Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-10-25
THE MAKING OF A NOVEL.
A Lakeside Musing that Combines
Common Sense with Criticism.
els the literary editor imp,

ssIs the literary editor in?"
The horse reporter looked up and dis
covered a very pretty young lady stand
ing In the doorway. "NO," he replied,
she is not. The literary editor is a very
affable will-'o-the-wisp in rather tight
pants, and the extent per week to which
he is not in would surprise you if you
only knew about it. He fits with airy
grace through the building once or twice
Il week, and then, like a beautiful vision
with bcx-toed shoes, is gone"
81 would like to see the literary ed
itor," said the young lady. 81 want to
compete for the $40 prize for the best
story. Do you think 1 would have any
chance to win it," and a pair of soft,
brown eyes looked wistfully into those
of one who would soon be taking another
bite of hard tobacco.
81 can't exactly tell" said the horse
reporter. at is more or less difficult,
by simply looking at a person, to judge
of her power of weaving from her surg
ing brain the style of romance for which
this paper is at present casting $40 worth
of bread per week OH the waters. The
possession of a seal-brown dress, a hat
with q long feather on it, and a pair of
high-heeled shoes might indicate literary
ability of a high order, and then /: might
not. / should hate to try and pick out
q budding Tennyson by the cut of his
pants, or fish up from the realms of OBJ
security a mate to Harriet Beecher Stowe
with only a collection of Sealskin sacques
and 81 bangs to guide me-"
"Oh, 1 forgot" said the young lady,
blushing violently. "You want to see
the story / have written, don't you? and
then you can tell me whether / could win
the prize or not"
s'Yes," replied the admirer of st. Ju-
lien, 'I should not only like to see the
story, but l should also like to read some
of it. The best judges agree that when
person is about to give a cold, critical
judgment on a piece of literary work, i,
is always best to previously read it. II
has been found the perusal frequently
aids the critic materially in ascertainine
the general drift of the e~ffusion."
"HeIe is my story, sir" said the young
lady, handing over a roll of manuscript
"Could you read it now?"
"Oh, yes" was the reply, in a cheer
full tone. 81 can dive through that il
about three minutus."
For q few moments there was silence
Then the horse reporter looked up from
the manuscript to the maiden. "Doe:
this duck finally marry the girl?" HI
asked. "Tommy Fresh, or whatever hi:
LII is"
'Do you mean Vivian Dare?"
"Yes, that's him. Does Wv fnall,
corrol Lurline Loosehair? l mean tn,
n that is always talking about tn,
ideality of the ideal. III bet she's
daisy for ice cream-that kind Away,
are"
"You probably refer to Notable Mon
StSoooAg AK hSkcAaSJ soAd IN 1oaus
lady, In a somewhat frigid tone. 'sYes
they are united by the indissoluble tie O
matrimony."
"By the WHAT"
"By the i~ndissoluble tie of matrimo
ny-they are welded"
"Oh, that's it,n said the horse reporter
81 thought they had fallen off the shot
tower together, or something like tina,
But you're driving q little too far from
the pole, sis, when you talk about mar
riage being an i%ndissoluble tie. As lon,
as Sc will start q divorce suit the indissol
utility of the matrimonial tie will nave t
take a back seat in one of the top rows.
d you think my story will answer?
said the young lady.
81 don't exactly like the ending of it,
replied the horse reporter. "Just rea
that last sentence to me.n
The young lady took the manuscriE
and read as follows:
Not breath of wind, not the faintes
suggestion of a zephyr even, stirred th
leaves of the linden trees-made crimso
and purple, and gold by the magic of a
early ~frost-under which Vivian and Ma
talie were standing. The golden haze c
an October morning was tinting the hill
with its glory, and, as Vivian bent HI
head and pressed on the beautiful fac
that was appraised to his the betroth.
kiss, he said to her, Il will never leav
you again."
"Vivian said that, did he?" asked til
horse reporter.
tfYes sir"
"Said in October, right after a fros
knocked the leaves endways, that h
would never leave her again?"
ssYes SIR"
"That won't do. No young mar wi,
a head like that gets inIo our column
Why, he ought to have left her befor
noon that day"
"Why?" asked the young lady, q
really do not understand you"
"This story has 'em out there undo
the trees on o frosty October mornin,
doesn't it?"
"Yes sir.
"That's no place for a young man VIII
has the true Saxon spirit. He ought t
be over on the Board of Trade buyin
corn. Any young mar who puts in h
frosty October mornings making 10,
will gather no moss"
'Then you don't think my story wi
be accepted?"
"Hardly-at least in its present stat
You had better make viz tell Natalie tn.
he loves her with a wild, and passio
that makes him stub his toe when
thinks about 1t, but that he cannot a
her to be his bonny bride until after Il
base ball championship is decided. TIN
kind Of an ending would have the trr
Chicago tinge."
"Good day, sir" said the young lad
1"Bon jour, replied the horse reporte
"Saw your story into shape and con
around again. Chicago Tribune.
Died.
Died. at the residence of his faith
in Rush Hill, Oct. IA, 1888, D. \
Uzzell, aged % years. He suffer-
for three weeks with typhoid feve