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  THE LITERARY SHOP

  AND OTHER TALES

  BY

  JAMES L. FORD

  AUTHOR of “HYPNOTIC TALES,” “DR. DODD’S SCHOOL,”
  “THE THIRD ALARM,” ETC.

  _NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION_

  [Illustration]

  NEW-YORK

  THE CHELSEA COMPANY

  PUBLISHERS




  Copyright, 1894,

  By GEO. H. RICHMOND & CO.


  Copyright, 1899,

  BY THE CHELSEA COMPANY.




PREFACE TO NEW EDITION.


_The Literary Shop_ was first printed in book form in the fall of
1894, nearly five years ago. Some of its constituent papers had
already appeared in the pages of _Truth_ and _Puck_. To the present
edition have been added the sketches that deal with life and letters
in the McClure village of Syndicate. This model literary community was
established about four years ago, on a convenient and healthful rise
of ground overlooking the Hackensack River, which is navigable at that
point. It has a population of several hundred poets and prose hands,
all of whom are regularly employed on the magazine and the newspaper
syndicate controlled by Mr. S. S. McClure. These sketches are reprinted
by permission from the _New York Journal_ and the _Criterion_.

  NEW YORK, March 8, 1899.                                      J. L. F.




AUTHOR’S NOTE.


Many of these papers are new. Others are reprinted by permission from
_Puck_ and _Truth_.




CONTENTS.


THE LITERARY SHOP.

      CHAPTER I.                                                    PAGE

  IN