Editors began to clamor for his stories; the University of California appointed him Professor of recent literature; and the ATLANTIC MONTHLY offered him the practically unprecedented sum of $10,000 for exclusive rights to one year's literary output.

Harte's star was, briefly, in the ascendant.
However, Harte had accumulated a number of debts, and his editorial policies, excellent in themselves, but undiplomatically executed, were the cause of a series of arguments with the publisher of the OVERLAND MONTHLY.

Fairly assured of profitable pickings in the East, he left California (permanently, as it proved).

The East, however, was financially unappreciative.

Harte wrote an unsuccessful novel and collaborated with Mark Twain on an unremunerative play.