Howard Pyle, a chronicle by Charles D. Abbott, with an introduction by N. C. Wyeth and many illustrations from Howard Pyle's works.

THE CRUCIBLE OF NEW YORK
rest thy mind easy--when I am pushed for money, you'll
hear quickly enough of it.. a0)
"December 14, 1876.
I am suffering from a spell of the blues. I have
met with constant disappointment this week, and am beginningg to get scared with this way of going on. If it continues, I shall not be able to make expenses. I am meeting
my first reverses now, and they taste very bitter. If I
should fail now, wouldn't it be a humiliating come-down?"
"December 15, 1876.
"Still more reverses, and worse than before! I went
down to see Mrs. Dodge yesterday morning to find out
whether she had accepted my fairy tale or not. Fortunately I did not receive an answer to that in this unlucky
time.... But what worried me was the complaint that was
made of my drawings for the fables; and they certainly
do not look well in print. They seem coarse and cheap
looking, more so than in the original drawings, for upon
being reduced they blotted and came up black and heavy
looking.
"Mrs. Dodge complained very much, and although she
did not blame, but rather exculpated me, that does not better
my chances of illustrating for St. Nicholas in the future.
1I am getting tired of these cheap looking actinics. People
are beginning to complain about them, and we shall have
to use more wood engravings. Some of the ten pictures are
good enough, but many of them are cheap and coarse.'
This seemed to hint that my designs were of that order;
and, indeed, I must confess that there are entirely too many
grounds for the supposition. Should St. Nicholas cast me
[ 4']