Frederick Whittaker's education in the mean time was of a desultory character, and his attendance at school was limited to six months at a Mr. Walker's private school in Brooklyn. His father tried to make a lawyer of him, but the boy's tastes inclined to literature. At sixteen he entered the office of N. Dane Ellingwood, a lawyer, as office-boy, and two or three years later obtained a position in the office of Henry G. Harrison, architect. A defect in his eyesight, however, which was now discovered, put an end to his efforts to become an architect. In the mean time he had made many boyish attempts at literary composition, and finally succeeded in getting into print in a magazine, now extinct, called TJie Great Republic Monthly. When the Civil War broke out he joined a cavalry regiment, and on his return obtained employment as

LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN.

a book canvasser, and afterwards as a school-teacher. After repeated faihires to secure the publication of some of his writings he attracted the notice of Mayne Reid, who jiublished a little song "Starlighted Midnight " from his pen in his (Reid's) magazine, Onward. Reid gave him some good advice, and pointed out the coui-se he should pursue in order to succeed. Mr. Whittaker's next step was the publication by Frank Leslie of some stories of adventure which he had submitted. In 1870, with some money inherited from English relatives, he was enabled to buy his present home at Mount Vernon. He also married and set to work in earnest to earn a living by his pen. This he succeeded in doing by writing serials and dime novels for Muuro, of the Fireside Companion, Beadle and others. He also contributed a set of papers to the Army and Navy Journal, called " Volunteer Cavalry ; the Lessons of the Decade." These attracted much attention, and in 1874 Mr.