The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-11-23
MARCIA.

Ouc winter morning a few wears 400
the mail brought me Il roll oil NJ. with
one stamp too many. IA if 10 bribr the
mort To- care for 80 precious Il thinpy and
n letter. Every publishcr. editor or
even the ob.curcyi Of writer's receive
such packages 50 often ~ 10 know them
at n glance. Half A dozen poems and
Il story-a blur Of sunsets, duchryycy.
%yioIcts, bad French and worse English;
not a solid grain Of common sense, not Il
hint Of reality or even Of possibility, in
the whole oi it. The lcttcr-trulh in
every word; formal hard, practical, and
the meaning Of il a wumau's cry for
bread for her hungry children. Each
woman who write. such a letter raurics
shc is the first, that it. palhus will move
hard hearted editors, and that tine ry.
tent Of her need will supply the want vi
wit, wisdom, or even grammar in her
verses or story. Such Appeals pour in
literally by the thousand every year ~
every publishing office. The -ickly
daughter OF = family, the wife Of "A
drunken husband Il widow; children
that must be- fed and clothed. What
was the critics honest opinion Of her
work? How much would il bring in
dollars and cents? etc., etc.
did not oprn the letter tloi dly.
when we reach middle apr we have
learned, through rough experiences, how
many tragedies there are in our street or
under our wi root which will he none
the better for our baudlinr. and are ant
, If.hIy, to try to escape the hrarine Of
them.
The letter, however, when | orcncd it
next morning, proved to be not Ola trao-
ical sort. The writer wa, "not dcncnd-
rnt ON her pcn for support. q" she had
vowed herself to literature" she "wos
resolved to assist in the prorrc,s Of hu-
nanty0 Scarcely had + laid down fine
letter when / was told that She waited
10 see me. Tine card she sent nm
WAS a bit of fine ny lruror , hook emf OH.
long with fine scissors. ami fine n,mc-
lIi.4 Eorr written in imilotinn M on.
Her back was toward mo whrn
came down. and had time to read tbc
sham styIishuess written all over
her thin little person. The .lrpzy Hack
silk was doomed in the prevailing fashion
a sweeping white plumc droopcl fran
the cheap hat, and ON her hands we've
washed cotton gloves.
Instead Of the wilrnrd features Of the
dead beat which expected, she
turned on me a cbild's face. an uply
face, | believe other women called if |
but one Of the most innocent and honest
in the world. Her brown eyes met Yours
eagerly, full ola Joyous GOOD fellowship
for everything and everybody oI,yr
She poured out her story. too. in a lioht.
hearted way. and in the lowest, friend.
lest voice. To see the rigl was TO be
her ally. "pcoplr will do anything for
ne but publish NV manuycripts" she
'aid.
She came from Mississippi: had been
he only white child ON a'poor plantation
N the banks Of the Yazoo. IS" have
,nly had such teaching rs my mother
'ouId give; she had but two years with a
We had mn hooks mar nnw.
papers, except an occasional copy Of a
magazine sent to Us Inv friends in ,Ln
Her mother was The ono r]rntr,l
iglrr in fine wnrlI IA L.r th,r IMAM,
intercourse sLr t,iLrJ a., nor cnr
ipunIly "SLc j., E,,L, unn,,n
css than I; but she hos one M tho
incst minds in the world " ,Lc wonIJ ,
nv. THE sight Of onythipg h.,rti .
or the sound If mus ,r,ys Lnr'
he wind does a reed Hy, .Lr g.. noya,
wenty miles from the plantation ,hr
~ read nothing, knows nothina Nv