The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-11-20
REJECTED MANUSCRIPTS.

The records of rejected genius are
anything but hattering to the judgment
of critics, publishers and manages.
Both the plays of GoIdsmith-sShe
IstoOps to conquer" and 'The Good-na-
ayers. the former by Garrick and the
latter by Colman Garrick declined the
tragedy of "Douglas,7 and at the same
time. pronounced it ''unfit for the stage
Sheridan took dislike to the neatly
written manuscript of FThe Honey
moOn," saying, genius is never neat.
The play was thrust into neglected
corner and never acted during the life
of the author. 1.-THE Soldiers Daught-
er," which, after the lapse of half CEN
fury, still keeps possession of the stage
was only accepted by the managers
through the influence of Mrs. Jordan,
all the plays of the same author. proVi.
ously. offered, having been declined.
Westiand Marston, q dramatist whose
Gamma Blake" "Stratmore" and ''Marie
de Merame" have placed his name on
the roll with Bulwer, Knoles, Lowell and
Jerrold, owed the production of the
''Patrician's Daughter" almost to an &C.
cident. Knowles, with difficulty, and
only after long time had elapsed, in
duced the managers to put ''Virginius'
upon the stage. "The Iron Chest" damn
ed at Drury Lane, was applauded at
Covcnt Garden, and has survived the
sharp criticism of jokes versified that
were showered upon it. Bum, in ''The
Stage before and behind the Curtain, y
speaks of the farce of "a Good Look
ing Fellow" Liston had been request
ed to play the leading character, and
thus replies to the application: Il have
read the farce very attentively, and re-
greet that cannot concur with Messrs.
Reynolds. Kenny, and yourselfas to its
merits. Ny opinion is that it would be
inevitably damned in less than quarter
of an hour, and as really lack the cour-
age to risk being pelted off the stage, l
must beg leave to decline the favor of
Mr.. Narcissus Briggs" Yet this farce
was received with roars of laughter, and
although put upon the stage late in the
season, was played for ninety-six nights.
Bulwer's first play, "The Duchess de
Ia VALERIE" was failure, and the crit
les declared that it was not i'm his pow
er "to attain the art of dramatic con-
struction and theatrical effect" '.The
Lady of Lyons" followed. Its author
ship was not suspected, nor did Bulwer
acknowledge his offspring until it had
become an acknowledged favorite ofthe
public. Thompson's winter" first pub
lished of his Seasons" for long time
lay like waste paper. The "Spy," which
was the earliest, as well as one of the
most vigorous of CoOper's novels, and
which laid the foundation of his name
as writer of fiction, was offered to and
declined by Murray. The same pub
Usher, in civil letter to Washington
Irving, declined the '.Sketch Book, but
reluctantly changed his opinion upon
the urgent representation of Sir Walter
Scott, and purchased the manuscript
for two hundred pounds. Such was the
success of the publication, even before
the issue of the second volume. that the
delighted publisher requested the author
to draw upon him for one hundred
guineas beyond the amount agreed up
on. Passages from the Diary of a Late
Physician" which originally appeared
in BlackwoOd's MdgGzine-the first
number in 1880, and the last in 1897
maintaf ed a place during that whole
period nong the most attractive arti-
cles, and afterward in a collected form,
passed through a number of editions,
both in this country and Great Britain.
They had been previously rejected by
the conductors of three of the leading
magazines of London ''as unsuitable for
their pages, and not likely to interest
IHC puUIIC.
Melville's "Typee" was offered to Har-
per, who declined it. The book was
published by another publishing house,
and with such marked success that,
when "Omee," the next work of Mel
vile. was written, it was accepted by
the Harpers without line of it being
read, and at the authors own price.
''The Wide, Wide World was submitted
10 Harper, Appleton, and other publish
ers, and declined, and was finally pub
lished by Putnam, and had a most re-
markable sale. Leading publishing
firms rejected DR.. Mason's "Handel and
Haydn's Collection" of which there can
not have been less than forty editions
published. Robinson Crusoe," one of
the most popular works ever written,
was rejected by the whole trade of Lon
don, till at length it came into the hands
of publisher who was more noted for
his speculative propensities than his
good judgment. He printed it, and
cleared one hundred thousand guineas
by this venture and publishers are to
this day making money continually by
new editions of it in all styles.