succeeding sentence must have its point and piquancy, otherwise he will never acquire the reputation of a successful contributor to the periodical literature of the day. The fire of smart and telling things with which he commences, must be kept up without a moment's cessation. To flag is fatal. Episodes, underplots, and all the other appurtenances of the othodox three-volume novel, are wholly unknown to the magazine writer. They are forbidden materials for him to work with.

Magazine writing was a much more profitable, and a much less precarious occupation, at the period to which we are now referring, than it

has been for some time past. The proprietors of the leading periodicals rarely paid a contributor, possessing more than the average tact and talent, less than twelve guineas per sheet. The average rate of remuneration for contributors of the first class, was sixteen guineas per sheet; while those who possessed an aristocratic title, in addition to their talents, and who consented to let their names be attached to their contributions, were paid as high as twenty guineas per sheet. Nor was the high rate of remuneration given for contributions to popular periodicals, sixteen or seventeen years ago, the only inducement which literary men had to turn their attention to that kind of writing; there was then a great probability, provided the writer possessed versatility and talent, of getting one's name put on the list of stated contributors. It is now far otherwise in both respects. Three and four guineas a sheet are only now given for articles to one or two of our magazines which rank high. Five guineas in the instances to