ly but illiterate
showman, and was in New York trying to carry _Vanity Fair_ to
success--a task which he could not accomplish.

Another of the Pfaff company was Thomas Bailey Aldrich. This was at a
time when he had editorial charge of the _Saturday Press_ after he had
come from Portsmouth and served three years at his desk in the
commission house of his rich uncle. Working over the books of the
firm, his mind was often busy with themes outside of the commission
house, all tending towards a literary career.

Another lounger at Pfaff's whose name has become famous in the world
of letters was William Winter, who was sometimes a visitor. Howells
went there on his first visit to New York and dined with Walt Whitman,
and there were others--Bayard Taylor and Stedman among them.

[Illustration: The University Building]

It was only a few minutes' walk from Pfaff's to Washington Square,
and there could be found the substantial-appearing University
building, where Theodore Winthrop had his office and where he wrote
_Cecil Dreeme_ and _John Brent_. From that gloomy building he was
called to the war, and to his home there friends brought the details
of his death--shot through the heart while rallying his men in an
attack which he had helped to plan at the action of Big Bethel in
June, 1861. At the time of his death he was scarcely known as a
writer, and it was not until the publication of _Cecil Dreeme_ that
the world realized that it had lost an entertaining story-teller as
well as a brave soldier when Winthrop fell.

Among others who served in the Seventh Regiment of New York, of which
Theodore Winthrop was a member, was Fitz-James O'Brien, the erratic
and brilliant journalist, whose tale of _The Diamond Lens_ was his
best contribution to the literature of the day. The only literary man
of the Seventh to return to New York was O'Brien's friend, Charles
Graham Halpine, who resigned, and lived to make his name famous by his
humorous sketches of army life supposed to have been penned by
"Private Miles O'Reilly."

The name of Winthrop naturally suggests the name of Dr. John W.
Draper, who was associated with the University of New York for more
than thirty years. His technical writings made his name known over the
world, and he spent many years of his life in the dingy old University
building working on a _History of Intellectual Development in Europe_.

[Illustration: The Studio Building in West 70th St.]

Fitz-James O'Brie