The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-30

short article on some useful domestic
subject, such as 'The Average Servant
or Occupation for Girls'-anything o.
that sort-can you suggest anythingP'
and he looks at me gravely and ques
tioningly-''something novel and at
tractive, that might be treated briefly
and brightly-made a feature Of, in
short-I shall be very pleased to con.
slider anything of that sort you may
favor me with, Miss Jones'"
He always paused most provokingly
after the ''Miss," and 1 hardly knew
whether to be angry or to laugh out
right as l stammered feeble "thank
you"
"And you really should cut Swim
burne," he added, with a meaning
glance at the manuscript.
81 don't know Mr.. Swinburne-that
is, met him only once, and then he
said something to me in Creek" 1 re-
piled
she might have said something much
worse. But l merely mean you
shouldn't devote 80 much of your time
to his poetry-the Poems and Bal
lads for instance, and the Songs Be-
fore Sunrise"
SHOW do you know 1 doP"
"Internal evidence;" and he touched
my manuscript. "This betrays severe
course. You must altar your style,
Miss Jones. Time enough for you to
come to the cynical-sensual-metaphysi-
cal-incomprehensible in ten years, say.
You'll be educated up to the point of
not believing a word of it by that time.
Kindly leave me your address, and the
manuscript shall be returned in the
usual way"
"No. II Brown street, Bloomsbury,
WC.," 1 replied, my face crimson,
scare of Mrs. Kent"
He wroteiit.down, and then stood up
to indicate that the interview was over,
bowed formally, and then touched a
little bell. Suddenly small boy ap-
peared, who conducted me down dark,
breakneck stairs, through several
mouldy, dusty labyrinthine passages
and out through booksellers shop. 1
felt more thoroughly small, mean, mis-
cradle and disgusted than I had ever
felt in my whole life, as emerged from
the shady by-street, containing the Office
into the light and hustle of Picadilly,
and, as got into bus, vowed never |
again to come to personal encounter |
with an editor. Hitherto L had been
content to drop my little contribution
modestly into the letter-boxes of certain
weekly publications that delight in
small stories, or would send them by
post and await the result with what |
patience l could. Sometimes my stories
and verses were accepted, sometimes
lot, and 1 fancied that, if an editor
,nly knew how exceedingly industrious
was, how very much in earnest, how
levotedly attached to my calling-for
lad married the Muse Of Literature for
,etter for worse-there was no choice
,etween doing that and being gov
would have far better opin-
on of me and give me an important
position on his paper imme-
lately. Then had heard so much
bout the editor of the Arlington, all
he girls at the reading-room of the
British Museum were continually talk
ng of him; and in an evil hour, armed
Nth my most elaborate poetical pro-
uction, made my way to the Office
nd requested, and, strange to say, was
ranted (for London editors are diff
ult of access) an interview. The re-
ult was pain, shame, confusion, dis
omfture and worst of all, failure. !
Ieaven and earth, how hated that man .
8 l sat in the most remote corner of !
ne bus on my homeward journey :
ow l vowed to be revenged and let
i'm know some day whom he had
1eered and jeered att l would put
i'm in novel, in a comedy, in bur-
'sque. would caricature him with pen !
nd pencil, l would become famous :
lerely to spite him, and refuse-oh,
le JOY of that thought!-I would re-
lse to write serial for his ha.eful !,
agazine. believe became almost 9
oquent in my internal denunciations :,
him; and, as an immediate practical,
sdainful defiance of him, got out at q
xford street and went into Mudie's for .
lother volume of Swinburne. !,
In one way or another the editor of a
@ Arlington was good deal in my q
oughts during the next week, and the !;
ore l considered his conduct the more h h
detested him; my cheeks burned and h
Y ears tingled as l recalled his low, -
ocking tones and quiet, annihilating 9,
hnSCo. 40 iOl otolJt | NJ
say or articles to his tender mercies- ',
yer! I,
A fortnight passed, and my manu- h. h.
ript did not come back. My name y,
IS not Jones; but really did live u
tn Mrs. Kent, in Brown street; and 4, i.
ID her all about it; so should have II,
,eived it had it been sent. OF course :"
had tossed it in capacious waste
per basket that had noticed under
table, and that was the end of it. II
One day, quite month after my en- W
unter with the autocrat of the Arling- al
4, Mrs. Kent announced visitor, a OF
ntleman, to see me and in moment W
,re entered the editor, more cool, I'd
I'm, self-possessed and smiling than ne
ar. LIZ
'The verses have not come back in q
ite the usual way" he said, sinking
asked into the only easy chair-I was
my writing-table, and meant to stay 81
IRE. "However, here they are, all th
e, with few marginal notes. You fr
really leave beautifully broad clean sn
rgins--they're quite tempting! By le
way, why haven't you sent me that tw
ryP" ao br
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