ll not sell. The amount of this
royalty is set to his credit and he is discharged from other service to
the nation for so long a period as this credit at the rate of allowance
for the support of citizens shall suffice to support him. If his book
be moderately successful, he has thus a furlough for several months, a
year, two or three years, and if he in the mean time produces other
successful work, the remission of service is extended so far as the
sale of that may justify. An author of much acceptance succeeds in
supporting himself by his pen during the entire period of service, and
the degree of any writer's literary ability, as determined by the
popular voice, is thus the measure of the opportunity given him to
devote his time to literature. In this respect the outcome of our
system is not very dissimilar to that of yours, but there are two
notable differences. In the first place, the universally high level of
education nowadays gives the popular verdict a conclusiveness on the
real merit of literary work which in your day it was as far as possible
from having. In the second place, there is no such thing now as
favoritism of any sort to interfere with the recognition of true merit.
Every author has precisely the same facilities for bringing his work
before the popular tribunal. To judge from the complaints of the
writers of your day, this absolute equality of opportunity would have
been greatly prized."

"In the recognition of merit in other fields of original genius, such
as music, art, invention, design," I said, "I suppose you follow a
similar principle."

"Yes," he replied, "although the details differ. In art, for example,
as in literature, the people are the sole judges. They vote upon the
acceptance of statues and paintings for the public buildings, and their
favorable verdict carries with it the artist's remission from other
tasks to devote himself to his vocation. On copies of his work disposed
of, he also derives the same advantage as the author on sales of his
books. In all these lines of original genius the plan pursued is the
same to offer a free field to aspirants, and as soon as exceptional
talent is recognized to release it from all trammels and let it have
free course. The remission of other service in these cases is not
intended as a gift or reward, but as the means of obtaining more and
higher service. Of course there are various literary, art, and
scientific institutes to which membership comes