266 FAMOUS LIVING AMERICANS gan to print a serial story without determimng how it was to end. It commenced in imitation of Ik Marvel, continued after the manner of Dickens, and ended in some way which Howells does not record. He undertook the study of French, Grerman, Latin, and Greek, and continued reading Spanish. Of this time he writes, ^'My day began about seven o'clock, in the printing-office, where it took me till noon to do my task of so many thousand ems, say four or five. In the afternoon I went back and distributed my case for the next day. At two or three o 'clock I was free, and then I went home and began my studies ; or tried to write something ; or read a book. We had supper at six and after that I rejoiced in literature, till I went to bed at ten or eleven. I cannot think of any time when I did not go gladly to my books or manuscripts, when it was not a noble joy as well as a high privilege." While he was living in Jefferson, Howells determined to leave printing and study law with the nephew of a United States senator, Benjamin Wade, famous in his day, who lived in the village. William soon found that he had no energy left for literature after a day's reading of Blackstone. He tried law for a month, and then gave it up, returning to literature and the work of the printing-office. Howells 's character and. acquired mental habits being such as have been indicated, it seems that there was no choice, but a certain straight path of literary endeavor which he must follow if he would live. When William was nineteen his father got a legislative clerkship at Columbus. The son agreed to furnish a daily letter telling of legislative occurrences for the Cincinnati Gazette. The young man used the State Library freely. At the end of this legislative session the Cincinnati Gazette of- fered him the position of city editor. He was to have charge of local reporting and he went to the city to fit himself for the work by actual reporter's experience. He tried this one night and, satisfied he would not be suited to the work, turned his back on a thousand dollars a year. He returned home and continued to read Heine, who now became his master and teacher of a style which he followed for several years in verse. In the fall of 1859 he accepted the position of news editor
