34 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



which appeared in the Tribune in 1853 were published 

 in 1854 in book form under the comprehensive title, Hot 

 Corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated. Including 

 The Story of Little Katy, Madalina, The Rag-Picker's 

 Daughter, Wild Maggie, &c. with original designs, en- 

 graved by N. Orr. This pathetic account of slum life in 

 a large urban center aroused such public interest that 

 over fifty thousand copies were sold within six months 

 after it came from the press. 1 



His work as secretary of the American Widows' Re- 

 lief Association, a local organization, was responsible for 

 a treatise on The Economy of Food or What shall ive Eat, 

 Being Useful Lessons for Rich and Poor including the 

 Story of One Dime a Day. Popular edict soon shortened 

 this title to "A Dime a Day," the name by which the work 

 is usually known. It appeared first in the Tribune and in 

 1856 was reprinted in pamphlet form. 



In 1867 Robinson also reprinted from the Tribune his 

 well-known novel called Me-won-i-toc. A Tale of Frontier 

 Life and Indian Character; exhibiting Traditions, Su- 

 perstitions, and Character of a Race that is passing 

 away. 2 This story, a revised and expanded version of 

 "The Will," first published in 1841, was written in the 

 Cooper tradition and is a good example of that type of 

 novel. The content is of even greater interest than that 

 of the earlier tale, and the style shows a distinct im- 

 provement in literary craftsmanship. 



Economic planning for individuals, particularly those 

 who lived in cities, continued to interest Robinson, and 

 in 1873 he wrote How to Live: Saving and Wasting, or, 

 Domestic Economy Illustrated. . . . The original story 

 of One Dime a Day was reprinted in this book. While in 

 New York he is said to have published a narrative called 



1 Derby, James C, Fifty Years among Authors, Books and Pub- 

 lishers, 130-31 (New York, 1884) ; "Solon Robinson," in Bungay, 

 George Washington, Off-Hand Takings; or Crayon Sketches of the 

 Noticeable Men of our Age (New York, 1854). 



2 Me-won-i-toc ran as a serial in the Valparaiso Messenger, 1878- 

 1879. 



